A/N: Little later than I thought it would take, but it was hard to get back in a groove after vacation and school starting back up. Probably the longest chapter so far (and one of the harder ones to write)...Enjoy.
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CHAPTER 15
"SHINJI'S FOREST FIGHT"
"Geez, you never change."
"Who asked you, Hiroko?" Shinji snapped back. "No one's making you sit here and listen."
"It's hard not to when you yell like that," she replied, tossing her chestnut brown hair back in frustration as she stoked the dwindling flames within the small clump of twigs and leaves.
"I wasn't yelling!" Shinji exclaimed.
"You are now," the third member of their team sighed.
"This doesn't count, Riku," Shinji retorted.
"Whatever," Hiroko said, digging through the pack at her feet. "Look, Riku and I have heard all of your stories before. They were kind of cool when we were younger, but now they're getting old. You've been telling us about the great Zuboshi family since forever. Takeo did this...Keigo-san did that... you're still that naïve, idol-worshipping kid we've known since the Academy."
Shinji paused, resisting the urge to punch the girl. Sitting around the fire, he and his team sat silently amidst the dense forests well beyond Konoha's walls. The approach of twilight had put an end to their journey for the day.
"Shut up," Shinji grumbled. "Just because I talk about them a lot doesn't mean you can understand. Even if I spent the next few years telling you about Keigo-san and Takeo nii-san, you still wouldn't know how great they are."
"Honestly, I really don't care," Hiroko shrugged. "Why should I?"
"Geez, you guys want to relax a little," Riku advised. "Those kidnappers are supposed be nearby, you know? Your arguing will scare them off."
"Hmph," Hiroko muttered. "Fine. It's not like I started it."
"Did so," Shinji responded.
"Did not."
"Did so."
"Oi, are you two deaf?" a man sighed as he appeared in a puff of smoke beside them. "I thought I told you guys to stay quiet and prepare our camp."
"We did, Hideo-sensei," Shinji replied. "But then Hiroko--"
"I didn't do anything!" Hiroko interjected.
"How old are you two again?" their sensei asked with a frown, adjusting the glasses on his rugged face. "You two are second-year Genin, not second-year Academy students. Act your age, okay?"
"Says the guy who acts like a goofy teenager around Kira-sensei," Shinji mumbled.
"My wife has nothing to do with this," Hideo smartly replied. "But thank you for volunteering to gather wood for the fire."
"Aw, that's--"
"Ha ha," Hiroko laughed mockingly.
"Hiroko, give him a hand," Hideo smiled.
"Great," she and Shinji simultaneously growled.
Minutes later, the pair of Genin were searching through the brush and the debris blanketing the forest floor, trying to quickly find enough firewood for the night before the remaining bit of sunlight faded. Purposely keeping several feet apart, Shinji and Hiroko worked silently, each avoiding the occasional angry glare by the other.
"This is your fault, you know?" Shinji commented as he bent down to grab a large branch.
"How do you figure?" Hiroko asked irately. "If anything, it's your fault."
"Me?" Shinji responded, snapping the long branch in two.
"Yeah, it's all your fault," she repeated with a satisfied grin.
"Just shut up and keep gathering wood," Shinji retorted.
The duo worked quietly for a while longer, until both of them had collected an arm full of dry kindling. Satisfied that they had enough to keep the fire going until morning, the two agreed to head back to their camp. Though the walk back was short, the seconds of silence between them dragged on like hours.
"Look," Hiroko began suddenly. "I'm sorry about before. Even if I do get sick of hearing you go on and on about your friends, I didn't have to explode like that."
"Yeah," Shinji nodded, grinning as he noticed the annoyed expression on Hiroko's face. "I'm sorry, too...I guess. I suppose I get carried away when it comes to Keigo-san and Takeo nii-san."
"That's an understatement," Hiroko mumbled.
"It's just that they're like family," Shinji continued, ignoring her remark. "Takeo nii-san was always there to hang out with me, or talk with me when I needed to. When my dad was out on missions or on duty, he'd let me bunk in his room. When a couple of older kids started picking on me, he stepped in and helped me...he really was my older brother. And since he's been gone, Keigo-san has kind of stepped in. He's taught me so much, helping me train like he helped his own son."
"I think I get it," Hiroko smiled. "You like bragging about your family."
"Yeah, er...no," Shinji stumbled. "I guess I like talking about them so I don't forget all the help they've given me."
Hiroko nodded. "That I can understand…"
"So you're not gonna throw a fit next time I mention them?" Shinji asked with a grin.
"No, I'll still say something," Hiroko smirked. "But now that I sort of get why you do it, it'll mostly be just to annoy you."
Shinji shook his head, suppressing a laugh. He and Hiroko exchanged glances, their eyes meeting with a look of mutual understanding. Their brief moment of peace was loudly interrupted by noises and voices emanating from their camp. Dropping the stacks of wood in their hands, both Genin sprinted back towards the sounds. They froze immediately, staring at the strange site before them. Half a dozen unconscious men lay scattered about their campsite as four cloaked figures moved to surround Hideo, who was protecting a crouching Riku. Dressed in gray robes with pale yellow lining, the quartet of identical foes slowly began to approach. Hiroko and Shinji instinctively jumped in to help.
"Hideo-sensei!" Shinji shouted as he ran beside him.
"Shinji. Hiroko. I'm glad you're okay," Hideo said quickly.
"Sensei," Hiroko said as she too leapt beside him.
"You two should have analyzed the situation before jumping in, though," Hideo continued. "With the dense trees and bushes around here, we'd have the advantage if we weren't all gathered out in the open."
"What's going on?" Shinji promptly asked him, reaching down into his pack for his bow as he readied a kunai in his other hand. "Who are these guys and who are the ones laying on the ground?"
"The men on the ground are our targets," Riku answered as he stood, pushing his fiery red hair out of his eyes. "The ones in the robes attacked them before they turned on us."
"What?" Hiroko quickly responded. "Why?"
"Not quite sure yet," Hideo quietly answered. "While you two were gone, several of the kidnappers spotted us. Before Riku or I could act, however, they attacked them."
"So what do we do?" Shinji impatiently inquired.
"You three stay back," Hideo ordered as he took a few steps forward.
The robed figures turned their shadow-covered faces towards the Jounin, showing no signs of backing down. Before Hideo could open his mouth to speak, two of the men rushed towards him.
"Hideo-sensei! Shinji shouted as he charged.
"Stay back!" Hideo yelled.
His words came too late to stop the eager Genin. Shinji tossed his kunai at one of the robed men rushing toward his sensei, stopping them both in their tracks. Leaping into the air, Shinji hurled his bow back towards Hiroko and Riku as he withdrew a tiny orb from his equipment pouch. The two remaining foes dashed beside the other pair that had moved forward; the four of them looked up, their heads following the boy's hand as he threw the sphere towards them. As it hit the ground, the orb exploded; a thick, gray smoke quickly encircled the four men and soon blanketed what little daylight remained in the area. Shinji gathered his chakra as Hideo moved towards him.
"Shinji, regroup with the others."
The Genin didn't respond, either ignoring his team leader's order or simply not hearing it over his own voice. "Kemuriran!"
As a faint white aura clouded over his eyes, Shinji dove into the cloud cover. He shook his head as his vision adjusted to the black and white world created by the jutsu. The rolling clouds of smoke became translucent as the ground, trees, and other solid objects grew darker. Darting his enhanced eyes around, Shinji quickly spotted the four robed figures within the mist. Withdrawing another kunai, he dashed towards the nearest one, catching the man off guard as he slashed across his chest. The heavy clothe of his robe tore easily, shreds of the gray fabric flying through the smoke-filled air as the man beneath it cried out. Shinji suppressed a grin, until the darkened figure exploded in a burst of smoke, vanishing from his view.
"They're not all real," Shinji loudly said as he raced towards another one. "I just took out a clone."
Outside the edge of the dissipating cloud of smoke, Hideo gathered his other two students around him. Hearing Shinji's voice, he turned his attention quickly back to his student within the smokescreen.
"I know," he called back. "Shinji, there is only one real enemy. The rest are shadow clones."
Hearing his sensei's words, Shinji turned away from the second figure as it too disappeared in a puff of smoke. The two remaining foes chuckled slightly beneath their hoods, bringing their hands up and forming seals. Even though his vision was still constricted to this grayscale world, Shinji could see enough to notice the intricate sequence of seals. He immediately took off away from the pair, shouting a warning to his teammates outside the smoke. As he neared the edge of the darkened mist, the chakra from his eyes faded. He heard Hiroko's shouting as the robed nin and his clone finished their seals.
"Raiton: Makuden no Jutsu. (Thunder Element: Sheet Lightning Technique)"
A faint crackling sound surrounded the man and his clone as bursts of static energy discharged from their hands and feet. A bright flash accompanied the heavy bolt of lightning that struck the patch of grass between the two. Immediately after, they thrust their hands onto the ground. The surface of the forest floor began to glow as a powerful wave of electricity surged forth from beneath the robed men's hands, covering the ground in a lethal lightning-powered sheet that was quickly catching up to Shinji. Frantically trying to outrun the attack, the Genin quickly realized how futile it was. As he spun his head around, he caught a glimpse of the thin wave of electricity approaching before he felt himself lifted off of the ground, barely clearing the static charge now covering it. Looking up, Shinji met eye-to-eye with Hideo, who was hanging upside down from the branch of a large tree.
"Th-Thanks." Shinji squeaked.
Hideo shook his head attempting to reply before the mysterious nin called out.
"That won't help."
The robed ninja and his clone concentrated harder; the crackling sheet of electrical energy began to glow brighter and random bursts of lightning began shooting up from it towards the sky. Realizing the situation, Hideo quickly tossed Shinji back towards Hiroko and Riku, away from danger. Once he was out of range of the attack, Hideo flipped himself back onto the top of the branch and jumped across several trees until he, too, was safe.
"That's a Jounin-level jutsu," he said, loud enough to draw the robed shinobi's attention.
One of the figures waved a hand, and the lone remaining shadow clone disappeared along with the attack blanketing the forest floor. As it vanished, the man stepped out and forcefully ripped away the heavy robe on his body. His thick, muscular form now in plain sight, the three Genin to one side of him stepped back slightly, feeling their nerves overcome them. Laughing, the ninja glanced towards Hideo. Catching sight of the worn forehead protector across his thick head, the Konoha Jounin cursed himself. Engraved into the metal plate was the symbol of the Hidden Cloud Village; a large, deep scratch ran straight through the mark.
"A missing nin?" Hideo shouted, trying to draw the nin's attention away from his students. "What would you be doing in Fire Country?"
The large man smiled, turning away from him. "Sorry…won't work. Shouldn't have left them open."
Before Hideo could react, the Cloud shinobi raced toward his students. Hideo dashed from atop the tree branches in pursuit. With all the speed he could muster, he closed the distance enough to counter the nin's charge. Faster than his students had seen him move, Hideo removed a pair of kunai from his pack and tossed them out, one flying past either side of the Cloud ninja. Before the missing nin could turn and respond, a thin wire that had been tied to the handle of each blade pressed against his back. The kunai slowed as they crossed paths, coiling the wire around the Cloud shinobi. While his hands were still free, his movement had slowed enough for Hideo to catch up and ram a foot into his backside. The man fell face first to the ground, before his body exploded in a puff of smoke. Hideo's face contorted in frustration as he hurriedly scanned the area. He never saw the white-hot bolt of electricity erupt from beneath his feet.
"Hideo-sensei!"
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Several miles away, three masked shinobi turned towards the bright flash of light in the darkened sky.
"Captain?"
The largest of the three stepped forward, gazing through the white bear-shaped mask on his face. "That's the second time we've seen lightning shoot up to the sky, correct?"
"Yes, Captain," the other two ANBU responded.
"Right. We should investigate."
"Agreed," the other two nodded in unison.
The trio of ANBU agents was off in a flash, speeding towards the direction of the lightning.
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Seeing Hideo lying face first on the forest floor with scorch marks covering his flak jacket, Shinji raced towards his fallen sensei, ignoring Riku's warnings. A powerful blow to the boy's side quickly knocked him away. Tumbling along the ground back towards his teammates, Shinji growled in frustration as he came to a stop against Hiroko and Riku's cushioning arms. The three Genin looked up, watching the Cloud nin dust himself off after emerging from his hiding place underneath the ground.
"Are you okay?" Hiroko asked Shinji.
"…Yeah…fine…" he replied shortly.
"Come on," Riku said as he and Hiroko helped their friend to his feet.
"We have to help Hideo-sensei," Shinji said.
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Hiroko questioned.
Shinji didn't respond, readying himself before charging towards the Cloud ninja. The towering man grinned, pulling a giant mace from a holster on his back. The abnormally large iron sphere at the handle's end supported two dagger-sized spikes that curved upwards from either side like horns. The sight of the intimidating weapon made the young Genin racing towards him hesitate. Though only a second, the delay was long enough for the brawny nin to rush forward and again knock the boy aside. Tossed to the ground like a mere toy, Shinji grimaced as he lay on his side, trying to regain his wind. The Cloud nin leaping through the air several feet above him wouldn't allow it as he swung his mace down.
"Tettsui! (Iron Hammer)"
The enormous pain that impacted Shinji's torso was more than the boy could take. His agonizing gasps were muffled quickly, though, as the large man kicked the Genin aside.
"Shinji!" Hiroko cried, gathering herself as she and Riku eyed one another.
The missing nin chuckled as he slung his weapon over his shoulder, turning his attention towards the two remaining members of the Konoha team. The pair glanced at Shinji's now unconscious form lying helpless on the ground and realized that they were out of their league. Before either could make a move to escape, though, the Cloud nin was barreling towards them, brandishing his deadly mace. Hiroko and Riku leapt away as fast as they could, both narrowly escaping the destructive force of the spiked weapon as it smashed a large hole into the earth. Landing awkwardly, Hiroko stumbled to her knees. Their well-built opponent took advantage and immediately lunged towards her.
"Look out," Riku managed to shout as he dashed beside her.
Pushed out of harm's way, Hiroko stumbled back a few feet, landing near the campsite. She lurched forward, looking up in time to catch a glimpse of Riku taking a vicious blow to his arm. Her teammate flew back, rolling onto his backside as his body came to a stop. His left arm hung limply on the ground beside him, an enormous bruise forming across his entire shoulder. Seeing another of her teammates injured at the hands of the Cloud ninja, Hiroko could only watch as the man again rushed towards her. She tried to move but found her legs paralyzed with a mix of fear, frustration, and helplessness. Covering her head, she cowered as she listened to the pounding of the heavy footsteps approaching.
"Doton: Iwa Tate no Jutsu! (Earth Element: Rock Shield Technique)"
Hiroko's eyes opened slightly, and then grew wide as she saw the heavy ground at her feet rise up. A large, thick slab of rock and earth formed in front of her; a loud smash cracked the surface as the missing nin's mace crashed against it. Pulling the heavy weapon back, the man sneered as his head swiveled about.
"This kid couldn't have done that," he shouted irately. Who's interfering with my fun?"
Waiting a moment, the ninja received no audible reply. The only response was the whistling of a kunai zooming towards his backside. Turning and swatting the blade away with his mace, the Cloud nin paused as he frustratingly clenched the handle of his weapon. Suddenly, he felt something small strike him in the back of his neck. Bringing a hand to the spot, the man spun and spotted a small pebble lying on the ground. Directly behind it, Hiroko shakily stood, nervously peering out from behind the shield of rock.
"That was stupid," the burly ninja grunted.
Hiroko froze. "I didn't do anything…"
As she spoke, a small fragment of the rock slab in front of her broke free and flew towards the approaching Cloud nin, who arrogantly knocked it aside with his hand. Two more pieces broke free and followed. From atop the tree a few feet behind Hiroko, a figure leapt to the broken earth beside her.
"Doton: Koishi Danmaku. (Earth Element: Pebble Swarm)"
The large rock slab shielding Hiroko suddenly splintered apart. Hundreds of small pebbles simultaneously flew towards the Cloud nin, who jumped back as he wildly flailed his weapon to protect himself from the rock fragments circling and diving towards him. Dodging and swatting, the ninja finally fell to a knee as the barrage of pebbles subsided. Several scratches and scrapes marred the missing nin's face and arms.
"I don't remember inviting you into our fight," the man snarled as he angrily stood, clenching the handle of his mace.
"I doubt these Leaf shinobi invited you into theirs," the man beside Hiroko replied.
Spitting into his direction, the Cloud nin leered. He lifted his heavy weapon into the air, and stormed towards the opposing shinobi.
"Stay back."
Hiroko acknowledged the man's words and slowly backed away. She kept an eye on him as he raced to intercept the Cloud ninja charging towards them. She turned and hurried over to Riku, scooping up most of their gear as she ran.
"You okay?" she said quietly as she knelt beside him, pulling first aid equipment from one of the packs.
"My arm is pretty much useless," he answered as he struggled to lift himself with his good arm. "But I'll live. What about Shinji and Hideo-sensei?"
Hiroko didn't answer; instead looking back in the direction she had run from. Riku followed her eyes, observing the outlines of their fallen teammates beyond the two shinobi fighting in the clearing beside their camp.
"Why are you here?" the Cloud nin coldly inquired, lunging towards the other shinobi.
"Why does it matter?" he replied, jumping over the missing nin's head and spinning back around to deliver a swift kick across the back of his neck.
Flipping back out of range, the shinobi watched the Cloud nin stumble forward a few steps. The large man steadied himself and turned, scowling, and raised his left hand as he lifted his mace high above his head with his right. He quickly began forming one-handed seals.
"I suppose it doesn't matter. Saves me the trouble of looking," he snorted.
A flicker of light spread through the Cloud nin's eyes as he glared at the man standing before him. A tingling aura in the air made the unknown shinobi and the two Konoha Genin quietly observing the battle pause. The Cloud nin smiled eagerly as he finished his seals.
"Ninpou, Kyuuden! (Ninja Art, Ball Lightning)"
A brilliant flash of light accompanied the surge of electricity that flowed from the man's hand into the weapon clasped within his palm. The iron sphere at the end of the mace was aglow with a radiant white-hot light as miniature lightning bolts hopped between the two dagger-like spikes affixed to the ball. Laughing quietly, the Cloud nin turned and barreled towards the other shinobi, who quickly backed away, slowing the missing nin's progress with a handful of shuriken. Without warning, the Cloud ninja halted his advance, grinning from ear to ear as he grasped his weapon with both hands.
"Everyone assumes Hidden Cloud jutsus are just thunder and lightning," the Cloud nin cackled. "No one remembers our magnetic jutsus…"
The large metal orb at the end of the handle suddenly broke free and hovered in the air above it. Before the other shinobi could react, the heavy iron sphere was speeding towards him, several stray electrical bolts discharging from the horn-like spikes. With surprising ease, the stranger leapt over the sphere and continued towards the Cloud nin. A vile look of excitement spread over the brawny man's face as he held out the weapon's handle, the end of which began to glow and crackle until a powerful burst of energy leapt from it. The bolt charged straight towards the separated head of the mace, leaving the shinobi racing ahead directly in the path of the lightning. He did his best to avoid it, however a sharp burning sensation cutting into his thigh told him he wasn't fast enough. The shinobi fell; doing his best to roll clear of any follow-up attack. A pair of unexpected hands helped soften his tumbling. The man glanced back, seeing the nervous eyes of Hiroko and Riku. Ignoring the pain, he gingerly stood up and looked back towards the Cloud nin, who was smiling victoriously. The shinobi saw the electrically charged iron sphere racing towards them. He dove to the ground, covering the younger ninja and receiving a few zaps from the stray bolts discharging from the mace's head. The Cloud nin guided the lightning-empowered orb back in their direction as the other shinobi and the two Genin rose. Meeting their eyes with his own, the shinobi that had come to their rescue tried to repeat the favor as he clasped Shinji's bow, which was lying atop the Genins' gear. In a flash, he had fitted an arrow from the pack beside Hiroko and let it fly towards the Cloud nin.
The loud thud of the iron sphere hitting the ground was topped only by the man's earsplitting scream as the arrow pierced the wrist of the hand that had been holding the mace's handle. The jagged-edge of the arrowhead was buried deep within his flesh, rendering it useless. Irate and seething, the Cloud nin turned back towards the other shinobi, who was already dashing towards him, twirling a second arrow in his hand. Ignoring his throbbing forearm, the Cloud nin instinctively lunged forward to attack. His desperate punches were easily blocked, leaving him open as the shinobi drove the second arrow into the Cloud nin's other hand. Frozen in frustration and pain, the burly missing nin could only watch as the shinobi before him knocked him into the air with a heavy kick. As his large body soared upward through the tree branches, a flash of black zoomed past. The Cloud ninja never saw the shinobi gazing at him from above.
"Ninpou, Konoha Setsudanki! (Ninja Art, Leaf Cutter)"
The foliage on the surrounding branches began rustling as each green-colored leaf began swirling around the shinobi. An eerie glow surrounded the gathering mass of leaves as they quickly rained down upon the Cloud nin soaring upwards. The points sharpened by the shinobi's chakra, each leaf was like a razor blade as it struck, slicing into the missing nin's flesh. Bloodied and pained, the Cloud nin was barely awake when the shinobi drove his feet into his ribs, plunging him into the ground below.
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"Captain!"
"I heard it," the shinobi in the bear mask said. "Be ready for anything."
Each of the three sprinting ANBU drew a katana from the sheath across their back. Holding the freshly sharpened blades in front of them, they hurried towards the sounds of battle that had steadily been growing. Emerging into a clearing between several large trees, the ANBU shinobi glanced around, immediately noticing the unconscious ninja lying haphazardly in a tiny crater of dirt and leaves. Behind the large man, several figures were moving about. Two shorter shadows crept up beside them.
"ANBU? Thank God…" a boy sighed as he cradled his injured arm.
"Riku?" Hiroko said, before noticing the three shinobi standing before her. "Ah! You guys are…Hideo-sensei!"
A man in the distance moved slowly, cradling a lifeless form in his arms as another man leaned against him for support. Emerging into the soft light of the setting sun, Hideo smiled slightly at his students before standing gingerly on his own. The three ANBU raced towards him immediately.
"Ichinoki Hideo?" the female ANBU asked.
"Yes…" he replied.
"You!" the other ANBU called, pointing at the man carrying Shinji. "Are you a shinobi? Where is your forehead protector?"
"Lost it," the man answered as he walked right past him.
"Captain! He…Captain?"
The large ANBU captain stood silently, letting his katana drop suddenly to the ground. Behind his bear mask, his hazel eyes were glued to the man as he approached.
"N-Noppo…?"