Chapter 5 – Collapse
"A what?" Naruto's voice was heard even from outside the building.
"A mission to be placed to retrieve a bronze scroll," the Hokage's voice said firmly, "You will be teamed up with Inuzaka Kiba and Ehime Mitsuki."
Kiba and Naruto were the only ones with the Hokage in the room that moment. The Inuzaka boy suddenly opposed, "But Hokage-sama, why aren't we with our usual teammates?" he felt uncomfortable having Mitsuki to participate since the awkward first impression she had on him.
"Because," she explained, "The other genin are also on filled missions, that's why we need Naruto," she refused to admit that the reason she needed Naruto is because he is very skilled.
Hokage Tsunade continued, "Shino is away with his dad on another mission and we can't use Hinata. Also, we need to test out Mitsuki to observe her skills since she doesn't have a permanent team. Her jounin instructor would be Gekkou Hayate since he is the Konoha swords master. She will serve as his apprentice for she also wields the title of a swordsman."
"The ahemsecretly perverted jounin," Naruto muffled a whisper to Kiba as he gave a snicker. He knew it wasn't true but it was still funny.
"Is there anything you'd like to say, Naruto? If there is, please say it aloud to show respect."
He truly was intimidated by the scary tone in her voice but he didn't back down,
"No, Tsunade obaa-san. I don't have anything to say," adding a fake angelic smile plastered on his face.
"Hmm…" Tsunade nodded, looking skeptic but further continued, "The scout ninjas report that the location of the thieves of the stolen scroll is currently at the Hidden Sand."
"Well, if it's at the sunagakure, why don't they just be the ones to retrieve the scroll, instead?" Naruto grunted.
Tsunade shook her head, "They don't know it and we can't risk telling them about it."
"But didn't the leaf and sand villages have the peace treaty already?" Kiba asked.
"True. But despite that, we still can't risk it. It is a scroll with hidden techniques from Konoha."
At that word, Naruto's eyes showed a devilish look, "Techniques?" he thought, "Maybe I could sneak a glance at it after getting back… That's a step closer to being the next Hokage… I can't wait!"
"Uh… Naruto? You're thinking out loud again…"
Kiba's voice snapped him out of his plot, looking up to see both Kiba and the Hokage Tsunade-sama staring at him.
"Hopeless…" Tsunade sighed in desperation with her forehead resting on her palm, "Kiba, I'm appointing you as team leader. Make sure Naruto doesn't get his hands on the scroll's content. The two of you gather Mitsuki and leave immediately," she ended in her loud voice and dismissed them.
They both left the room and silently closed the door leaving the Hokage alone to do her paperwork.
"Now where would that girl be…" Kiba wondered as him and Naruto walked down the stairs.
"Kiba, whenever you –ahh!"
Thuck-thuck-thuck-thuck…
Thud.
"Na-naruto! Are you okay?" Kiba rushed to his friend who, sad to say, looked like a sorry sight with his face flat on the floor after impact of falling from the top stair.
"Yeah, yeah!" he quickly got up and brushed the dirt off his orange suit, not liking the fuss that was made over him.
"Er… ok. So what were you saying?" Kiba asked as they continued their walking.
"Huh? Oh right. What I was saying, Kiba, was that whenever you talk about that girl… What's her name again? Uhh…"
"Mitsuki."
"What? Who's Mitsuki?"
"The girl!"
"Oh right! I knew that. Now where was I? Oh yeah. Whenever you talk about Mitsuki," he put an emphasis on her name to show that he didn't forget it, "I always hear a hint of concern in your voice. Now explain that, hmm?"
"Eh? I don't get you… what do ya mean?… Hey! there she is now! Come on so we can get started," Kiba spotted her walking by the sidewalk near the plants as he ran towards her leaving Naruto to stand there, twitching his eyelid as he got more thoughts about the both of them in mind.
"Scatter out. They're coming. I can hear them," a ninja in a black suit and mask alerted his gang. They all were clothed in the gloomy shades of gray, most efficient as to hide in the shadow of the current night sky.
They darted in different directions upon hearing the light but rapid footsteps of leaf ninjas who were left on the prowl to pursue their prey, namely, them.
"Keep this with you and run. I'll make a diversion," the other ninja, who appeared to be a notch higher in rank than the other, tossed a brown-gold colored scroll to his rookie ally.
"Y-yes sir!" the rookie caught it and fled with the others, leaving his teammate on guard with two other allies. The masked ninja signaled for them to set the traps as a not-so-pleasant surprise for the awaiting visitors.
A few meters behind, 3 Hidden Leaf genin cautiously bounder from tree to tree as one of them instructed for his male and female teammates to halt. They stopped mid-branch beside the tree's upper trunk.
"Let's wait here for a while," the dog boy sniffed the air for any enemy traces of smell, "They're close… I can sense it."
"Hey Kiba, why are you acting all leader-like and such all of a sudden, it's getting irritating," the orange-suited Naruto whined.
Mitsuki slid her sword out of its sheath in case of any surprise attacks as she replied to his insolent question, "Coz he is the leader, baka…"
Kiba smiled, "Right! And as the leader, I appoint you, Naruto, as the official divertion prevention manager."
"Heh…? And what the hell am I supposed to do with that job?"
"Gee, I don't know, you cry like a baby and hope they don't kill ya!"
"Nani!" Naruto glared at his teammate in shock. Both baring his teeth and clenching his fist above his neck, "What the hell are you trying to say?"
"Kidding, kidding! No need to lose your cool," Kiba laughed out loud at his own satirical sense of humor, completely ignoring Mitsuki's roll of eyes. He continued, "Just go send in a Kage Bunshin near the enemy territory."
"Eh? If I do that, won't they know that we're here?"
"Trust me," a sly grin spread across his cheeks, "They already do."
"But-"
"Just do it!"
"Fine!" Naruto threw his hands up in an impatient motion, stomping his feet on the ground like a little kid as he walked. He began cursing and grumbling gibberish words that none of them could really quite hear.
"What was that, Naruto?" Kiba gritted his teeth, swearing he heard the blonde idiot say some words like "bossy" and "dog".
"Nothing, nothing… Oh! Heyyy I get it now!" Naruto began putting on a mischievous, peevish look that made Kiba not like the look of that.
"Naruto, wha-?"
"You're shooing me away so you'd be alone with your girlfriend here. Wow, good strategy, Kiba!"
The confused boy wrinkled his nose, "Huh?" What do you..." he switched his view from Naruto to the emotionless Mitsuki and quickly turned away, hiding any traces of blushing, "Ba-baka…! What the hell are you thinking! I-I'm planning our formation!" Kiba shouted defensively.
"Heh. Whatever you say, captain," said Naruto, gesturing a salute that gave out an air of sarcasm and he hastily rushed out to do the task as Kiba ordered.
Mr. "big shot" leader and Mitsuki –and Akamaru– were left by him to face a very awkward silence.
"So, what do we do now?" came Mitsuki's voice that broke the series of soundless moments that lay among them, obviously ignoring the fact that they really were alone as said by the vulgar Naruto.
'Well, uh…" Kiba ran his hand through his brown hair, still pretty perturbed, "We wait, I guess…"
She cocked her head at him, expectantly, "You guess? Don't tell me you haven't thought of a full plan yet…"
"Er…"
"I figured as much…" she let out an exasperated sigh probably thinking of a million reasons on why, of all people, did she have to be team partners with this idiot. Not to mention the other blonde idiot, too. Well, it was not a choice Mitsuki could make. She'll just have to suffer with these two clowns, instead.
"Hey, it's not as if I haven't come up with anything! We'll wait here 'til…"
"'til what…?"
"Uh, well, I haven't thought of that part yet, but at least it's something!"
"That's not something. It's barely anything, not to mention, useless. You're merely risking your teammate's life by sending him straight to the enemy. Are you even thinking?"
"Shuddup! I know what I'm doing!" Kiba gave a scorned pout.
"Sure," she said and rolled her eyes in the same calm manner she had always worn.
"Now you stay here! I'll go over to where Naruto is and observe the thieves or whatever. Just don't move," Kiba made a motion with his hands for Mitsuki to stay as if she were a dog.
What an irony.
Considering he was the one scratching his own 'flea'-infested head.
"Whatever," Mitsuki scowled at him, but obeyed anyway, knowing of course it was pointless to argue against a guy like him. She sat down on the spot she stood on preparing to wait…
And wait…
And wait.
Kiba then fled as he has said, with Akamaru sticking its furry head outside his owner's jacket.
'Geez, she can really be a pain in the ass…' he thought to himself, 'Hmph, who needs a girl anyway, they're too troublesome… Wow, I'm starting to sound like Shikamaru now… But enough about them! Where the hell's Naruto!' he began turning his head left and right, looking for his genin teammate. Along with an occasional sniff in the air with his nose for a scent. You never know… Knowing Naruto, he could've farted or something.
Creak. Snap.
"Huh? Akamaru, did you hear that?"
No answer.
"Hey, Akamaru, did you hear-" he almost fell off a branch upon turning his head to find not more than a strand of fur lying in his jacket's hood.
"A-akamaru! Oi! Where are you?" he stuttered. Kiba assumed his dog had run away again considering he had done so – two times this past week.
Kiba cupped his hands and hovered then on his mouth having it echo the sound of his deep voice, "C'mon, Akamaru! This is no time for jokes! It's not funny anymore! Where are you!" the brown-headed boy walked on, frantically looking for his lost dog.
"At least make a sound, Akamaru!" he desperately asked, hoping request would come true. The odds of that were against him, though. It was possible the furry white dog couldn't have heard him. There was no clear sign of lost hope as he sighed when he suddenly heard a familiar sound that raised his spirit.
Bark! Bark bark!
"Huh? Akamar- aah!" the pain he suddenly felt he saw was nonetheless taken by surprise. He withdrew a kunai that had just pierced his crimson bloody flesh leaving a gash on both his jacket and shoulder.
'A set-up! I should've known!' he thought, gritting his teeth both in anguish and anger.
"Where the fuck is my dog!" Kiba shouted viciously at the unseen figure.
Soon enough, a dark silhouette came out of the trees' shadows, appearing to be carrying an immobilized white dog.
"Wh… What the hell have you done to him!" spat Kiba angrily, trying to hide possible tones of fear indicated in his voice. He had almost lost Akamaru already once before, Kiba didn't want that mistake to happen again.
"Heh. You've got some nerve, kid," the unknown ninja sneered in a male's voice, "A weak genin like you speaking to his superiors like that, how disrespectful."
Kiba snorted. The only time he'd respect a guy like him is when pigs fly.
"If you dare harm my dog, I swear you'd regret it."
"Why? What are you gonna do? Bite me?" the enemy figure laughed sadistically, "But don't worry, this mutt actually proved itself useful. Earlier, we heard dog barks and assumed it was the Konoha ninjas who were after as. We, how you say, 'borrowed' your dog and obviously you called for him, which leads me to here where I am now."
The Inuzaka boy didn't say anything but just glared at him, baring his teeth like a wolf ready to pounce and rip its prey's flesh into bits and pieces.
The ninja took advantage of Kiba's silence, "Your insolence amuses me. But enough of that, I'll be going now to pay a little visit to your female teammate. If you must know, I don't like irritating, little, brats in the way." A sick, devilish smile was plastered on his face.
Kiba knew what that meant. He surely was not going to let anything happen to his comrades, all the more, Mitsuki.
"You bastard!" he roared clenching his fist into a ball and started to charge towards his foe. Nothing, just nothing could get past him now.
Almost nothing.
His hand was an inch apart from meeting the other ninja's face when he suddenly stopped, rather, freezed in position.
'What the...!'
The masked ninja laughed again after seeing the genin struggle, "Might I mention that the kunai I threw earlier was poison-paralysis tipped? The toxins will seep in your body in a matter of minutes now thus also draining a great deal of your chakra. Your dog will join you too, soon," he tossed the helpless dog mercilessly on the ground beside his owner, "If you'll excuse me, I've planned the same fate for your teammate too. You'll be able to see the color of her gut, too." With another sadistic chortle, the ninja disappeared through the trees leaving Kiba unable to do anything about it.
"Shit!" he said to himself, alone with his dog with nothing to do but dread for the intoxication to engulf them both. 'Damn it…! There's nothing I can do now…' he reached for Akamaru but collapsed sidewards in exhaustion instead, 'I… can't move… I'm…"
Kiba knew he was defeated. There was really nothing left to do now. Billions of thoughts passed through his mind in a flash as his eyelids turned heavy. He tried choking out words hoping that Naruto or anyone for that matter could hear. It was no use. Kiba was left to faint or even die there if nothing could help him. He reached into his pocket pulling out a small, round, red pill. The last of all his soldier pills. With much of his effort, he without hesitation brought the pill to his dog's mouth.
"There. Now you can go ahead, Akamaru. Don't worry about me," he gave a last glance to his dog and slowly closing his eyes, "I…
I'm sorry…"