Disclaimer: I no own Naruto. I DO, however, own Gaeans, Riso, Sebraya, Murasi, Senkito, Kisaike, etc. You get the point.
Gaara: It's about time you finally decided to work on this again. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about this.
Ryu: No, I've just been working on original fiction. (No title yet) However, people have been asking about the continuation of this, so...
Kyo: So you decided to get back one of the few things I can NOT help you with as of yet. Cool. Break time for me.
Ryu: Enough talk! If I don't start writing, I'll never get this done.
Chapter 5: The Unexpected Mission
"Kisai! Kisai, where are you?" Murasi's voice was calm, but his mind was filled with worry. He, Kisai and Senkito had split off to search out the area, and were told to meet back up at the rocks by the waterfall in a half hour. It had been nearly an hour and a half. Kisai was never late, not without very good reason. Now, Murasi and Senkito were flying through the treetops, scanning the ground below and the trees around them for Kisai's chakra. "Damn it, Kisai. You better not have gotten yourself killed."
Suddenly, Senkito landed on a tree branch and stopped. Murasi, not very good at the flash stops, nearly barreled headfirst into a tree trunk. He turned around and jumped to the branch Senkito was kneeling on.
"Senkito, do me a favor. Warn me before you attempt to kill me like that again."
Senkito just raised a finger to his lips. His eyes were roving slowly about the trees and ground. He leaned very close to Murasi. "Kisai is close. Her chakra is very weak, so she may be hurt really badly. But we have other things to worry about. Whoever Kisai ran into is following us." His eyes continued to roam. "There's three of them. Decent sized. Probably Sound Nins, if I had to make a guess, considering how close we are to their borders."
Murasi nodded. He began to make signs at Senkito. As children, the five friends had made up a secret language using their hands, so they could talk to each other without getting into trouble. When they had met Kisai, they taught it to her. None of them had ever realized how useful it could be on missions where the Sound Nin were involved.
-Now what? Do we just leave her there and fight them, or grab her and leave? We completed the mission. This was not a scheduled fight.- Murasi signed.
-We have no choice but to fight them.- Senkito signed back. –I can't exactly pinpoint where Kisai is. If we're wrong...-
Murasi nodded. In unison, the two 12 year olds turned to face their pursuers. Three men stepped out onto various branches around the boys. Each of them was wearing the Sound hitae.
"Geez, it's just some kids. Just like that brat I sent the 'special' gift. I don't think that possessed sand could save her from that." He laughed. "Getting around the sand wasn't as difficult as I expected, but even with it, she was hardly Chuunin level."
Murasi felt Senkito tense next to him, and then realized that he had tensed up as well. So they had managed to get past Kisai's sand? Well, let's see if they could deal with what happens when you piss off fire and lightning.
Murasi's eyes turned red, while Senkito's changed to a deep purple. Suddenly, the sky clouded over and the bright afternoon became dim. Thunder rumbled. The Sound nins looked from the stormy sky to the two boys. A wind kicked up, but no rain was forthcoming. Murasi looked up at the Sound nin in front of him and smiled. For the first time since meeting them, the nin looked slightly worried. Murasi raised a hand up, two fingers extended. His other hand was facing down in the same fashion. The Sound nin began to form seals, but it was too late. Murasi wind-milled his arms down and in front of him, and opened his hands.
"Flame's Justice!"
From his hands, a gout of flame poured toward the Sound nin. He stopped his seals and dodged, but couldn't get completely out of the way. The fire hit his left leg, burning it black almost instantly. The Sound nin cried out.
Meanwhile, Senkito turned to face another of the nins. He placed his hands, palms together, in front of his chest, and made loops with his ring fingers and thumbs. He intertwined the loops and thrust his hands at the sky. The Sound nin had seen what happened to his compatriot, and dove for the next tree to be out of the fire's path. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't prepared for what happened next.
"Sky Spear!"
What looked to be a large, purple tinted spear made of lightning stabbed from the stormy sky. It hit the tree where the Sound nin had taken refuge, and a half-second later, Senkito heard him scream. He smiled ruefully. His tweak of Sky Spear had proved to be a success. Instead of hitting enemies straight on with it, he had made it so that it would electrify anything it hit. It was almost the same as getting hit, but the voltage, while less, was worse, as the electrification continued for about two minutes. A few seconds later, the Sound nin fell to the ground, incapacitated for the moment. Senkito looked down to verify that the nin wasn't going anywhere fast, when he suddenly felt three sharp pains in his back.
"Agh!" He felt around to the one in his lower back and felt the edge of a kunai. He pulled it out and examined it closely. Not poisoned. Good. He looked over to Murasi and saw what he didn't want to.
Murasi was kneeling, gasping for breath as the uninjured Sound nin stood above him. Blood leaked down his face from his ears.
We're in too far, Senkito thought. There's no way we can deal with this alone. They're at least Jounin level.
A sound behind him made him turn. The electrified Sound nin had climbed back up the tree and was looking at Senkito with a mixed look of pain and rage. Senkito pulled the two kunai out of his back and threw them. Neither hit, as the Sound nin just sent a sound blast to knock them off course. He countered with six, amplified with sound. All hit their marks, and Senkito nearly fell from the tree. He slid around the trunk, pulling four of the kunai out, and sent a spray. At least one hit, but he heard the others clunk into trees or fall to the forest floor. He was bleeding heavily now.
This is not good, he thought, pulling out the other two kunai and sending them sailing at him. He blocked them easily and began to advance. Senkito moved to stand back to back with Murasi. Definitely not good. The wind died down for a moment, just enough that a soft voice was heard.
"Blade Storm," the voice said, and suddenly the wind picked up more ferociously than ever. Tiny blades, seemingly made of sand, flew through the air, slicing into the Sound nins and disappearing so fast they had no idea what to do.
"What the...What is this?"
"Who cares? Let's just get out of here!"
The three Sound nins retreated, getting more sliced up by the minute.
Senkito and Murasi turned toward the voice, ready for anything. Leaning against the trunk of a tree, breathing heavily, pupil-less tan eyes reforming into aquamarine ones, was a badly beaten and bleeding Kisai. The boys started moving towards her. She looked up at them for a second, then her eyes glazed over and she fell.
Senkito jumped, grabbing her, and used his momentum to leap from trunk to trunk to the ground. He laid her down gently, trying not to agitate her wounds. Murasi landed right next to him.
"Damn! What the hell did he do to her? He shouldn't have been able to get past the sand!" Murasi shook with anger.
Senkito placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "We don't have time to worry about it. We need to get her, and us, back. Maybe Kikai can tell us more about what happened."
Murasi nodded and helped place Kisai on Senkito's back. When she was secure, the two of them made haste for Shizen.
When they finally got back, Senkito was feeling faint from blood loss, Murasi could hardly stay on his feet, as his eardrums had been broken, and Kisai wouldn't wake up. The watch, including Riso, hurried over as Senkito fell into unconsciousness, dropping Kisai. Riso turned to Murasi.
"What happened?!" Riso asked, picking up Kisai. One of the watch grabbed Senkito.
"We...were ambushed by Sound Jounin, three, on the way home from the mission," Murasi answered, trying desperately to keep his feet. One of the watch held him steady. "We stopped for lunch, and as always, scouted the place out. Kisai didn't come back. While we were looking for her, three Sound nin attacked us. We didn't find her, but they said they had done something 'special' to her, something her sand couldn't save her from. Then, Senkito got hit and one shattered my ears. Kisai drove them away, and then collapsed. Senkito's been carrying her all this way. We could get her to wake up for a little, but now she won't wake up at all! She won't even move. But, the mission is accomplished." He seemed to try to smile, but then, he too collapsed.
"Damn those Sound! You, get to the hospital and get them ready. You, find Kikai. You two, follow me." Riso and the two other Gaeans carried Kisai, Senkito and Murasi to the hospital as fast as their injuries would allow. Kikai was waiting for them.
"What happened?!" he exclaimed on seeing the group.
Riso shook his head. "I'll explain later. We don't have much time. Kisai won't wake up, Senkito's lost a lot of blood, and Murasi's eardrums are shattered. I don't think that's it, but that's what I know. Fix it!"
Kikai looked serious. "I'll do what I can."
Kisaike's eyes blinked open and she looked around.
I'm in a hospital room, she thought. Now, why does this look familiar?
She remembered and smiled. This was the exact room that she had been in when she first came here. A few seconds later, she was aware of warmth on her hands and near her legs. Sitting up a little, she couldn't help but blush. Senkito and Murasi, each holding one of her hands, were asleep, their heads on their arms, their arms on the edges of her bed. Looking a bit further, Chikitin was asleep in the same position next to Senkito, and Tomiki next to Murasi. Jisukyu was in the same position at the foot of the bed. She turned to the rest of the room. Riso and Amako were asleep propped in chairs against one wall. The door opened and Kikai walked in with Sebraya. Kisai looked down, extremely embarrassed about her injuries. Sebraya just smiled.
"Oh, good, you're awake!" said Kikai, and everyone in the room stirred. There was a general commotion as everyone in the room tried to talk and move at the same time. Sebraya clapped her hands.
"Alright! I want Riso, Senkito, and Murasi to stay. You too, Kikai. Everyone else, please leave for a few minutes. I would like to have a word with them." Everyone else slowly but surely shuffled out, passing back various scared and worried looks. After the door was shut, Sebraya sighed and laughed. "Well, that's better."
Kisai's voice was soft and apparently directed to her lap. "I'm sorry. I endangered everyone. I...I'm not skilled enough to even be a...a novice!" Tears fell, but she tried hard to make them go away.
Sebraya looked at her for a minute, then smiled gently. "No, Kisai. You are worthy of Chuunin. You proved that. You kept fighting when you're squad was in danger. Besides, Chuunin or not, you are not good enough to take on three Sound Jounins. Even Riso and his cell have trouble with that. The fact that you weren't killed is proof enough." She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Now, I have something very important to tell you, Kisaike." Kisai looked up into Sebraya's face at the mention of her full name. "Your brother is leaving the Sand village to take the Chuunin selection exam in Konoha. In fact, both your brothers and your sister are going." Kisai's eyes lit up. "However, there are rumors that the Sound is going to attempt an attack on Konoha. I want you, just you, to go to Konoha and observe all parts of the selection exam."
The objections started from four sides, but Sebraya had seen this coming. Senkito, Murasi, Riso and Kikai were all talking to her at once. She held up her hands and waited until things calmed down before she spoke again.
"The reason, gentlemen, is that none of the large villages know that we even exist. Sending a cell in wouldn't be that great of an idea. Plus, since Kisai's brother will be there, it won't seem too odd that she's there." She turned to Kisai. "Your duty will be to stop whatever it is that they are attempting to do if no one else can. Aid Konoha in whatever way possible if the rumors are true. Also, your brother is the vessel for Shuukaku, right?"
"Yes."
"If the Sound and Sand have an alliance, which it seems they were working on when you were kidnapped, they might have decided to use your brother. You have heard what's been happening with him, right?"
Kisai looked down again. "Yes."
"Then, knowing the dangers posed for you and knowing that you'll be alone, will you accept this mission?"
Kisai looked up, her aquamarine eyes as hard as steel. "I accept."
Ryu: There! Another chapter done! Happiness!
Gaara: That wasn't so bad, was it?
Ryu: Not really, but then again...who knows!
Next Chapter: Watching from Afar