Chapter 45
Defenders of Konoha: Genin Called to Duty!
Ibiki had a bad feeling about today. Ever since they learned of Orochimaru's infiltration into Konoha he harbored major concerns over the rogue Leaf shinobi's endgame and its execution, as had the Hokage. When encountering suspicion, all shinobi prepared quickly. Hesitation always, always, led to disaster; these wise words were taught to all shinobi at a young age, and they had never once failed to prove true in Ibiki's life.
So they prepared for the worst, and in the end the worst reared its ugly, serpent shaped head.
To think Orochimaru's snake tongue could convince Suna into disregarding our alliance completely for this massive offensive on Konoha, on the day of the Exams no less.
Staring pensively at three of the giant summoning boas hellbent on destroying everything they touched—from the walls of the Leaf to the buildings and lives beyond it—Ibiki's features were creased by an intense frown. This strike against the Leaf, he could sense the intentions behind it: Destroy major targets and eliminate leadership to throw the entire Village into disarray, ending this war on the day it began.
Yes, their first attack had taken them by surprise and would inflict considerable damage to the Village; it may even take the lives of many allied shinobi, but Ibiki sensed the desperation behind the assault. This one big move, it was all they had.
The Sound was barely a fledgling Village, hardly worthy of being considered on par with the likes of the Grass or Waterfall in size of their forces. And the Sand, their numbers had been diminishing for some time due to the growth of the Leaf, causing their own Feudal Lord to send missions to Konoha's desk instead of Suna's.
Ibiki did not possess nearly enough Intel on the Sound Village to make a judgement on the power of their forces, so he wouldn't. Backhanded estimations and hopes weren't solid Intel; they were shaped by bias that could very well make a shinobi underestimate a dangerous enemy. That wasn't Ibiki's way. However, he was aware of Suna's forces—one of the benefits of their alliance and the information gathered by the Crows of the Leaf in recent years.
What Suna lacked in numbers they made up for by shaping their shinobi into weapons of war—sharpened and dangerous weapons of war. Every single shinobi had great power or great talent, sometimes both. Suna, for all intents and purposes, was now training their shinobi in a similar fashion as Mist Village used to. It meant every single Sand shinobi here today could very well be an elite shinobi.
Today was looking to be a bad day.
Despite suspecting an event such as this happening, Ibiki foolishly had hoped the alliance between Suna and Konoha wouldn't dissolve. He hoped Suna wouldn't be entranced by the honeyed words and false promises of a rogue Leaf shinobi.
But that's why this is called war, he thought grimly. War crushed foolish hopes with the reality of shinobi life: Peace was fragile. The flourishing of one nation could, more often than not, come at the cost of another nation's livelihood. And rather than confronting them as men under a banner of peace, sheathing the double-edge sword of pride to negotiate a better deal, these prideful shinobi chose the path less traveled.
The path to war.
Ibiki looked away from the boas to the smoke billowing from the stadium. His eyes narrowed. Those Sand Genin played an incredible role in all of this. By advancing all the way to the finals, they made it far easier for the Sand and the Sound to infiltrate our Village while their forces gathered beyond our sight for the main assault.
He grunted, feeling especially troubled by the current situation.
So this was your plan all along, Orochimaru. Convincing the Sand to join your plan to destroy the Leaf and assassinate the Hokage; I wonder what half-truths and lies you spilled from your lips to persuade them to follow you. How far was the Kazekage willing to follow you, or was it you this whole time masquerading as him.
Ibiki could not waste another moment considering the motives of his enemies. Motives no longer matter; the war had begun, and it was his duty to defend the Leaf from these giant boas for as long as the evacuation teams needed. He'd give them every precious second required to get the civilian men, women, children and elders to safety.
No Leaf shinobi tasked with this duty would stand by and do nothing. These Sound and Sand shinobi were holding no quarter on their comrades or the people under their protection.
There would be no surrendering for them, the soldiers on the frontline. No retreating until the innocent lives were safely hidden away.
Ibiki's frown upturned into a sadistic smirk he turned towards his enemies.
Let the games begin.
"Ibiki, sir!" a shout sounded off, the voice belonging to a young girl. The Jōnin along with his men turned to the source. Six ninjas landed on the outer-wall guard post in two separate triangular groups of three. Three had blue hair while the other three had dark-brown.
The two Exam participants. His eyes flicked to the blue-haired group who, despite injuries he wagered were gained in her fight, looked no worse for wear. Amaririsu Yūhi. He flicked his eyes to the brown-haired group, the trio kneeling to heal their ankle. And Mimi Inuzuka.
Immediately, at the sight of the Medical Ninjutsu, the seasoned shinobi began calculating how this very useful skill could be used in the coming battle. The Medic Corps wouldn't be in this first wave of battle, and too few of the shinobi in his quadrant wielded this ability. From what he researched into this child, the niece of Tsume Inuzuka, she was quite proficient already in Medical Ninjutsu.
That could be helpful. Lives could be spared and injuries healed to keep older shinobi in battle. They would need protection, of course, but that's what the three blue-haired shinobi could provide. She was a great talent; he even dared to say they were both natural leaders after what he witnessed of them in the first two parts of the Exams, but the horrors of war were not for unprepared children, especially the horrors a medic had to face.
Could he trust them to be prepared? To experience loss hardened them, yes, but war was a different animal altogether. It was not gentle.
First things first…
"You six, did Genma send you with a report from the stadium?" he queried. It was the only reason he could think of for them to come directly here, and to carry themselves as if on a serious mission.
"Yes sir," the lead Amaririsu answered.
A good move, however not one he was prepared to take without caution. Were these six the real Mimi Inuzuka and Amaririsu Yūhi? He couldn't simply trust that they were, that the enemy had not killed the real versions after learning their plan to then feed him misinformation.
Misinformation that could cost many of the soldiers under his command their lives.
He could solve this simply.
"Before you give your report, where were you on the night before the preliminary rounds?" he asked to the blue-haired girl.
"I messaged Kakashi-sensei and he brought me to meet with you, Miss Anko, my Uncle Shikaku and Lord Third. We spoke of my teams encounter with Orochimaru, the Crows of the Leaf, who everyone except Miss Anko appeared aware of."
Ibiki nodded. No one could have known those details except her and those who were there that night. "Good. Now what is the report? What is the situation in the stadium?"
"Better than it could have been," Mimi answered.
He sensed the relief behind those words; questions for later.
"The majority of the spectators, and even some of the younger shinobi, were placed under a massive genjutsu by the enemy. Sand and Sound shinobis, who had infiltrated the stadium, were in the middle of a heated battle with veterans like our sensei's and even Anbu agents when we left, but the civilians and the shinobi under the genjutsu were not being targeted."
Ibiki hummed. Shinobi like Kakashi and Guy, as well as the Anbu, would do well in battling the shinobi already further inside their Village. But he bet it wasn't their original intention to battle in the stadium. Something must have gone wrong.
"What of the Hokage and the Kazekage?" he asked.
"Lord Third was trapped inside a large Barrier Jutsu with Orochimaru, who has been masquerading as the Kazekage since he arrived," Amaririsu answered this time, onyx eye gravitating in the direction of the stadium, a thoughtful and concerned look within.
Barrier Jutsu, huh. Even had he not learned it was Orochimaru instead of the Kazekage, he would have assumed it on such information. Barrier Ninjutsu was more up the former Leaf shinobi's alley than it was the leader of the Sand. If Genma can regroup with his team, they may be able to join him in battle, or get Lord Third out of the Barrier Jutsu to help our other forces.
He would have to wait to see if any of that played out. For now, the stadium wasn't where his thoughts needed to be. There was a battle to be fought here on the frontlines, and if he failed than any successes made behind the line would be rendered pointless.
That left two final matters to figure out.
"You claimed it could have been worse. Is this worst case scenario still possible?"
Both groups nodded in unison. "Yes. That Gaara kid, the real versions of us and my teammate Sasuke Uchiha are chasing him and his siblings out of the Village to restrain them and keep them out of commission. Kakashi-sensei and Guy-sensei sent us after them, and the Crows of the Leaf believe wholeheartedly that, if Gaara unleashes his real power, he could devastate our Village."
"I see." So, the Crows of the Leaf had finally pieced together their plan. Even if it was in the last moments, that alone might change this battle for the better. Ibiki's eyes looked out to the horizon of the Leaf, noticing crows gathering in every direction, some heading off enemy shinobi inside the Village, others joining allies to pass on information and several more attacking the boas.
They have emerged from the shadows once more to defend the Leaf, just as they did during the Nine-Tails attack.
"He contains something like the Nine-Tails within him," Amaririsu provided information he assumed already.
There had always been something unnatural about the shortest Sand Genin. An ominous feeling Ibiki felt when around the Sand child unlike any he ever felt before, and when he survived the Eight Inner Gates Release that feeling hadn't settled one bit.
"Something like the Nine-Tails? Sir, shouldn't we send the Genin aid if that's the case? We can't risk this child unleashing something of such power!" one of his subordinates exclaimed passionately.
There were murmurs of agreement from the others. Ibiki understood it. Even if these kids made it to the finals of the Exam, they were still Genin on what could be considered nothing less than an A-ranked mission. And should the child contain a beast like the Nine-Tailed Fox within him, those Genin alone wouldn't be enough to stop him. But even though he understood that, he wasn't in agreement with it.
Sparing any forces he had to chase after this child meant risking the boas and enemy forces doing even more damage to the Leaf. They had to stay focused on the objective given to them: Buy the evacuation team the time they needed so the main force could eliminate the threat. The children sent after the enemy Genin were following their mission, and should they fail it and have to retreat, they needed a place to retreat back to.
When or if that monster was unleashed, these other invaders needed to be already dealt with; they couldn't fight a battle against these boas and enemy forces plus a monstrosity of the Nine-Tails proportions.
If Kakashi and Guy have put faith in them, then I will have to as well.
Before he was able to make his order known, the blue-haired Genin beat him to it. "No, we'll handle it. To reach us you would have to cross the majority of the Village, and then track us through the forestry we're chasing them in. It'd take too much time; time the rest of the Village doesn't have right now."
"He was severely wounded and fading in and out of consciousness when we started chasing him," Mimi picked up where she left off. "As long as our originals move quickly, he won't have the chance to unleash it. And should he be able to, it won't be anywhere near the Leaf when he does. That's a promise."
Ibiki could see the Will of Fire burning in their eyes.
"Be sure to fulfill that promise, because I am holding you to it," Ibiki said gruffly before turning to his men.
He would trust these Genin just as their teachers, their family and the Hokage did. Ibiki had high hopes for them. Call it a seasoned shinobi's hunch.
"Kakashi and Guy would not have sent Genin if they did not believe they would succeed. For now our priority is defending the village from the immediate threat while we wait for our time to counter-attack. Understood?" he asked rhetorically.
"Yes sir!" they answered in unison.
"Good. Now." He turned back to the six clones. "If there is nothing else, I have a mission for you six—if your originals can maintain you that is."
"We'll be fine," the kunoichi's said in unison.
"Very well. I would like for two of you to go find Anko and help her finish her mission. If you are familiar with our protocols then you will know what mission she is tasked with, if you don't then she will fill you in. I trust you'll be able to find her on your own?"
The lead Amari and Mimi gave nods then turned to one another. "It should be one of each of us. I can provide both attack and support at all ranges if the situation arises. Plus having two ninjas with different skills will throw off any enemy who cannot pick apart our single techniques."
Mimi inclined her head in agreement. "I was thinking the same thing. Any smart shinobi will be able to adapt against two opponents who are using the same techniques. With two separate opponents they'll have more trouble adapting."
They both turned to look at the first clone behind them, who in turn nodded to them. "Stick together and be smart," the Nara told the pair.
"Don't be afraid to share ideas either. Now go," the Inuzuka ordered.
The two clones took off. The leaders of the clone group turned back to Ibiki.
"You want our help with the boas, right?" Amaririsu questioned.
"And healing our shinobi," Mimi stated.
Insightful girls. "Right," he nodded. "We need to delay them from destroying the Village for as long as we can until we can outright defeat them, or until our counter-attack launches. I want you four to split up into similar teams as the last two and provide what support you can to the ninjas attacking the creatures."
"We'll move immediately. Let's go!"
The teams took off after the boas. Ibiki and his men would soon follow, but first he had a few more orders to dole out.
He hoped this would all be enough in the end.
Atsuko separated her plentiful agents into three separate teams. First there were the intelligence gatherers; they flew out of attacking range gathering pertinent Intel on enemy movements and numbers to pass on to allied shinobi. This would thwart ambushes and allow her allies to better defend against the assault commencing on the Leaf. They were assigned to help the evacuation teams and allies further behind the front-lines.
The second team played more hands-on support roles. Joining allied forces to replenish chakra, reequip them with ninja tools or outright help them escape death by transporting them out of danger was their mission. So far the second team wasn't nearly as active as the first and third teams; the battles had only just begun.
The final team was the assault team—her team. Wielding varying sets of skills—ninjutsu, genjutsu, blades— the team, headed by her trusted field commanders, assaulted the enemy forces where they were most needed. Handfuls joined evacuation teams to ensure their safety, others moved seamlessly from one battle to another to provide a necessary opening or outright destroy an enemy force. Atsuko, however, attacked the boas with an entire platoon of Crows.
"Now!" a Leaf shinobi ordered his team. The group of Leaf shinobi unleashed a combined Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu at the serpents. Atsuko swept down, part of the plan, and inhaled a breath of her own, ballooning her feathered body significantly.
Wind Style: Air Bullet!
The Head of the Crows unleashed a massive torrent of wind that wrapped around the Fire Jutsu and intensified the flames to burn the serpents. The giant snakes hissed and recoiled as the flames consumed their scaly bodies.
"All right! Now get that family out of there!" the same shinobi ordered the evacuation team.
The snakes survived the attack, their thick scales providing great defense against ninjutsu and physical blows, but found themselves attacked on all sides by her platoon of crows. Atsuko personally opened up several large gashes on the thick skinned serpents, weaving in and out as their vile mouths snapped at her.
Sensing danger, the veteran Crow glanced to the evacuation team, noticing a group of Sound shinobi preparing to ambush the team and the family they rescued. Atsuko diverted and dove for the enemies, streamlining herself with steely black eyes locked on her targets.
Feel the wrath of the Crows!
The large bird appeared to multiply into twenty more birds, who drilled straight through the Sound shinobi's fleshy centers and out the other side before they could even scream.
The twenty birds swept up through the buildings, spreading out through the alleyways and clearing the area of all enemy shinobi; their frightened screams the last this world would ever hear from them.
Those who dared to bring darkness to her home, who dared to kill her allies and threaten the lives of children would find no mercy from her.
But the old Crow knew she and her platoons could not spare every life or kill every shinobi. Even now she sensed that many good men, women and innocent children had lost their lives to the evil that had slithered within their walls. For that reason she and her platoons would work as they had during the Nine-Tails assault to spare as many lives as possible. It was all she could do, all any of them could do, and when the battle was well in hand here she would rejoin Young Haya.
Atsuko reformed into a single Crow, stopping momentarily on the balcony of a home above the evacuation team. "Leaf shinobis, take your evacuees Northwest," she pointed her wing down the empty street. "I have cleared the path of all enemy shinobi to another sector of my agents. They will guide you to the next sector," she informed.
The Leaf shinobis nodded, though a bit of awe lingered in their eyes and in the eyes of the civilians. "You have our thanks, Lady Crow," the lead shinobi said before departing.
"Fair winds and farewell!"
Atsuko took off to rejoin the battle with the serpents. As she took to the sky, she noticed four of the eight clones Amari and Mimi sent joining the battle on the outskirts, providing support where they could to their senior shinobi.
We just need a little more time, Atsuko thought. Once the villagers and children are safe, the final phase can begin and we can extinguish our enemies.
Her eyes looked in the direction Young Haya, Sasuke and Mimi had chased the enemy Genin, a yearning in her heart to join them to ensure their safety. But she couldn't follow that yearning yet. First she and her agents had to turn the tide of the battle here, then she would rejoin them.
When I am finished here I promise I will come for you all.
Just stay safe until then.
One Mimi clone and one Amari clone had departed from the team sent to the front-lines, though not without reason. It wasn't cowardice or a sudden decision to be more independent; the Inuzuka's had all caught the scent of two very specific individuals. Individuals who, while allies, were doing the exact opposite of what protocols dictated, leaving the duo to head them off to give them both an earful.
"Neji! Kiba! What the hell are you two doing out here!" Mimi demanded, joining the two boys alongside Amari in a mad dash to wherever these two were going. It wasn't to the main battlefield, thankfully, but she couldn't comprehend what her cousin and teammate were doing.
This wasn't the time for games or playing hero. The only reason her original, Amari's original and Sasuke ended up actively apart of this war came down to necessity; protocol didn't cover possible Nine-Tails like enemies unconscious and on the run. Under protocol Genin of their age joined the evacuation teams with more experienced shinobi to get the civilians and themselves to safety.
Would Mimi have volunteered to join the front-lines without the problem of Gaara? Probably, but she'd have been shot down by every superior around her. She put on a brave face—they all did—but this entire scenario left her a mixed bag of emotions. Pissed off was the one she anchored herself to, yet she knew there was a vast difference between being angry enough to fight and being mentally and physically prepared for war.
She could still hear cries of terror and horrified pleas of mercy. Cries she and Amari hadn't been able to prevent from happening; if they tried, they'd only be dispelled or lead their enemies straight to Neji and Kiba as they retreated.
The reality of war made her stomach churn violently. So she latched onto her feral anger, silently promising to make every enemy shinobi she encountered pay for the crimes of their comrades.
The Sand and Sound now owed her a debt of blood, and she would collect every last drop.
"Mimi? Amari? Hey, what are you two doing out here?" Kiba questioned in surprise.
"Orders from Kakashi-sensei, Guy-sensei and Genma-sensei," Amari answered. "We're just clones anyways. The real us are chasing after the three Sand Genin. What are you two doing? Why are you running this way? You should be joining the evacuation teams to help get the civilians to shelter."
"We know, but this is important." Neji's answer came calm and collected.
Mimi expected him to scoff and tell them to buzz off, probably sprinkle in a half-breed insult. But he didn't. He kept his Byakugan eyes pinned ahead, zeroed in on the mission he and her cousin seemed to be on. Had one of their superiors given these two orders as well?
"All right, what's the deal? What's got you two teaming up?" Mimi asked.
Kiba didn't hold a high opinion of Neji, hadn't since she joined Team Guy. Neji's attempt to kill Hinata hadn't improved it either. Something serious was up here, beyond the obvious war going on. Even if he was under orders, Kiba definitely wouldn't be quiet about his serious dislike for the Hyūga boy, and Neji wouldn't hold his tongue from insulting him for every remark her cousin made.
Yet neither cut each other with insults. Neither sneered or glared or launched vicious barbs at the other. That alone kept Mimi from snapping at them for coming out here on their own.
"One of the Hyūga elders in the stadium saw two Cloud shinobi kidnap Hinata," her teammate answered.
"Two Cloud shinobi kidnapped Hinata?" Amari sounded and looked absolutely horrified. Orochimaru may as well have dropped into their formation to say hello.
Mimi couldn't blame her; she too felt a strange concoction of horror and rage at the news. She hadn't known Hinata all that long, but she knew what fate that awaited her fellow kunoichi should the Cloud succeed; they'd kill her, possibly before plucking her eyes out, possibly after in some gruesome attempt at extracting vengeance for the Cloud shinobi killed by Hiashi years ago.
Either way, if they didn't catch up in time and save her, Hinata Hyūga—the sweet girl who had proven her strength ten times over in Mimi's eyes in her preliminary fight; the pure soul Amari had a soft spot for—would die.
No wonder Kiba is here. And Neji… Had he come as a sense of duty to the Leaf? To his Clan? Or was something else behind his drive to save his cousin? Mimi watched him carefully as they hopped from tree branch to tree branch, their pace at pursuit speed, but no amount of watching made his intentions or purpose clearer.
"That's who we're chasing after," Kiba said. "I'm not going to sit back and let them hurt Hinata. And I'm still not sure if Neji is really dedicated to saving her." Her cousin cast a suspicious side glance to Neji. "We all know he tried to kill her in the preliminary rounds."
Yeah. We do. But Neji said nothing. Didn't scowl or insult them. He just kept his eyes on the mission. Determined to rescue Hinata. Something about her teammate…she could feel a change in him. Something big.
"Well, consider us your backup then. Those damn Cloud shinobi," Mimi snarled, sharpened teeth grit. Her pupils became slits. "Using this war to steal the Byakugan and kill Hinata, tch! They'll regret it, the opportunistic bastards!"
"Stay calm, Mimi," Amari ordered, voice sharp as a kunai and coated by its steel. "You're right. We will make them regret it. But we can't lose our heads and act irrationally. There's still a war going on, which means all of us have to be careful and watch each other's backs. For all we know, the Cloud could be working together with the Sand or Sound, leading us straight to an ambush."
"She's right," Neji agreed. "We have no idea if these Cloud shinobi were innocent spectators who took this as an opportunity to steal the Byakugan, or if there was a deal struck with the Sand and Sound. We must be alert to our surroundings at all times."
Did Neji…just agree with Amari?
What strange genjutsu world did she walk into?
"Which means we need your nose and Kiba's on point, Mimi," Amari continued. "So Kiba, and you too Akamaru, you both may not trust in Neji's dedication, but you have to trust him as a comrade of the Leaf. I understand why you have ill feelings towards him, I do; I'd be lying if I said I didn't have my own issues with him.
"But my issues with Neji aren't important. None of our personal issues are. People are dying back in the Leaf. Good people; our people. Today there are no grudges between Leaf shinobi, no petty issues or deeply rooted personal vendettas. Today we're all Leaf shinobi, bound together by our Will of Fires and desire to protect those precious to us. Infighting and lack of trust will only end with all of us dying, and then Hinata will have no hope of rescue.
"So please, for her sake, we have to work together. We're all here to save Hinata."
"…All right, I hear ya, Amari. I hear ya," Kiba said at length.
Mimi glanced to her fellow kunoichi, heartened by her words yet utterly perplexed by her calm attitude when she cared so much for Hinata. The glance revealed to Mimi the furious red eye, previously cool onyx, alongside tense body language and nails digging deeply into the sensitive flesh of her palms.
You're feeling this more than any of us. Mimi straightened her eyes back on the mission, put her emotions in check and honed in on the scent they were chasing. "Amari, don't worry. They won't harm a single hair on Hinata's head," she stated confidently.
"They won't because we won't let them," Amari replied steadily. "And should I find a single bruise on Hinata, I'll make them regret ever being born."
The promise came in a quieter voice, but far deadlier. Far closer to the kunoichi who threatened Neji's life.
"Damn right we will," Kiba said. "Come on, let's pick up the pace! We've got to end this chase before they reach our border with the Land of Rice Paddies."
Mimi noticed Neji glance back at Amari, the look in his eyes somewhere between inquisitive and respect. None of the disgust from before, no disdain for the eye he knew she wielded beneath her bandana.
You're different than you were before, Neji. Why?
It was a question she intended to find the answer to.
Shikamaru knew today was going to be a drag, although he hadn't expected it to be this much of one. It all started with the exam itself and his no-win situation of having to exert himself or give up.
With Asuma and Ino both watching him like hawks, and the duo probably being under orders of his mother to report back to her on his performance, the Nara was left with a troublesome decision. If he had just given up he wouldn't have had to expend any energy, but his sensei, his teammate and his mother would have made him regret it.
I would be forced to train more, I would have to deal with Ino harping at me for days and Mom would probably do something even worse than all of those. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of his mother's silent rage aimed at him for not trying. He loved his family, but his mother was one of the scariest women he knew. Not to mention she's a damn slave driver.
So he was forced to exert himself, which was such a pain. Working Temari into the position he needed her in to win had taken up almost all of his chakra, yet the energy he exerted also made him safe from the punishments awaiting him.
At first, when he had given up after using his tactics and Shadow Possession to win the war, he had been somewhat satisfied. Firstly he wasn't going to get harped at except from Ino, who he could easily ignore. His mother would be pleased that he tried but would probably demand him to start working harder, which he planned to do anyway. No harm there.
Shikamaru was also moderately satisfied by taking the smug look right off Temari's face and then shocking her further by quitting.
That was not troublesome at all. In fact he found it quite enjoyable.
Unfortunately all that satisfaction left him the moment the Sand and Sound began attacking the village. I just had to go and exert myself to my limit, didn't I? The Nara frowned with his eyes closed. And then we're sent on a mission to backup 'Risu, Mimi and Sasuke on their mission, only now we're being tailed by ninjas who are undoubtedly Jōnin. Great help I'll end up being.
Their group of four, or five including the puppy, had already gone over the possibilities of trying to ambush the group following them. That option was no longer viable though, which was extremely troublesome.
To ambush the group they would have had to meet two conditions, the first being a two part condition. An ambush was a key battle tactic and could definitely be beneficial, but the ambushing team would have needed to be exceptionally quiet and to find the enemy ninja's first.
That first condition was already impossible as the Leaf ninjas had tried to lose the ninjas chasing them by stopping and walking backwards back over their tracks to make it appear as if they disappeared. It had failed completely and now the ninjas were back on their trail.
The second condition was to catch the chasing group off guard at an area where they could do a lot of damage very quickly and then hide just as fast. On one hand it seemed those conditions were easy to meet right now despite the first shortcoming. With the ninja hounds nose and knowing the geography of their home like he knew a shogi board, the odds appeared to be in their favor.
This was a false sentiment though.
Orochimaru was a former Leaf ninja. This meant he knew the layout of the land and would have taught it to these ninjas. Not only that, but it was safe to assume he had run simulated practices for this specific mission.
These guys were also possibly masters of the pursuit jutsu, which meant that it was unlikely that they didn't know all the cards the Leaf shinobi had. All of the options keeping his cousin's mission alive, along with all of them, were now squashed flat.
It was time that they fell back on the secondary mission and primary objective: Regroup with the first squad to then find a safe place to hide until they received further orders.
There was one problem, though. The ninjas chasing them were gaining ground quickly and sooner rather than later they would finally catch them. To succeed they only had one plan left in their hands: a diversion that looked like an ambush.
One of them were going to have to play decoy while the others continued forward, hoping the one who stayed behind delayed the enemy long enough to fulfill the mission.
That also meant the person staying behind was going to have to sacrifice themselves.
That incredibly morbid fact was where the four Genin were at now. Each had stopped upon his revealing of their final option, all to think over who it was going to be who stayed behind. Despite this Shikamaru knew there was really only one who could do it. Only one of them had a real chance of pulling this off.
"I'm the only one who can do it," Shikamaru broke their silence, his voice stuck in solemn resignation.
Man, today was turning out to be a real drag.
"Shikamaru!" Sakura pleaded.
"Why does it have to be you?" Naruto demanded. "I can use Shadow Clones to hold them off, maybe even overwhelm them!"
"Can you say definitively that you can hold them off and overwhelm them?" Shikamaru asked in return. Silence was his answer. "I've already calculated all of our chances at pulling this decoy act off based on each of our individual skillsets. The fact is these guys are likely elite shinobi; your Shadow Clones won't be able to overwhelm guys like that. None of us have the physical strength to beat these guys in hand to hand combat, and if I fail then Tenten will be your next best shot."
Shikamaru jumped back to a tree branch facing the direction they had come. This is what 'Risu would do. Self-sacrifice to keep the most people alive. He forced a smirk. Heh, I guess some of your attitude has rubbed off on me, 'Risu. "Me doing this is a whole lot better than all of us getting wiped out. Besides, I'm the only one who has a chance at pulling off this decoy act."
"What about Amari?" Tenten questioned, the shock over his decision clear in her voice. "She's your family Shikamaru. You can't just leave her. Let me be the decoy."
True, they were family. Had been ever since the troublesome girl entered his life and made him act all motivated. His 'Risu just had that effect on him. Her spirit, her energy, it rubbed off on those she was close to, made them want to do better or be better because of how hard she was trying to do the same.
That's what made her special, though. That's what the Will of Fire and the bonds between Leaf shinobi were meant to do. His 'Risu, troublesome as she was, defined to their generation what being a Leaf shinobi meant. Her courage, her dedication, her grit to overcome all pain for the sake of protecting her friends, they were an inspiration to all of them.
For her, to ensure their generation continued to have a bright light like her to follow, to give his precious cousin a chance to keep on living to one day see the future she wanted, he would put away his slacking tendencies and step up to the plate to take a swing at this responsibility.
If he didn't survive this she'd be pissed at him for the rest of time, but that was okay. She may not even ever forgive him, but she would understand. His 'Risu would one day realize this was the only viable option to save their comrades.
He loved her as a sister and always would.
"Yeah. She is," he agreed aloud. "But all of you are her family too. Ties of blood isn't how she defines her family; it's the bonds she has formed with all of us."
The bond he was so grateful to have experienced.
"Stay with Naruto and Sakura, Tenten. I'm the only one who has a chance of surviving this attack, and if I screw it up I'm just buying you time to put as many traps as you possibly can between you guys and these shinobi." Shikamaru looked over his shoulder at the group. "Make 'em big, all right?"
Naruto was clenching his hands into fists, helpless and frustrated because he couldn't argue. Sakura's teeth bit hard on her lip, nearly drawing blood from the look of it. They may not have all gotten along or even really spoken to one another, but they had been classmates for years and comrades. He'd have felt the same way if it had been one of them to stay behind.
Tenten did her best to be the strongest of the group, but he could see how his choice was affecting her, how real this entire war had just become for them. It was one thing to see people battling in the distance; it was another to see a comrade decide to stay behind to sacrifice themselves as a decoy.
"I…I will," Tenten agreed softly.
The Nara didn't want to burden them with the thoughts of his death. That'd just be too troublesome. He also had no intention of lying down and dying for their enemies.
Would he be able to survive though?
Shikamaru couldn't say with certainty. All he knew was that he had the best chance at pulling it off.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu was invented as a delay tactic, so this is our best shot. Anyway, I'll catch up with you later. Go on, get going," he shooed them off.
"We're counting on you, Shikamaru!" Naruto told him, his voice steeled with certainty in the Nara's survival. He simply raised his hand up in goodbye, not bothering to look back again or keep them any longer with some kind of speech. Any seconds wasted would cause this whole plan to go straight to hell. "Sakura, Tenten, we have to go."
There were solemn grunts of agreement and the group took off leaving him behind.
If this all goes downhill for me, take good care of 'Risu for me, Naruto.
Not wasting any time, Shikamaru moved into action, finding a stick and fashioning it to appear as close as possible to Kakashi's hound's paws. Carefully and strategically he began creating a new set of tracks to be followed, leading away from where Naruto and the others had gone.
Keeping a calm mind was key for him. His pursuers weren't going to pause or slow down any time soon. Any subtle breakage of the tracks or suspicious looking prints would steer them away from this decoy act and back onto the others. Shikamaru couldn't let that happen. This was his duty and his choice to be here; he wouldn't fail the others who placed their faith in him.
"It's a real pain, but if we all keep taking it easy, none of us will ever be of any help to them. That's why I need you to train me harder than usual. My main purpose may be support and tactics in the future, but I can't keep dragging my feet all the time. I need to be ready to face enemies on 'Risu's level and above, and I need to be able to think and move faster. Being too slow will get good people killed."
Those words rang even truer now than they had back then.
Seconds passed like hours. The nerves and stress of the situation left him sweating. To know you were being hunted and any second delay could end in your death was one of the most emotionally draining things the Nara had ever experience. Still, he kept his breathing steady and his mind focused on the task at hand.
Failing wasn't an option.
Man, when did I become so motivated? This is all such a drag.
The sound of the enemy shinobis feet catching up made Shikamaru finish up his final footprints quickly before hiding behind a tree. He leaned his back against the bark and moved down into a crouch with his head staring up at the clouds. I guess it's time.
What a drag.
"His footprints are irregular. Anxiety is probably increasing his fatigue," a voice sounded from beyond the tree.
The boy smirked to himself. That's your miscalculation and my opening.
It was time for him to face whatever fate awaited him for choosing to be a decoy.
Stepping out from the tree he stretched his Shadow all the way to the enemy shinobi, catching the large group unaware easily enough. They hadn't been prepared for this, which made trapping them all the easier. "Oops. Sorry," he drawled lazily. "I was supposed to be the guy that didn't want to get involved, but I guess I'm not quite what you expected, am I?" He allowed his lips to quirk up in a cocky smirk. "You're right about one thing, I'm tired. But on everything else you couldn't be more wrong. Like our footprints."
The Shadow user showed off the stick he carved. "This is what I used to make the paw prints. Too bad for you for not seeing through it."
Even as he stood there, performing as any good decoy should with all the arrogance of a posturing peacock, Shikamaru didn't stop calculating his next move. Holding the group there was going to be hard. Already the boy could feel his Shadow straining to hold onto all of them.
"So this is the Leaf's Shadow Paralysis Jutsu that we've heard about?" one of the ninjas asked.
Based on their garb—the grey, snake patterned scarfs specifically—these were all Sound shinobi. Orochimaru's henchmen without a doubt. He scanned them for mechanisms like the Sound Genin. I don't see any gadgets or anything like what Dosu or Zaku had on them, so maybe they don't have anything like that. So that leaves regular ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu.
Still, that doesn't raise my chances much at all.
"Heh, yeah. If you want to call it by that old name I suppose you can, but I've got news for you: You're behind the times. Now it's called the Shadow Possession Jutsu, old man."
His heart rate began to rise as the strain of holding so many people with low chakra began to affect him, causing the Nara to breathe more heavily. I used too much chakra in my match. I don't know how much longer I can hold on.
He needed to finish this quickly. Shikamaru grabbed shuriken from his holster; luckily none of the enemy shinobi had a toolbox on the same leg. He counted his enemies. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…wait a minute.
"No, there's one more. There are nine ninja following us," the puppy's voice played through his mind.
Of course. The ninth ninja's role is to protect against an ambush. Slowly he reached into his back pouch with his other hand, grabbing a set of kunai and placing them between his fingers. They stay behind the team; a reserve to protect against an enemy attack.
Bringing his hands in an X formation in front of him forced the Sound ninjas to do the same, only their hands were empty. But I know what to do. With this attack I'll be able to draw out the ninth ninja, find his location and then capture him in my Shadow Possession.
"Take this!" The Nara boy threw his ninja tools at the group. None of them touched his enemies, deflected by thrown ninja tools from the ninth Sound shinobi. There he is, up in that tree, he noted as he flicked his eyes in the direction of the tree.
It was time to capture the last guy and finish them all off, or at the least wound them. Shikamaru extended another tendril of his Shadow towards the tree. It slithered across the ground, up the bark of the tree…then stopped before it could even reach halfway.
This was not good.
Oh man, my Shadow can't reach, Shikamaru realized, eyes wide in horror. Even with all that training with Asuma-sensei, I still don't have enough stamina to use my chakra to extend it that far.
"It's futile, kid. I see through your technique," the lead Sound ninja spoke confidently.
The boy growled in frustration. Damn it. So…this is it.
"It looks like you're at your limit. Your Shadow Possession Jutsu is going to fail any second now, so prepare yourself."
For death went without saying. Shikamaru gave a half-hearted chuckle then let out a steady breath of acceptance before staring up at the floating clouds in the area. At least I bought the others a lot of time to set those traps.
He sighed again. Ugh. All I wanted was to be an average shinobi making an average living. I'd marry a regular girl who isn't super pretty or super ugly. Have two kids, a girl and then a boy. Retire when my daughter got married and my son became a successful ninja, then I'd spend the rest of my days playing Shogi or Go with 'Risu, Asuma and my father.
That's all I wanted, a carefree, leisurely retirement. I'd see 'Risu become a Jōnin Sensei and watch clouds with her when she actually took the time to relax. She'd meet some boy who wasn't a jerk or lazy; someone who loved her and wouldn't mind her motivation for training. A ninja, probably.
Eventually she'd finally retire and have a kid or two. I'd spoil them with love and teach them how to beat 'Risu in Shogi, and she'd spoil mine with love and teach them to be more motivated than me. Then I'd die of old age before my wife and 'Risu.
Yep. That's the life I wanted. And yet I ended up exerting myself. It's so unlike me. Even though I wanted to finish as just a regular guy, I had to go and get myself into this sticky situation.
I'm sorry, 'Risu. I didn't mean for it to end like this, but you're a tough girl. You'll get through it and become stronger. That's what you do, troublesome girl. I suppose Shikamari will live on through you.
Shikamaru chuckled humorously to himself despite the situation at hand. He couldn't believe the line of thoughts that went through his cousin's mind sometimes. Then again, that single question, that strange combination of their names, it made him love her all the more. Because despite her experiences, somehow she still had those innocent moments not at all afflicted by the trauma she experienced.
He hoped those moments never left her.
Make sure you get yourself a snow cone, troublesome girl.
Another laugh escaped him before he straightened himself out. "Well, as you said, it appears I'm at my limit," he stated as his shadow receded back to him.
"Hey, come on out," the lead Sound ninja called to their partner. The hammering of his heart was thundering in his ears as he prepared for death to meet him. "And when you do, cut off his head."
A large force landing behind him sounded off, consuming him in the smoke caused by whoever had appeared. Part of him had resigned to death, but no one really was ready for it one could say. Paralyzing shock took over his body as he stood still, body rigid, waiting for his head to be lopped off.
Seconds moved like years and his head remained attached to his shoulders. The only thing different now was the smell of cigarette smoke reaching his nostrils.
"Well, I finally caught up to you guys," a familiar voice entered the fray.
Had he been able to, Shikamaru's head would have turned all the way around, snapping his neck in the process. There, in all his bearded glory with a cigarette between his lips, was Asuma, carrying a dead or unconscious Sound ninja under his right arm.
"Asuma, how did you—"
His sensei merely grinned at him before turning serious. He tossed the Sound ninja he was carrying away from him and proceeded to decimate the enemy forces on his own. Shikamaru didn't think Asuma even broke a sweat, his superior skill outmatching the other eight shinobi like they were pushover Genin.
By the time he was finished, Shikamaru found himself still standing in the same spot, his mouth hung wide open as if expecting to catch flies, while staring at the back of his sensei in amazement.
Kami…
If Asuma was this good...
He really needed to work harder.
"You did well, Shikamaru. I'm proud of you," Asuma told him.
Finally feeling his senses come back to him, the boy let himself fall onto his butt in exhaustion. "Yeah, but it was all way too much work."
Letting out a tired groan, he finally laid all the way down.
Guess it's all up to you guys now. Good luck, and follow the primary mission of staying alive.
Amari, Sasuke, and Mimi jumped along the trees. With every passing branch, with every renewed jump they neared their enemies. So far the Sand Siblings proved to be elusive, but they couldn't shake the three Leaf Genin. With Mimi's nose they had yet to lose track of them regardless of how fast they moved or how many times they tried to throw them off the trail.
The Inuzuka was confident they were nearly on them. Soon they would catch up and put an end to the plans to play their ace in the hole.
Amari used a branch to swing herself forward as the others jumped ahead. As Sasuke passed over a branch right below her, a bright light caught her eye.
What the?
An explosion rocked the quiet forest. The concussion of the explosion separated the trio; Amari slammed back first against the trunk of a tree. Her eyes widened when she noticed a serious amount of tripwire traps, layered with paper bombs, surrounding her. Oh man, what a drag! She vanished via the Body Flicker; heat brushed against her skin, her heart thundered in her chest as the explosions followed her, reverberating through her bones.
Amari swung herself further up into the canopy of trees, eyes catching sight of even more tripwire traps. She could hear other explosions going off by her teammates as they too worked to escape. The blue-haired kunoichi landed upside down on the branch off a tree, pony-tailed hair falling with gravity as she crouched.
The silence of the forest settled once more.
Using her Byakugan, she searched for her teammates. Hanging upside down like her in a distant tree was Sasuke, while Mimi was further up in the canopy, channeling chakra to her hands to keep hold on the bottom of a branch.
Collectively they sighed in relief.
"Sound off. Who's not dead?" Sasuke's voice made its way to her.
"You know, I thought I hated these bastards before, but somehow they've found a way to make me hate them even more," Mimi sounded off.
"Not dead, but I'm with Mimi."
"Agreed. That was a little too close for comfort. Regroup on me you two." Without hesitation the two kunoichi regrouped on the Uchiha boy, landing on the branch next to him, which he was now standing upright on.
Neither looked like they had been hit by the explosions, which was a relief amongst their other stresses. Mimi crouched down to heal her ankle.
"I'm really sorry about that," Amari apologized sincerely.
Mimi waved her off, offering a reassuring grin. "Don't be. I should've been faster."
"You all right, Mimi?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah, I'm good. I've healed the tendons as best as I can given the circumstances and numbed the pain. I'm making more field repairs so I won't have any issues when we finally catch them."
Sasuke nodded then looked to Amari. "Amari, do you think your Byakugan could pick out any future traps?"
"I'll check." She scanned the area ahead, closing in on every tree branch and surrounding areas to them in hopes to see if there were any traps ahead. When she finally finished she deactivated her Byakugan and turned to the two. "I don't see anything, but we should still be careful."
Both nodded in agreement. "I doubt there will be more." Mimi sniffed the area as she spoke. "They haven't stopped since last time and they didn't have enough time to set this entire forest full of traps." Aoko made a few whining sounds from the blue eyed kunoichi's hood. "What? Seriously?" Another whine was her response.
"What's wrong?" the Uchiha's queried in unison.
"Aoko caught the scent of Tenten, Naruto and Sakura, plus an unfamiliar scent. They're still far away though."
The Nara of the group brought her hand to her chin. Kakashi-sensei must have sent them to help or stop us. We could stop and wait for them… She looked in the direction of the Sand ninjas. But that will give them an advantage of distance and time for Gaara to rejuvenate chakra. If we can at least stop the three it will give the others a chance at catching up quicker.
"How fast are they moving?" Amari asked.
"Fast, but as I said they are still far away." Mimi removed her hands from her ankle and stood up. "You think we should wait or continue on with our mission?" The Inuzuka didn't seem opposed to either idea nor did Sasuke, yet they were both undecided on the matter.
The decision was in her hands then. Should we wait or continue the chase? There were benefits to both, the former meant more backup right away while the latter guaranteed they'd catch up and stop the ninjas from running, allowing the others to catch up.
Either way they catch up and we catch the Sand ninjas…but…
"We'll keep going," the Shadow user decided. "They'll catch up regardless and this way we have a chance to stop Gaara before he can recover. That's our priority."
"Right," the two agreed with nods.
"All right. Let's go."
The trio took off once more and continued the chase.
"Is that all you got? Ha!" Anko sunk one kunai fatally into a Sand shinobi, spun low to sweep the legs out from under a Sound ninja as his blade cut through the air above her head; she impaled that blade into the enemy shinobi and handspringed up into the air, dodging a hail of ninja tools intent on turning her into a screwed up porcupine.
As she flew she weaved handseals; her busty chest expanded from a large inhale before she expelled a stream of fire, the continuous inferno forcing her enemies to retreat out of range; all except one unfortunate bastard who hadn't moved fast enough.
Evacuation overall was going pretty damn well, all things considered. Sneak attack by overwhelming force, all-out war, destruction of the Leaf, you know, all the party games the new generation had been spared from before today. Anko didn't have time to feel sorry for them; war was on their doorstep, they couldn't coddle the Genin any longer if they wanted to survive this day and propel the enemy forces from their home.
Crows swept all around the Leaf, sector by sector, passing on information to her more often than not on enemy movements. Guess it wasn't just all talk, she thought, a grin on her lips. Their aid had helped her prepare for this ambush, hiding the civilians safely in a nearby shop while she dueled these heartless punks without fear of collateral damage.
The summoning snakes couldn't reach this sector. From the last look she had gotten, the Crows and her fellow Leafs had the main group of three pinned down between quadrants three and four, holding them there for the time being. But their enemies brought more than three summoning snakes, and those two others were dealing more than enough damage to make up for the other three.
Can't worry about that yet, Anko chastised herself, landing with her blades at the ready. She had another eight shinobi to get through so she could get back to getting this last big group of civvies to safety. Once this group was safe, and the other evacuation teams reported in, the real counter-attack could begin.
But that was later. The boisterous kunoichi had other problems to deal with. These shinobi weren't that problem; for a Special Jōnin and a self-declared badass these punks were an appetizer to a main course, hardly filling her up.
No, her biggest issue was the mark on her neck thrumming to life, burning more and more as the clock ticked on. It had started off manageable; a dull warmth she could put mind over matter to ignore. But now it felt like someone dribbled hot wax on her shoulder at regular intervals, only this wasn't pleasurable or the appropriate time for it.
He's here in the Village somewhere. He has to be. Her mark confirmed it. Most days she didn't even feel it; other days she had nightmares of when it had been placed on her, yet the memories always remained hidden beneath shadows she couldn't see through. Those days, specifically upon waking up, the mark felt like a hot brand placed against her skin, the whispers of power it once enticed her with brushing against her ears with warm, vile morning breath.
From there it would became an ache, similar to sore muscle, until finally fading away.
For her mark to be acting up now of all times meant Orochimaru was here. The bastard who placed this damn Curse Mark she couldn't remove was somewhere in her home coordinating the attack or doing some other terrible deed elsewhere.
Anko fought to keep her features neutral, or set in a hungry grin if the moment called for it, but the snake mistress couldn't stop the beads of sweat accumulating on her forehead or beneath her mesh top and jacket, slicking her fair skin and soaking her purple hair. She couldn't stop the slight tremble attacking her back muscles, the spasms uncontrollable as it built towards searing agony.
I have to take these guys down fast. It's the only way I can keep the civilians safe.
"Well, come on! Don't tell me all you so-called men are scared of me!" She licked her lips and grinned sadistically. Three more charged in, one Sound and two Sand.
The Sound shinobi reached her first, swiping his sword twice at the purple-haired shinobi. Anko dodged back then parried the second strike with her kunai. Twisting her blade, she controlled the Sound shinobi's sword, guiding it wide. His footwork drove him directly into her second blade, his eyes widening as the deathblow landed.
Anko kept moving, hopping back as one of the Sand shinobi tried to slash a blade made solely of wind through her body. A small cut opened up on her right cheek and left arm, opening a tear through her trench coat. But it wasn't fatal or debilitating; nothing more than a scratch. The second Sand shinobi tried to advance, to catch her while he suspected her off-guard.
The snake mistress thrusted her right arm out, a wicked gleam in her brown eyes. "Striking Shadow Snake! Four snakes launched from the sleeve of her trench coat, capturing the Sand shinobi. As his partner tried to attack, she thrusted her other arm out and caught him as well with four snakes.
Her precious little summoning partners wrapped around the first enemy's arms and legs, sinking their poisoned fangs deep into his flesh. Even if they did escape, it was only a matter of time before the poison killed them. The second enemy was even unluckier, her pet serpents wrapping around his neck, arms and chest to keep him from using his wind sword.
"Have a nice flight," the purple-haired kunoichi grinned.
Her snakes lifted the two up and with a swing of her arms they were sent flying hard into a nearby building. Their bodies made sickening cracks against the concrete before she released their paralyzed bodies, the eight snakes disappearing beneath her sleeves again.
That left five.
Anko spun around and threw her kunais. The blades pierced into warm flesh, death rendered instantaneously to the Sand kunoichi who tried to sneak attack her.
Correction: That left four.
As she turned around to face the final four, a shooting arc of white-hot pain shot from her mark all the way down her spine. Anko lurched forward, belting out a scream of agony as she collapsed to one knee, right hand flying to her shoulder.
Damn it, not now. She couldn't let these bastards harm the civilians. She couldn't just sit back and let them mercilessly kill more innocent men, women and children.
Sure, some people had always eyed her with sideways glances due to the rumors surrounding her former sensei. And yeah, it hurt. For people to doubt her allegiance, for people to cast their suspicious glances her way because of his actions, very few of them ever considering the torment he caused her too, it left her feeling incredibly lonely at first. And it made her angry at them. Couldn't they see she was suffering because of Orochimaru too? She had only been a young girl at the time; it wasn't like she could control his actions.
But she grew up, made some good friends and earned trust and respect through her actions. These people, regardless of her past, were residents of her home, under her protection. That meant she was going to defend them so long as she had breath in her body.
Unfortunately her body wasn't cooperating and she could barely breathe as it was. Her vision turned hazy, the silhouettes of her enemies harder to track through the searing pain pulsing from her shoulder over the rest of her body with every heartbeat. And her heart was beating stupidly fast. Muscles quaked, rendering her body more useless than a lazy Nara in a marathon run.
I…have to move. "Ggh!" she choked as she tried to move. Come on body. Move. Move. Move!
"Finish her!" a shout made it to her ears.
Two hands pressed against her back briefly, followed by a murder of Crows blasting past her.
"Double Dynamic Entry!"
She heard the collision of the attacks. Anko shut her eyes and bit her lip hard, drawing blood, in an effort to put mind over matter. When she opened her eyes again, the haze lifted, revealing a head of long, wild blue hair and a head of spiky, untamed long dark-brown hair.
"Looks like we arrived just in time," one of the voices spoke.
"Yep. Miss Anko, just leave the rest to us and then we'll give you a hand."
"…Kurenai's kid? And Tsume's niece?" she muttered to herself in surprise.
"Mimi, you ready?" Amari asked.
"Let's go for that combo we talked about and teach these bastards a lesson!"
Anko moved to stand up, planning to join them in battle, but another sting tore through her back, stopping her dead in her tracks. Damn it, my body isn't ready to move yet.
"You two kids should have stayed out of it. Now you both die!"
"Fool," Amari snorted as two of the enemy shinobi charged. "Mimi, let's go!"
"Right!"
In tandem they disappeared in sheer speed. The two enemy shinobi paused their charge, eyes wide as they looked all around in search of the two kunoichi. Neither saw them until their feet planted themselves in their guts, kicking again and again and again until they were all airborne. Amari continued her taijutsu assault, slamming fist and foot over and over again as they plummeted towards the ground. Simultaneously Mimi spun into a ferocious spiral, drilling her chosen adversary all the way into the dirt with a Fang over Fang.
Those two ninjas weren't getting up again. Their bodies crashed so hard into the ground, even Anko winced.
As the two kunoichi recovered, kunai pierced their chests and backs, poofing them into smoke. But from the smoke two logs appeared.
"Substitution?!" one of the enemies gaped.
"O-ver here!" Amari's voice teased.
One of the enemy shinobi spun around, ready to attack, while his partner stood frozen in place with Amari standing right behind him. Mimi revealed herself, appearing behind the opposite opponent to jab her fingers directly into his neck, causing him to fall to the ground like an unwanted sack of potatoes.
"Nighty night, prick."
"Tsk tsk, you shouldn't let your opponent get behind you all the time," Amari taunted.
The man reached his arm forward into the air, mimicking Amari's movements as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Her hand started to glow blue and the Sand shinobi's face became one of fear. "You're- you're stealing my chakra!" he realized.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to take all of your chakra. Just most of it." Seconds passed and the blue-haired kunoichi's hand eventually stopped glowing. She must have released her Shadow Possession as well because the man fell face first into the dirt.
"I- I can't move," the ninja groaned.
Mimi approached the downed shinobi and stabbed a blade into his hand, eliciting a cry of agony and pinning his already drained body for someone else to clean up. "That's the point, bastard. Next time, don't attack our village and my friend here won't sap you of ninety-nine percent your chakra." The two kunoichi regrouped away from the enemy shinobi, slapping their hands together in a high five for a job well done. "Nice work, Amari."
"Not bad yourself, Mimi. Come on, we've got a mission to finish."
They moved back to Anko, who had a small smirk on her face. Saved by Genin. I doubt I'll ever live it down if Genma hears about it.
Mimi crouched down next to her and placed her hand on her shoulder, a green hue surrounding it as she performed a Diagnostic Jutsu. Amari stood behind her and placed a hand on the Inuzuka's shoulder to transfer over some of the chakra she stole.
"Ah, don't bother. It's not an injury you can heal." Anko brushed off the Inuzuka's hand and forced herself to stand. Her legs still felt weak; the debilitating pain in her back muscles lowered to a warm ache. But it was controllable and at a threshold she could handle.
She grinned at the pair. "Nice save, little squirts."
Their eyes noticeably twitched at the nickname. Amari of the pair sighed first and smiled. "Glad we could help."
Mimi reluctantly nodded. "Looks like Ibiki sending us was good for more than just helping you with your mission."
Ah, so that's who sent them, Anko thought. Guess I owe you one Ibiki. If you hadn't sent them I would have been toast.
"I take it you two are under my command then?"
They gave short nods in response.
Okay, we're back in business then. Searching for the remaining civilians should be easier now that I have these two. She smirked mentally. No doubt the reason you sent them to help out, huh Ibiki.
"All right. I want you two to search the surrounding area for any stragglers from here using your enhanced senses. Get a good layout of this section of the village. Those Crows can only see so much."
"Amari, this one is all you." Mimi scrunched her nose. "My nose is too clogged from all the smoke and fire."
The girl nodded in understanding before she activated her Sharingan and undoubtedly her Byakugan as well. Anko watched as she scanned the area before inevitably she turned to the boisterous kunoichi.
"I don't see anyone, but we should get moving. Enemy ninja are searching the areas for people. Facing more ninjas with the civilians will be too troublesome."
The Snake Mistress gave a nod and motioned them to follow her. "Then let's go you two. Follow me!" They made their way into the shop, assuring the civilians it was safe before getting them moving again.
Anko watched the two younger kunoichi interact with the civilians; Mimi healed the few who were injured, her bedside manner proving to be gentle and soothing. She noticed a slight limp to her gait, but left it be when the Inuzuka moved to heal herself. Amari reassured the people, her soft nature and comforting smile doing wonders for those frightened.
Hard to believe they're taking this so well, Anko thought. War on their front steps and they're treating it like any ordinary mission. She appreciated their ability to stay levelheaded against the chaos surrounding them. Even if they were anxious or scared, they put those feelings aside to protect each other and the people in their care.
It was a good quality for a shinobi.
"Miss Anko." She hummed in question while ushering the last of the civilians out of the shop, brown eyes active in search of enemy troops. "Here. Mom said you like these." She turned to face the girl. In her hand was a stick of dango. An embarrassing growl from her stomach reminded the kunoichi of the lunch she totally missed. "We helped out another evacuation team on the way here and one of the old lady's gave us a stick each. Wanted us to replenish our strength, but…Well, I'm not that hungry, so you can have it."
"Heh, thanks Shortcake." Anko snatched the stick from her hand and chowed down on them immediately, continuing to speak even though her mouth was full. "You know, you're not so bad. Although I suppose that's 'cause you're Kurenai's kid."
The wild blue-haired ninja smiled at the mention of her mother. "She's been amazing to me. I…I owe her everything." Her visible eye flicked back towards the direction of the stadium even without turning around to face it.
Anko hummed, eyes looking out to the stadium. So, that's where her friend was battling then. Right in the thick of the mess. Kick their asses, Kurenai.
"Yeah, well, Kurenai thinks the world of you, Shortcake. Trust me. She brags about you any time someone asks."
Amari tilted her head in question. "Really?"
"Yeah," Anko nodded to the kid. "If she were anything like Guy she'd be shouting about your successes from the rooftops by now."
Amari paled visibly at the thought it. "…That would be such a drag. Please make sure she doesn't ever do that."
The snake mistress grinned mischievously. "Heh, no promises, Shortcake. Don't worry about her, all right? She's a lot tougher than any of these punks."
"True," Amari agreed, smiling.
With that they kept moving. They couldn't risk resting for any longer. Every second wasted could lead to another ambush, and possibly further destruction and death to their side.
"Lady Amari!" a male crow called, flying down and landing on Amari's already outreached arm. "We have cleared many of these streets, but this sector has yet to be regained by our forces." He swept his wing down the street they were moving down. "Continue on this path with haste. Controlled sectors are within a few blocks."
"Thank you, Osamu," Amari thanked, nodding her head in gratitude. "Any new news regarding our other forces?"
"Allied forces have destroyed all enemy invaders within the sectors closest to the shelter. These people, and your team, will soon be safely in allied territory." Anko felt the relief overcome the civilians. "My reports from other agents paint an image of confusion among our enemy invaders, when they do not meet the wrath of the Crows, that is."
Anko chuckled. "I imagine their confusion changes pretty quickly to fear."
"Indeed. I believe your team is the final group of evacuees in uncontrolled territories; the efforts of the evacuation team have spared many innocents their lives. With our people safe, our forces abandon the sector to aid elsewhere, leaving many of our enemies to run around like headless chickens, I believe is the human saying. For all Orochimaru's involvement, he failed to inform our enemies of our very basic protocols."
"Means he thought everything at the stadium would go off without a hitch," Mimi said thoughtfully.
"I concur," Osamu agreed, inclining his head once. "Your copies still live and continue to support our allied shinobi in the battle against the serpents. But this war is far from over. Please, make haste to the shelter. Only then can we launch our counter-attack. Until then, we Crows will continue to send our enemies into the abyss."
"Okay. Thank you again for the backup, Osamu," Amari thanked.
"It is our duty and our pleasure to aid you, Lady Amari," he inclined his head respectfully and took off.
"Only those considered worthy and pure of heart are chosen by the Crows to be granted their guidance, power and wisdom. 'Risu has been destined to inherit their power since the day the Uchiha were massacred."
Shikaku's words had seemed so far-fetched back then, even with the Hokage's assurance of the Crows existence. But after seeing the Crows in action today, and seeing the respect bordering on royalty Osamu gave to Amari made Anko wonder: Where is your path gonna take you, Shortcake?
Anko brushed the thoughts off and nodded to herself. "All right, sooner we get to the shelter, sooner our counter-attack can begin. Everyone stick close and keep moving quickly. We'll get to safety in no time."
Anko's face remained serious as they picked up the pace. Just keep those guys at bay a little longer, Ibiki.
"There's no end to these things!" Kiba growled, slashing his kunai blade through yet another Earth Style shaped wolf. Mimi, Amari, Neji and Kiba stood back to back in a diamond formation, surrounded by an Earth Style trap that appeared like wolves made of mud.
Every time we cut them down, they simply reform, Mimi analyzed, blue eyes darting around at the wolves in front of her, reforming after her most recent hard attacks. It's not a trap meant to kill, merely delay. And it's working, she grit her teeth in frustration. The longer we continue to sit here, battling it out against these things, the further away those Cloud shinobi are going to get.
There was only one option then.
"Everyone duck," she ordered, weaving her handseals. Water Style: Water Bomb Jutsu! Mimi unleashed a high pressured torrent of water that cut through the entire surrounding group of mud wolves, turning them into goop that had to reform.
"Neji, Kiba, Amari, I'll hold the trap off here," Mimi spoke quickly.
"What? No way, Mimi! We're not leaving you behind!"
"Kiba, don't argue," she growled. "I'm just a clone, remember? You and Neji are the real thing. Hinata is the real thing. Every second we waste here is one more second those Cloud shinobi have to get Hinata outside the Leaf, out of our reach where a horrible fate awaits her. And the fact is my ankle is just going to make me slow you guys down."
Damn did it hurt. She hadn't had time to numb the pain since being created; the work her original had done to heal it was incomplete, at no fault to her or Amari. Neither of them had known a war was about to erupt on their doorstep, and there hadn't been enough time to heal the wound fully.
"Akamaru's nose hasn't ever lied before," she continued. "Those two are going to be tough, which means you're going to need all the muscle you can get, and they'll need your noses to keep track of them. Amari's eye can cast powerful genjutsu, where I'm just going to be able to use ninjutsu. Based on this trap, at least one of them is an Earth Style user, which is my Water Style's weakness. This is the strategically right decision; even if I'm overwhelmed, no one dies. It's the best option."
"I'll come back for you so we can rejoin the others as soon as we save Hinata," Amari said.
"Heh, not if I catch up to you guys first," she shot back, grinning mirthfully. Amari smirked at her. Mimi let her grin fall for a serious expression. "Now get out of here. I'll hold them off."
"Good luck, Mimi," Neji said before jumping off with the others.
Fighting Goofball really changed you, huh Neji. Or is it something more?
Mimi didn't know, but now wasn't the time to find out. The wolves reformed, and she grinned wildly. "All right, let's see what ya got!"
Amari, Mimi and Sasuke came to a stop on a branch, each with a kunai in hand save for the Nara of the group. Hers was already impaled in the trunk of the tree across from them, which had served its purpose.
"We finally caught you," Sasuke broke the tense silence between the three Leaf ninjas and three Sand ninjas. "Did you really think we'd let you get away after your village attacked our home?"
Across a gap of space on the opposite branch stood Temari, Kankurō and Gaara, who was being held up by his brother. "This is the end of the line for you three," Mimi's serious voice penetrated the quiet forest.
Now it was time to put an end to their plans.
Review Response to ChillinInKonoha: Thank you, I'm glad to see you're enjoying it so much! Oh, where to even begin with some of the points you touched on? So much I want to say regarding what's coming, but can't. Itachi and Kisame were the beginning of the next main arc, so yep, they're hovering there just beyond the invasion. I honestly can't wait for it. Ichiraku Ramen vs Ninja chefs is definitely something I see Amari diving into. Ramen is only second to ice cream, snow cones, cookies and anything sweet in her books.
When will her Uchiha side manifest? Will the Curse of Hatred take full control? We will have to wait and see!
I'd say duality is definitely one of the themes of the story. You've pretty much hit all the points of where it takes place; her heritage, the Clan jutsus, the two names she possesses. The only one I would add is kind of apart of her Uchiha and Nara blood, but more about the Will of Fire and Curse of Hatred. Because of her blood she's caught between them, the evidence of which has been shown when she falls into rage or darkness the few times its happened and her moments when she shows her Will of Fire. Sometimes this tug-of-war is symbolized by her demonic black scaled dragon and green scaled dragon when her enemies or opponents witness them. And...well, more to come on that later.
I imagine Amari, Pain and Konan's debates over philosophy will be quite heated when they finally meet. Though I look forward to Shippuden as well, definitely with the stuff I have planned for it.
Thank you for the review!