Chapter 23: Follow Kitari
"We've spent too much time resting," Sasuke informed everyone. "We need to start looking for that book now."
"I agree, but where do we start?" Airas asked.
"Why don't we ask Kitari?" Hinata suggested. "Maybe she knows something about it."
"Hey, that's right!" Kiba exclaimed. He turned to the young assassin. "Do you think you can help us out Kitari? Did Shinji mention anything about the book that he wants us to find?"
Kitari looked up. "A book that he needs, huh? Shinji was no fool, he didn't tell anyone his entire plans; he only spoke of parts. Book…Book…Hmm…?" She looked at the ground. "…Oh! I remember now!"
"Where is it?" Shino asked.
"Shinji said that someone very important in this village has it!"
"That has to be the mayor," Kakashi said.
"Yep, a mayor is always an important figure," Aurion added.
"Then we need to go see the mayor," Kurenai said.
"There's only one problem with that plan," Sakura began.
"We don't know where the mayor can be found," Naruto finished.
"I-I do!" Kitari said as she raised her hand. "I've been here a few times and I know this place pretty well."
"Thank God that we don't have to wander around aimlessly anymore," Sakura sighed.
"Well then, lead the way," Shino said.
"Right." The group followed Kitari through the endless village and finally came to a large, regal looking building. "Here we are, the mayor's place."
"Are we allowed inside?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah, it's open to the public. We'll just go ask the mayor about the book." They all nodded and walked inside. They found the mayor right away in the lobby.
"Um, excuse me!" Sakura called out. "Mr. Mayor?"
He turned around. "Aah, judging by your headbands, I'd say you're foreign ninja. What can I do for you?"
"We're looking for a book," Kurenai answered.
"A book? What kind of book?"
"A book of very high importance. We were told that you posses this book," Shino responded.
"…I know the book of which you speak..."
"Great! Can you give it to us?" Kiba asked. "We're kinda in a hurry."
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
"What! Why not!"
"That book is too valuable to give away to a ragtag bunch like you."
"R-Ragtag?" Airas shouted. "I'll 'ragtag' my foot up your-"
"Please, sir, we really need that book," Kakashi informed.
"Yes! Our friend's life depends on that book!" Hinata shouted. "Please!"
"My answer is still 'no'. Now if your business is done here, please leave before I have to remove you by force."
Shino shut his eyes, trying to restrain his anger. "…Let's go…"
"But Shino-"
"C'mon." They walked out.
"Now what? That old fart won't give us the book!" Naruto and Kiba shouted.
"Old Fart?" Kitari whispered as she tilted her head. What strange ninja…
"I know. We can't return to Shinji empty-handed; we have to do something."
"We don't we just steal it?" Kitari suggested bluntly.
"Steal it! We can't steal!" Hinata exclaimed.
"Yes! We're ninja, we can't do that! It's against the rules!" Sakura added.
"So? I do it all the time," Kitari said.
"But you're a rouge ninja!"
"What's your point?"
"Argh!"
Shino thought for a moment. "…Let's do it."
"What! Shino, you can't be serious!" Kiba shouted.
"What choice do we have? It's either that or nothing."
"Shino's right," Kakashi said, getting an approving nod from Kurenai, Airas, and Aurion. "We have to."
"But Kakashi sensei-"
"Don't worry, just follow my instructions and we'll be able to pull this off," Kitari said with a smirk. "And this is all goin' down tonight…"
XXXX
"Alright, this is it guys, it's time to infiltrate this place," Kitari said as she glanced up at the public hall. "Are you all ready?" She looked at them and they nodded. "Hmm…this won't do."
"What won't?" Hinata asked.
"There's too many of us. We'll get caught if all eleven of us go. Okay, this is what we'll do. We'll have two teams, an infiltration team and a guard team. The infiltration team will be responsible for retrieving the book. The guard team has to watch the infiltration team's back from out here and secure our escape route. Now we just need our teams." She looked at Shino. "Okay bug boy, pick our teams."
"If you don't mind my asking, why me?" Shino asked.
"This is your fight, we're just here to help. You're sorta like our team's leader." She looked away. "Personally, I would have liked to pick the teams cuz I know what I'm doin'…but go ahead Shino!"
He took a deep breath. "Alright…Kitari and I are definitely part of the infiltration team…" He looked at everyone else. "Kiba, I could use you and Akamaru to sniff out the place, so you're coming with us."
"Sure thing," Kiba said as Akamaru barked in agreement.
"Hinata, I'm sure your Byakugan will come in handy."
"Okay, you can count on me," Hinata said bravely, catching Naruto's attention.
"I can only take one more person so…" He looked at the remaining group members. Who should I take? I've already got a Jonin with me, so I really don't have to take Kakashi or Kurenai sensei…I know. "Okay, my final choice is you…Airas."
"Me?" Airas asked.
"Yeah. Your magic skills might prove useful."
"Well, I'm not really fond of the idea of being stuck with a bunch of ninja, but what the hell. It's for my sister, so I'll do it."
"So that means the rest of you are on the guard team," Kitari pointed out. "We'll keep in touch via our transmitters."
"Right," Kurenai said. "Good luck you guys and be careful."
"We will. You guys be careful too," Shino responded.
"Good luck to all of us," Hinata whispered.
XXXX
Kiba and Akamaru got looked up and sniffed the air in the right hall. "…Hmm…Akamaru do you smell what I smell?" Akamaru barked. "Thought so." He turned to his group. "Not that way, there are people down there."
"So it's the left hall then," Kitari said. They traveled down the hall.
"Kitari, did you happen to see my sister before you came to this town?" Airas asked.
"Yeah…I sorta knocked her out to keep her from escaping from Shinji's place," Kitari answered timidly.
"You what?"
"Um, s-sorry, Shinji's orders."
"Kitari, I'm gonna-"
"Was she okay?" Shino asked.
"Huh?"
"Was Airi okay?"
"Well, I assume so. I mean, I think she took out the guy I told to capture her. She seemed fine…before I knocked her out."
"That's good."
"Quit saying you knocked her out or I'll wring your neck!"
"But it's true!" They reached a four-way hall. "Huh?"
"Kiba, which way?" Shino asked.
"Uh…" Again, he sniffed out the other halls with Akamaru. "Erm! It's no good! Every hallway has someone there!"
Shino pressed his ear against the floor. "There's too much going on. I can't tell how many people are station in each hall."
"Leave it to me," Hinata said. She focused her chakra. "Byakugan!"
"So this is the prestigious Byakugan at work, nice," Kitari said.
"The hall directly in front of us has only two people. The rest has five…Huh? Hey, I think I see a book in one of the rooms further along!" Hinata informed.
"Great! Let's go!" Airas exclaimed. "Just leave the people to me. I'll just knock them out with a sleeping spell!" They went down the hall again and peered around the corner.
"They're just around the corner," Hinata said.
"Got it." Airas calmly walked around the corner.
"Hey you, woman! What're you doing here?" one of the men shouted.
"Hmph, don't even start with me," she responded impassively. She held out her hand. "Trance!"
"What the fu-" They fell over, asleep.
"That was easy."
"Alright Airas!" Hinata cheered.
"It was nothing, seriously."
"Hinata, can you check that door at the end of the hall?" Shino asked.
"Yeah." She used her Byakugan again. "That has to be the book!" They ran to the door.
"But how do we get inside?" Kiba asked.
"That's where I come in," Kitari announced with a smirk. She put on her acid spider webs. "I'll just melt this metal door!" She used her chakra to form whips again. "Melting Chakra no Jutsu!" She swung the webs at the door and burned a hole in it. "There, easy as pie." They entered the room.
"Finally, now we can go save Airi!" Shino said with a small smile as he removed the book off the stand.
"Kakashi, it's Kitari. We've obtained the target," Kitari said into her transmitter.
"Good, come back now," came Kakashi's response.
"Roger." She turned to the group. "Our business is done here."
BUZZ! An alarm screeched through the building. "Warning, intruder alert! All personnel please report to sector E, room seven. Warning, intruder alert!"
"Shit, we've been caught!" Kiba shouted.
"Shino, what the hell's going on!" rang Shino's transmitter.
"Kakashi sensei! We must have tripped the alarm when I took the book!" Shino responded.
"Whatever! Just get the hell outta there!"
"Yes sensei!" He shook his head, "Guys, let's move!" They dashed out of the room and ran down the endless halls.
"Where the hell did we come from?" Kiba asked.
"Who gives a shit, just keep running!" Kitari shouted.
"There they are, stop them!"
The group looked back. "AHH!" They began to push themselves. "They're after us!"
Shino looked back as more and more people began to pursue them. "Dammit, this isn't gonna work!" He looked at the book. "Hey! Kiba!"
Kiba looked back at Shino. "What!"
"Catch!" He threw the book at Kiba.
"What! Shino, what're you-"
"Just keep going!" He stopped and spun around. "I can't let these people keep coming!" He took a deep breath and concentrated. "…AAHHH!" His little Kikai bugs shot forward and took out a group of people. "Okay, this should slow them down some more! AAHH!" A wave of the little bugs popped up from the ground and took out more people. "Hmmph." He smiled as he turned around and kept running. "Where did they go!"
"Shino, over here!" Hinata called out from the hall behind Shino.
"What?" He ran over to her.
"What were you doing?"
"Slowing down our 'friends'!"
"Shino, where are you!" shouted the transmitter.
"Coming! We're coming!" They caught up with the rest of the group.
"There, a window!" Kitari shouted as she pointed ahead.
"Jump!" Airas yelled as they hit the window. The glass shattered as they came crashing through.
"Hinata!" Naruto shouted.
Hinata jumped up. "Naruto!"
"You guys, over here, we've got out escape route secure! C'mon!" Kakashi yelled. Shino's grouped rejoined Kakashi's group and headed out of the town.