Chapter Nine: November Rain
A/N: Yes, it's a Guns 'N Roses song name, but that's this weeks title. I'm crediting them for the title anyway. Umm would anyone mind in advertising the story. I'd appreciate it. Not many people seem to like it v.v

Taraka's eyes shifted around the obscure forest as she continued on with her team into the darkness. Sojirou and Kayla traveled close behind her, their masks on as well like Taraka. Abruptly, Taraka came to a hault, and the whole team as well. Arashi's ears erected, and swiveled around to pick up and sound. Taraka shifted to her teammate Kayla, "How much further ahead or they?"

The Hyuuga turned silver eyes activating with a small popping noise, she peeked further into the darkness, "About 250 yards ahead."
Taraka smiled, and nodded from under her mask, "I want everyone to split up. Sojirou, you take the left flank, Kayla you take the right. Arashi and I shall take the frontline."
Soujirou and Kaylachan did as stated and appeared before their enemies. Taraka however winced, stopping. Her skin had began to burn and she pulled down her vest to insepect her body. The counter seal Kakashi had been using...was disolving?...She turned around to see Orochimaru standing with his arms crossed. Venemous eyes glared down upon his victim with a sick smile, "Hello...Taraka"
Her eyes widened and she stood up, grabbing her katana from it's holster, "Mikazuki no m---" Before she could finish Orochimaru's tongue wrapped around her neck and binded her neck tightly. Taraka struggled around reacher her arms up to her neck barely able to breathe. He snickered and raised his hand, purple chakra emulating from each finger. He pressed his hand tightly on her stomach with force knocking her unconisous in her state. Arashi leapt up baring his fangs toward Orochimaru, but was simply batted away like nothing more then a child's play toy.Arashi whimpered like a puppy looking up at Orochimaru disappearing with Taraka.

Sojirou had been left with a sound ninja, and smiled slightly, "KAGEMANE NO JUTSU!" He shouted, and his shadow casted upon his enemy in his tracks. He started to throw shuriken at his enemy, and ducking after each one, injuring his enemy's head further and further. The sound ninja however snickered. Sojirou raised a brow to him, "What do you think is so funny?..."
Sojirou however was struck with steel blade through his chest during his jutsu, he put his hands down where the blade had pierced his body, blood dripping from his body. He fell to the ground dying from the wound, there had been poision on the blade.

Hyuuga Kayla's byakugan initiated, and a small white cat crawled from her pack. She tossed it a soldier pill and the cat grew to the size of a panther. "Chiyo! Let's go!"
The Hyuuga shouted leaping directly for one of the sound ninjas. She casted her katas shouting "Kanashibari no jutsu!" She shouted, paralyzing one of the enemy sound ninjas. "CHIYO!" The white cat, leapt at the paralyzed ninja with it's claws. Squelch, Chiyo had taken the head off of the sound ninja, blood covered her ivory pelt. Kayla had been alone now, and turned around to look up at Orochimaru's right hand man Kabuto himself. Kabuto brought his fist down with a kunai in his hand.
"AHH!" Kayla screamed as blood began to cover her ANBU costume. She winced under her mask holding her bleeding arm in pain.Kabuto smiled grotesquely and hit her hard in the stomach knocking her out.He snickered, "I'll let you bleed to death." He smirked and quickly retreated once again as his men were slain by Chiyo. They had been left alone...

Later that day...

Rain fell heavily upon Konoha that fall morning...

Shikamaru stood at his brother's funeral, looking down at the coffin with a heavy heart; tears beginning to well in his eyes. 'Do not show emotion..' He forced himself in his mind to think, but could not hold it in, he sobbed. In that instant, a pair of arms wrapped around his green Chuunin vest. His head shifted to see a young woman, with blond hair. His own teammate, Yamanaka Ino, had embraced him. "I-Ino?" He choked out, and without another word held her close to him as he sobbed. This was troublesome to have his teammate see him cry, but he needed support. Ino was the only person he had truly trusted to see him in the state.

A sleeping Kayla awoke from her slumber, her eyes examined her room and she sat up. As the Hyuuga had sat up, she winced and grasped her left arm with her right hand. She looked down to see a perfectly bandaged arm, then realized she had not been wearing her ANBU outfit. Suddenly she began to panic slightly looking around the room. "CHIYO!"
"So you're awake." Said a rugged man's voice. She looked up to meet her silver eyes with none other then Kakashi. He smiled through his mask, a white kitten sitting upon his silver hair. "You gave us quite a scare, we didn't think you would make it."
Kayla confused replied to Kakashi, "How did you find us?"
He crossed his arms his smile fading, "We heard threats of Sound coming to Konoha once again. We sent our special forces out after the report. Sadly, we didn't make it in time..."
Her face shifted, "Sojirou and Taraka?"
"Dead, and Taraka...was captured by Sound."
Her eyes widened and she grew silent for a second, Kakashi sat down beside her placing a hand on her shoulder. "You did what you could."
She leaned her head onto Kakashi closing her eyes tightly. "I failed..."
Kakashi shook his head, "You did not. It would have been successful if it had not been for Sound."
She smiled weakly at that thought then lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him.
"Uhh...Kakashi?"
He smiled once again. "Hm?"
"What exactly happened to my ANBU outfit?"
His eyes widened and he laughed nervously scratching his head, Chiyo leapt over to Kayla. "It was covered in blood...and I had to bandage your wounds so..."
Her eyes widened with a red tinted face, "YOU DID WHAT!"
Kakashi smiled, and sweatdropped. "Well I need to go talk to Tsunade...bye!"
He quickly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Back at the Inuzuka District...
Arashi whimpered as Hana had bandaged his leg with a splint. His legbroke in the process of coming after Orochimaru.Kiba paced back and forth with hisAkamaru running at his heels. He looked up angrily at Hana, "It's my fault! I'm assigned to protect her! Why won't that old hag let me go after her!" He growled out to his sister.
"Kiba! Enough! You must be patient." She said back as she finished wrapping Arashi's leg. Arashi kept on whimpering quietly. Kiba growled grabbing his pack. "I'm going for a walk. Come on Akamaru."
Kiba walked outside and left the district, hands shoved in his pockets, deep in thought.

Meanwhile...
Orochimaru smirked looking over to the Uchiha, the curse had reached the final stage in her body. Many fallen dead bodies lay littered over the ground, they had been Orochimaru's own sound ninja. She cackled with no control, her crimson sharingan cycling around her eyes. From her back two wings spread from her torn ANBU outfit. Her foot lifted up onto a fallen corpse's head and she brought it down crushing it. She laughed maniacally, as Orochimaru smiled.
"Konoha...will finally fall."