Obligatory Disclaimer: The series Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto; I only own the OCs, picture, and this story.
Chapter 28: Of Curious Coincidences
The world outside was much larger than I expected.
The sky was nice and cloudless as we began our journey, though I only saw it sparsely through the trees. The first few days had nothing interesting to note while we traveled, although I kind of always assumed it would be the case. The excitement of being outside the village could only last for so long until it died to the monotony of dirt roads and vegetation. However, it didn't diminish the feeling of absolute freedom I felt being away from Konoha and the compound.
While I had felt a little anxious before, the days spent closely by Kushina and Riku's sides made the journey almost enjoyable and we reached the outpost right on time. It was an inconspicuous shack nestled in the side of a cliff, mostly hidden by the trees of the forest surrounding it.
As we approached I felt something pass over us, like we had walked under some sort of veil, but as soon as the feeling came, it disappeared. A barrier? Kushina gave me a little grin as I looked up at her questioningly, affirming my thoughts before leading me to the wooden door of the shack. Considering the area was protected by a barrier, I wasn't at all surprised when the Uzumaki woman burst through the door without preamble, one of the two leaf ninja inside simply waving in greeting from their lounging position at the lone desk in the room.
From a preliminary observation, the pair appeared to be jōnin level, one male and the other female. They looked around the same age as Kushina, though the male exhibited a slight tenseness that made me think that this was his first time being on outpost duty. I could see why; being the only two in a shack in the middle of the woods could be unnerving. You would need to be aware at all times as backup would most likely not arrive by the time an enemy ninja's kunai ran across your neck, quickly and efficiently ending your life.
The male rose at our approach, a tallish man with light brown hair and dark eyes. The female had an interesting shade of green hair and hazel eyes and she did not move from her seat at the back of the room, apparently too comfortable to greet us properly. I remained quiet, observing them from my spot just behind Kushina.
"I hope your travels went well," the man greeted formally.
"It was pretty easy all things considered. How's it going you two?" Kushina replied, handing the scroll to the man.
"It's been exhaustingly boring," the woman groaned as her partner flipped open the scroll. "Sometimes I wish something would actually happen during these weeks of watching. Or at least the need for it would dim down."
"No complaining Mayu-san," the man responded. "Would you rather be on the front lines? Or take Takara-san's place on patrol?"
"Nah, I'll pass," she yawned. She blinked owlishly as she noticed me. "What's with the kid and the ninken?"
"This is my student Junko and her companion Riku," Kushina introduced with a grin.
I moved to be more visible and gave a little bow.
"It's nice to meet you."
"Is she really a genin?" The woman squinted at me. "She's basically a fetus!"
I stared blankly; what an exaggeration. The man regarded Mayu with an equally bland tone as he glanced over the scroll.
"Don't be rude. It took you more than a few seconds to recognize her presence when passing through the barrier. She is clearly worthy of her hitai-ate; there is no need to diminish her talents."
Mayu grumbled under her breath and the man closed the scroll, facing me with a serious expression.
"Please forgive her lack of tack Junko-san. I am Saitou Goro and this is my partner Nakano Mayu."
"It's no problem. I am used to it Saitou-san."
"You may call us by our given names if you wish."
Given their familiarity with each other, they must've been on the same team for a while. Goro wasn't an anxious rookie, he was just a 'by-the-rules' kind of shinobi. It made sense with a partner who seemed to be more on the lackadaisical side. An fascinating duo to say the least.
"Junko-chan isn't someone to take lightly," Kushina interjected. "Especially with me as her mentor."
Mayu grunted. "When I heard you were a sensei, I thought the sky was going to fall."
"Like you could do any better; at least I actually passed all my tests in the academy." Kushina rolled her eyes.
Mayu threw a rude gesture in the redhead's direction, and Kushina quickly placed a hand over my eyes to protect my 'innocence'. Still, the casual atmosphere of their conversation was interesting. From what I remembered from canon, Kushina had been ostracized by many academy students for her unique hair color and her status as an foreigner. It was nice to see that wasn't completely the case.
Goro seemed a bit more reserved, if that was possible, after reading what I assumed to be his new orders. I gave a little prayer in his favor as he pulled out another scroll from the lone desk and handed it to us, probably a report of their observations. After our exchange, mission complete, we bid them goodbye and left.
"Well, that wasn't so bad now was it?" Kushina said as we casually made our way back into the forest.
"Not at all," I replied. "I suppose that you are fairly familiar with them?"
Kushina shrugged. "We were in the academy around the same time. They're alright, though Goro-san is a bit of a stick in the mud and Mayu is an idiot. They're kind of insufferable without Takara-chan around."
"That's not a nice thing to say," I said with not one bit of scolding in my voice.
"Facts are often times not very nice, dattebane."
…
It wasn't until after a few days of walking back to Konoha did whatever Kushina plan with Inoichi come to fruition. Riku sensed them before I did, his ears standing alert at a presence in the area and I activated my byakugan to confirm. My vision expanded around me and I caught sight of the familiar group traveling down a path that would lead back to the village.
I couldn't mistake the other genin for anybody else.
I looked up at her, eyes narrowed in thought. "Shishou?"
Kushina didn't reveal a thing but a knowing smile spread across her face. She changed our trajectory and it took no time at all until we were face to face with the other team. They were cautious at first but it didn't take long for recognition to sparkle in their eyes. It was weird seeing them outside of Konoha, kind of like seeing a teacher outside of school.
"Hey Kushina-sensei!" Noburu piped up, the first to step towards us. "What are you doing out here?"
The growth of Noburu and Kushina's relationship over the year was something I had not expected. On the rare occasion that we were able to practice fūinjutsu with each other, portions of our meetings were filled with pranking schemes for unsuspecting victims. Honestly, I think Kushina was just happy to have another person around who was willing to learn the complicated art of sealing. She even passed practice seals for the boy to use through Inoichi when they met at the jōnin building.
Noburu was instantly distracted from his question when his eyes drifted into my direction.
"Wait, who's that?"
"Really Noburu?" I said blandly. "I guess shishou and Riku just got tired of me in the brief months you haven't seen us. Who else would I be?"
Akane's eyes widened. "Is that really you Junko-chan?"
"Not you too Akane!" I sighed, giving the pair a blank look. "The contacts don't make me look that different, do they?"
Shisui spoke last, walking up to give Riku a few scratches.
"They go against what we expect," he said. "Even I was a bit confused for half a second."
I looked at all of them, making sure I caught each of their eyes.
"You guys are the worst."
Their blond sensei decided to step in at that moment, breaking away from where he had been quietly talking to Kushina.
"You guys can talk more on the road," he said, moving towards the trees. "The Hokage expects me back in a few days. We can all head back together."
His students gave an affirmative though I raised a brow.
"Isn't it a bit risky to travel in a group so big?" I questioned, looking up at both jōnin.
Kushina patted my head. "Sometimes but not always; besides, why not take this opportunity to spend some time with your friends?"
I eyed her suspiciously. Had she really planned this all along?
"I suppose, with such a coincidence, I should take full advantage of it."
She grinned. "Now you're getting the hang of it."
With our new additions, the trip home was more exciting as one would expect with such a crowd. We kept our volume to acceptable levels while the trio let me in on what had happened recently with their team. Because of changes in the war, they didn't get to train with Inoichi sometimes which made sense considering his position in the T&I department. To supplement his absence, they would often go on missions outside the village when he could meet up with them. They were pretty similar to what I had been given, just delivering messages to the outposts, luckily with few threats.
They'd had a couple of run-ins with common bandits, but they had been dealt with easy enough. Noburu pouted that he hadn't been able to do anything since Shisui had quickly pulled them into a genjutsu and knocked them out before they could even think about attacking. Akane was just glad that nothing bad had happened.
Taking Inoichi's absence into account, they had also made schedules for the genin to train on their own, my friends taking inspiration from the ones I had made for them what seemed like forever ago.
"I was quite surprised," Inoichi commented as we traveled between the trees. "I would've expected such detailed analysis from a jōnin."
A light blush rose on my cheeks at the compliment. "I don't think they warrant that much praise. I was just taking in observable facts and finding ways to supplement everyone's skills."
"Still, it was expertly done. You should consider becoming a teacher; I'm sure future ninja could learn a lot from you."
Me? A sensei? That had never crossed my mind. It wasn't an unattractive thought, though there was the moral issue of training children to kill others. However, with my plans and the plans of the elders, it simply wasn't a possibility. I had enough expectations already and I certainly didn't need any more dropped onto my plate.
"Unfortunately, I'll have clan business for the foreseeable future," I punctuated with a smile. The Yamanaka clan head would understand what I was talking about without me having to say it outright.
"I doubt I'll have the time to, and well, until I gain some height, I don't think anyone would want to learn from a four-foot child. Besides, I'm only a genin; I'd have to make jōnin first and that certainly won't be easy."
Inoichi chuckled. "I suppose that makes sense."
"Would you really want to become a sensei Junko-chan?" Kushina's voice piped up from my left and I glanced up. She had a weird look in her eye, as though her mind was already coming up with possibilities. I shrugged.
"It's not a bad career move, but I have a duty to my clan. I can't ignore that."
Kushina and Noburu made simultaneous noises of discontent- I did say that a lot after all- but I continued.
"Besides, to be a great sensei I would need to experience more in my life. A sensei isn't simply chosen because they've finished the academy curriculum and gone on missions, though surely that is a part of it."
The others were quiet as I spoke, thinking out loud mostly.
"A sensei brings in their own world views in their teachings, and as I am now, I can only give my analysis of the things I've learned from books. Without those real-world experiences, any lessons I could give would lack the substance they need to be effective. Besides, there is no telling how I will change in the future. Just because I am scholarly now doesn't mean I'll always be."
The life of a ninja was chaotic by nature, especially in the higher ranks, levels I would seek to reach. There would be no telling how life could go, how I would change as a person, what parts of myself I would have to sacrifice to achieve my goals. By that point, it would probably be best for me not to become a sensei.
It was quiet and I blinked up at my companions to find them staring at me.
"Did I say something strange?"
"When don't you?" Noburu retorted instantly and I shrugged again.
Most times, the line between who I was and who I am blended together, and I found myself saying things very unchildlike. Luckily, it was just like 'Junko' to say such things and so those around me sort of expected it.
Shisui was the next to break from whatever stupor he was caught in.
"Well, even if you don't become a sensei, I know you'll do really well on what your clan wants you to do."
I gave him a light smile at his words. "Thanks, though I suppose I'll need more life experience for that as well."
It was kind of funny; I did have life experience, twenty-two extra years worth, though I guess those didn't amount to much in the ninja world.
"Although, it'd be a shame if you were never officially called Junko-sensei," Akane added, and I blushed.
"Don't bring that up," I sighed, though both Noburu and Shisui grinned.
"You'll always be Junko-sensei to us!" The duo chorused, and my blush grew stronger.
"I hate how close you two have gotten. I miss the shy and clumsy Shisui," I said, a fake pout on my face. "Noburu, you've ruined him."
It was Shisui's turn as his face grew red at my words but Noburu faced me with a huge grin.
"I think you mixed up your words. Shisui is even cooler than he was before since meeting me. The next time we spar, he and I are gonna catch you so off guard that you'll give up your crown on our game of ninja tag and name me the victor."
I rolled my eyes, a smile twitching on my lips.
"If you say so, though I believe that you are forgetting my ridiculous training regime. You'd be foolish to think I'd let myself be defeated so easily, especially with Akane-chan on my side."
"You are so on!" Noburu declared.
Akane giggled at our antics and Riku barked, feeling left out.
"Riku could probably beat you all on his own."
As Noburu and I argued about the unfairness of adding Riku to the fight, I didn't notice the glance shared between our mentors, lost in the friendly familiarity.
…
Before it got too dark, we set up camp for the night. Maybe it was the nostalgia of being in the woods with my friends reminding me of our academy days, I found myself rattling off directions to the others, the trio playfully calling me sensei as they did. It almost made me forget that we weren't in the safety of an enclosed forest in the village, despite how dangerous that had been.
Almost.
As the others trailed off to put up the tents, I began to pull tags from my bag in preparation for setting a barrier around camp. I hadn't bothered when it was just Kushina, Riku, and me, but since our group had doubled, the extra precaution couldn't hurt. But then I remembered there were two jōnin with us, our trusted mentors who would protect us from anything. A blush lit up my face as I turned to them and quickly bowed.
"I am so sorry Kushina-shishou, Inoichi-sensei," I stuttered. "I didn't mean to undermine your leadership!"
My ears burned as I heard them chuckle and Kushina's hand came down on my head.
"Don't worry about it Junko-chan," she said and I looked up into her grinning face. "You're a natural leader, dattebane."
"My team really looks up to you," Inoichi noted. "Though in a sense, they are your team. Even after over a year of training with them, they still rely on everything you've taught them."
He looked over to them, and I did the same. They had already finished the boys' tent and were working on the one Kushina, Akane, and I would be sharing.
"Seeing you all together today has really put it all into perspective," he continued, kneeling down to poke at the fire Shisui had started. "They really idolize you."
The word 'idolize' struck me. They were my best friends; I didn't want them to idolize me. I admit I liked the way they looked up to me, figuratively of course, but I didn't want to be placed on a pedestal above them. Though I guess I did tell them what to do a lot…
"Has that inhibited their growth at all?" I asked. "If you don't mind me asking."
"There's nothing to worry about," the Yamanaka said, trying to be reassuring. "They are on par for what I expect considering their grades in the academy. Although you have to admit, you did leave a lasting impression on them."
I stared at the trio for a bit longer. How different would their lives have turned out if I hadn't gotten involved? Would the two civilians have ever become ninja? Had my involvement in their last year of the academy really changed their fate that significantly? Was that a good thing or bad thing? Was my intervention beneficial or detrimental to Shisui? Would he still become Shisui of the Body Flicker? If he didn't, was that a good thing or a bad thing, considering his fate?
Give it to a Yamanaka to make you think about all the things you don't want to think about.
The hand on my head grew heavy.
"Don't overthink it too much," Kushina said, giving Inoichi a look. "Friends are supposed to help each other grow; it's only natural."
I looked up at her before returning my gaze to my friends.
"I suppose so," I said, nodding my head. "I'll get the barrier set up."
I moved away from the adults and walked into the forest that surrounded us, clearing my thoughts briefly so I could focus on the task at hand. Activating my byakugan to keep an eye on my surroundings, I placed the tags, six in total, in a hexagon formation around the camp, hiding them strategically in the soil at the base of several trees. But soon as that was done, my thoughts wandered.
While all this time I had been working towards a better future, I didn't realize the true ramifications of my simply existing in this world. Through accident or fate, I had been born to a Senju mother who was close to Kushina Uzumaki. That had led me to having a close relationship with Minato Namikaze and his team which consisted of Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha. Although, I had met him before even knowing that Kushina knew my mother. Furthermore, I had been placed in the same class as Shisui Uchiha, and that had led me to having a relationship with Itachi, heir of the Uchiha clan. Not only that, but I had an unusual relationship with Tsume, head of the Inuzuka clan, through Kushina as well.
It was the ninja equivalent of networking.
On steroids.
I knew it wouldn't be enough however; just because I was close to the main players of the original plot didn't mean everything was solved. There were much bigger threats in this world that couldn't be solved by having connections in a few social circles. I had thought about it over and over again, racking my brain for solutions and steps to take in my goal to save my loved ones who were directly in the crossfire. I knew I lacked the power to overhaul such a terminal destiny. I couldn't do much as I was; I couldn't even solve the problems that sat under the surface of my clan and my village, especially by myself.
So maybe I could move fate, push it onto a different track; and the trigger of all of that was Obito.
Through all my analysis of the plot leading up to and after the Kyūbi attack, my thoughts had all led to him. It was cruel to place the blame entirely on him; there were many underground factors like Madara and Pain, but he was the penultimate key that changed the world and sent it on the path it did in canon. Used as a puppet, he would unleash the tailed-beast on the village, killing an unthinkable amount of people.
Killing Minato and Kushina, leaving Naruto orphaned.
It would cause aggravated tension between the Uchiha clan and Konoha, leading to their eradication; an act he would play an active role in, helping a teenage Itachi perform the deed. That would leave Sasuke scarred for life, which would lead the boy to abandoning the village and causing a whole other onslaught of misfortune. Not to mention all the stuff Obito did under the guise of Madara and Tobi.
In the part of the timeline I could change, all lines connected to him.
I had put a lot of effort into helping him with his training over the year as well. It was as if our fates were tied as the teen had a bad habit of running into me on my days off. Even when I was tired from clan training, I would go with him to his secret training ground and help him with his shuriken-jutsu and other skills. I got a lot out of it myself, so it wasn't as if it was a waste of time either.
I had come to really care for the boy, if my actively pushing for him to confess his love for Rin wasn't a noticeable sign. Obito was a genuine person; it didn't translate well in being a ninja, but he worked very hard towards his goal of becoming Hokage, even if he was a bit of a walking disaster. He deserved some happiness in his life.
I think, even more than stopping all the tragedies from happening in the future, I wanted to save him from the person he would become if things continued on their seemingly predestined path. He was goofy and clumsy but he was bright and enthusiastic- honest and genuine. I didn't want him to become disillusioned by the world; I didn't want him to lose his dreams and aspirations just to become a puppet for some old man who couldn't take a hint and just die.
The only thing stopping me was how I would pull it off.
My thoughts and reaffirmations were interrupted by Riku's approach. I rose from my crouched position of hiding the tags and turned towards him, giggling as his wet nose brushed against my cheek. He huffed lightly and nudged me back towards camp.
"Sorry, got caught up in my thoughts," I smiled and brushed the dirt from my hands.
Staring out into the darkness of the forest around me, I lifted my hands and intertwined my fingers together. With a pulse of chakra, I saw the tag underground light up with my byakugan and its physical form dissolved to leave the seal behind, imprinted into the soil. Chakra from the one under my feet branched out in two directions, connecting with the other seals until it was complete.
Satisfied with its stability, I began walking back with my companion in tow.
For now, I would enjoy the time I had.
Who knew how much I had left?
The next morning came quietly.
As I woke up at the crack of dawn, I found only Akane resting peacefully nearby, my redheaded mentor gone. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I slipped on my sandals and crawled outside, the light chill in the air removing the last ounce of drowsiness from my body. Noburu sat absentmindedly by the extinguished firepit and looked up when I neared.
"If you're looking for Kushina-sensei, she went into the forest," he said without prompting. "She's probably using the bathroom or something."
I nodded in thanks, smiling sympathetically at the way his eyelids drooped. "You can go rest for a bit until it's time to move out."
He didn't need to be told twice and crawled back into his tent with a yawn. After doing my usual set of stretches, I got started on getting the camp cleared. Considering how close we were to Konoha, if we really moved today, I was sure we could get back to the village within a couple of days. Although mild, I was kind of homesick and looked forward to seeing my parents and my bed after a week of roughing it in the woods.
I was discarding the ashes and fixing the grounds to erase our presence when I realized that a certain canine hadn't greeted me as he always did. While I knew Kushina could handle herself, and so could Riku for that matter, our partnership meant that he was always within calling distance. I could feel his chakra near where the edge of the barrier rose along with Kushina's surprisingly enough and I used my byakugan to make sure.
Immediately, I noticed that the Uzumaki's chakra was distraught, flickering and squirming restlessly; a sign of distress.
That couldn't be good.
Within my altered sight I could see that Inoichi was already awake, checking over some documents. He could keep an eye on things for a while. I rose from my seat at the dismantled firepit and moved, walking quickly but silently through the forest to where she was leaning against a tree with her canteen in hand. Riku sat silently beside her.
"Shishou, are you okay?" I asked, brow furrowed.
Kushina jerked at my presence which only worried me more. She looked at me, wiping a hand across her mouth.
"Sorry," she chuckled uneasily. "I guess last night's catch didn't sit well with me."
I walked forward to stand in front of her. "Is there anything I can do? Should I get Akane?"
She shook her head, using the tree behind her to lift herself up.
"I think it's just a stomach bug," she said, seeing the look on my face. "Truthfully, I haven't been feeling well these couple of days, but I didn't want to cancel our mission."
"And you're always telling me to rest," I said with a huff and a frown. "While I appreciate the sentiment, your health is more important than some mission shishou."
Despite the pallor of her skin, she smiled.
"I know. It's just that Inoichi and I planned this for weeks so our schedules would match, and I didn't want you to miss your chance to hang with your friends. Besides, it's not like I haven't gone through worst before out on the field," she shrugged, seeming to become more like herself the more we talked.
This woman, I swear…
I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her in a hug.
"And I am grateful for all your efforts," I said, smiling up at her. "But I think it's best if we hurry back to Konoha, so you can get to a doctor."
She sighed but wrapped her arms around my shoulders in return with a grin.
"Whatever you think is best Junko-sensei."
With a roll of my eyes, I tugged her back to the campground.
...
We were about a day's walk from Konoha when it happened.
You would think with a group as large as ours, with two jōnin, four genin, and a ninken, any bandit with brain cells would decide to cut their losses and go for easier prey. But as we walked down the road, who appeared before us was a pair of seemingly inconspicuous travelers, both male. Our easygoing chatter quieted but did not stop, Kushina and Inoichi urging conversation forward seamlessly despite the additional bodies on the path.
Certainly, the two jōnin were more than prepared to take them out if it came down to that, and we weren't anything to scoff at either. We retained our formation but tightened up. Shisui and Noburu took the front, Akane and I in the middle with Riku while the adults took care of the rear. I estimated that we had fifteen minutes until we would reach each other, and so I activated my byakugan. The men themselves were nothing to worry about as they stood in the pathway, obviously waiting for us to walk closer. Their chakra pathways were barely distinguishable from an untrained civilian's, and so I spared not a second longer on them.
Besides, they were nothing in comparison to the other figures that pinged on my enhanced vision. There were three of them hidden within the trees above where the other two stood, also male. They were all wearing masks as well, and though I could see through them, there was no identifying insignia anywhere on their persons. Two of them hid side by side and they each had a semi-decent amount of chakra, maybe on par with a low level chūnin. However, the one who had hidden separately raised some concerns. The chakra that flowed in him was strong, at least on level with the blond jōnin behind me.
I stretched and yawned, letting my byakugan fade. Akane, who had watched me survey the area, spoke up.
"Are you tired Junko-chan?" she asked, prompting me with a strained smile.
I clasped my hands behind me, signaling the number of unseen men with my fingers.
"It is a bit rough being on the road," I admitted. She nodded, also seeing my message.
The only sign of her nerves was the slight tightening of her hands around the straps of her backpack. Riku came near, my twitching chakra signaling him close and I gave him three firm pats on his back before lightly nodding over to the boys.
"Yeah, missions outside the village can be pretty exhausting," she agreed, letting her hands fall with a deep breath. "Do you need to take a break?"
Should we slow down and try to divert?
"I wouldn't want to slow us down," I said, looking over my shoulder at the jōnin at my back.
With relaxed postures and scanning eyes, the pair looked like the epitome of calm professionalism. Kushina returned my gaze, her eyes searching.
"Well, you know yourself best," she said, only the light twitch of her fingers betraying her worry. "Do you think you can handle the next stretch?"
I looked over to the rest of my friends. Shisui and Noburu were more tense than they had been, the Fujioka revealing his nervousness more than the Uchiha. Other than the jōnin leveled enemy, I wanted to believe that we would be able to handle ourselves. I would be lying if I said I wasn't anxious about engaging the enemy. However, my mind reasoned that it was more effective to plan now and get the jump on them before they could try their ill forged plans, rather than try to avoid them.
Still...if the others were too nervous or scared, there was a greater risk of something going wrong and someone getting seriously injured. Diverting our route would be difficult knowing that the thugs were already expecting us, and that could lead them into making an unexpected move. But with the jōnin's skills, I knew it could be done if we decided to evade them.
Noburu gave an exaggerated huff at my silence. He met my eye briefly before returning his gaze to the path ahead, the figures of the two men growing closer with every step we took.
"Eh, with your strange baby strength you'll be fine." There was bravado in his voice though his hands were clenched, knuckles white. "If Shisui can do it, so can you."
Shisui gave a smile and a nod in agreement. "There's not much time left, so if we push ourselves a little more, we can make it home by evening."
We can do this, don't worry.
I nodded. No matter what, our mentors had our backs if anything went awry, and we weren't fresh out of the academy. We had already had our first encounters, and I was more prepared than I had been.
"Then I have no qualms with moving forward."
…
If their sudden appearance was enough to raise alarm, the blatant disregard for tact was almost impressively dimwitted as they sauntered towards us, hands at their swords. Their comrades stayed still in the trees and the two on the ground met with our group just as we walked passed those above, sandwiching us between them.
The perfect time for an ambush.
We continued to walk forward, Inoichi giving them a relaxed 'afternoon' when our shoulders passed each other. I didn't miss the way his blue eyes peered into theirs for a moment, even as I bowed my head in an act of shyness and activated my byakugan under the curtain of my bangs.
"Aren't those kids a little young to be ninja?"
The thug who spoke had shaggy dark hair and was simply clothed. His eyes were covered by sunglasses but brown eyes peeked from behind the lenses, watching us carefully. His partner was similarly dressed, his hair pulled into a short ponytail and dark eyes darting over us cautiously. We stopped as a group to look at them, though my attention stayed trained on those in the trees.
The shaggy man turned his eyes towards me. "Especially the little girl there."
I kept quiet, keeping myself hidden behind Riku's large body. The canine's chakra frothed at the unwanted attention and I pressed my fingers lightly against his side- don't move, not yet. The ninken gave a low, muted growl as the man tried to step closer.
Mistake one.
He threw his hands up in a show of innocence. "Now, now, I didn't mean to be insultin' or anything."
Kushina walked closer, placing a heavy hand on my head.
"Well, it's just the world we live in, dattebane," she said with a shrug.
He hummed with a thoughtful look on his face. "Ain't that the truth."
Conversation becoming stilled, Inoichi took the reins, still staring down the duo with unblinking blue eyes.
"You two must be well traveled to be risking a journey in these parts," he added. "It could be very dangerous if you're not familiar with the terrain."
With his words, the blond released a faint amount of intent into the air. The men beside us reacted instantly though they tried to keep it cool, shifting in their spots and shuffling a little away from us. Good. The men in the trees above us were not unaffected either. The two chūnin leveled ones shifted on their tree branches, and the other lifted a hand to a kunai he had hidden on his belt.
I took a little step back, lightly digging the tip of my left foot into the dirt.
Mistake two.
The shaggy man lightly pressed his hand against the hilt of his sword.
"We can take care of ourselves just fine," he nodded, his fingers twitching. "Still, little kids running around with blades…sheesh! My little brother here couldn't hold a kitchen knife without cutting himself until he was twelve!"
Noburu stepped forward, a wide grin on his face and hands on his hips.
"You don't have to worry about us," the brunet said, his fingers tapping against his belt. "This isn't our first mission."
The more talkative of the duo shared a look with his partner, a light- if not smug- smile on his face at the boy's words.
"I'm sure y'all are," he chirped with a nod. "Welp, might as well let you ninja get on your way then."
We spared no farewell in return and continued on, and as they made their way past us, the overly talkative one innocently tripped on nothing. A poorly hidden signal.
Mistake three.
As we took one step and another, I coughed before they could move a muscle, and Noburu dropped his smoke bomb. The area exploded in a thick gray cloud, and almost immediately those in the trees doubled back, startled by our preemptive counter. Kushina and Inoichi moved then, emerging from the smoke and flying into the forest to intercept them with Shisui following after the blond.
Then it was my turn.
Within the protection of the smokescreen, I twirled on my heel and dashed through the opening to clash with the thugs we had just passed, Riku on my heels. They were anxious, their chakra jumping in alarm as they pulled their swords from their scabbards. As if sensing my presence in the fog, the silent one swung wildly as I came close, but I rolled underneath his swing, easily reading his movement by the tensing in his muscles. I lashed out with my foot, a precise kick to the back of his kneecap causing him to fall.
The man tried to rise but was distracted as a scream pierced the air, along with the clattering of a sword hitting the ground. Riku had caught the shaggy man with his blade and bulldozed him into the earth, his heavy body keeping the man down with a dislocated shoulder. The silent one jerked towards the sound.
"Ichiro-!" he called out, before I silenced him with several well-placed strikes to his main tenketsu, rendering him paralyzed.
It was done.
I released my breath as the smoke cleared. Noburu and Akane came to my side with spools of wire in their hands and quickly got to work tying up the defeated thugs.
"Good job Junko-chan," Akane said. Her red eyes roved over me quickly, checking for wounds, and I gave her a smile which she returned.
"How is everyone else is doing?" she asked.
I let my vision shift and expand at her request. I caught sight of Inoichi and Shisui making work of the jōnin through their combined efforts. The Uchiha was able to distract the rouge long enough for the Yamanaka to take over his mind, the familiar churn of Inoichi's chakra flowing through the man before being cut short as Shisui knocked him out, the blond returning to himself.
Kushina was done with the other two enemies as well. The ground around them was littered with kunai but the Uzumaki had not a scratch on her, both men captured in her adamantine chains.
I deactivated my byakugan as both civilians finished tying up our goons back to back.
"All enemies captured, no visible injuries internal or external on comrades," I confirmed and the blonde girl gave a sigh of relief.
The plan had gone smoothly, as smoothly as one could wish for.
"Was there any actual doubt though?" Noburu asked, his normal bravado present in his tone. "I did tell them."
The conscious thug, the one who had been so chatty before, glared at us silently from under his shaggy bangs, sunglasses somewhere on the road beneath us and the arm of his shirt stained red. As Riku stood guard over them with his blade at the ready, I turned to face the boy completely.
"That you did," I replied with a halfhearted smile.
There was nothing better than a well-conceived plan going perfectly, though the adrenaline continued to pump through my veins. Noburu looked towards the woods where our mentors and Shisui had gone off into, a peculiar expression spreading across his face. I blinked.
"What's the matter Noburu?"
He fidgeted, looking at the tied-up goons then shaking his head.
"Nothin'. Don't worry about it."
I wanted to press harder, not liking the look in his eye but I stilled my words, the situation with the unwanted party taking precedence. Once they were dealt with, I'd grill him. The shagged haired man snickered.
"Aw, is the little ninja mad that he didn't get any of the action?"
Noburu and I turned to him, and I palmed a kunai in hand as I did. The brunet bristled, stepping forward with a glare.
"What'd you say!?"
I quickly pressed my free hand against the boy's chest and Riku growled, his chakra spiking in agitation.
"He is captured and so are his partners," I said, giving Noburu a leveled stare when his blue eyes met mine. "Nothing he has to say is of any importance."
The shaggy man, Ichirou if I were to guess from his brother's cut off cry, chuckled.
"I wouldn't say that," he hummed, even as the ninken neared with his blade. "Do you honestly think it was a coincidence that we met you here?"
My blood froze in my veins and the two civilians had similar reactions. It had been almost too perfect that the group of thugs would be on this road that we were traveling down. How would they have known we would be coming this way? What were they after? Could it be the scroll I had on my person or even whatever Noburu and the rest had retrieved on their mission?
Was even this smooth capture a part of their plan?
Without thinking, I activated my byakugan; Inoichi and Shisui were in the midst of interrogating the strongest one who had come to, the one I assumed to be their leader. Kushina was in a similar state, one of the two thugs thoroughly concussed and the other shaking at the sight of the redheaded, her hair floating around her threateningly.
Nothing else.
"Oh ho, what do we have here?" Ichirou hummed again, peering at me through his messy fringe. "So you're a Hyūga? Those contacts are really misleadingly huh, though I had a feeling you were something special."
A chill ran down my spine.
I turned to Akane. "Get Kushina-shishou."
The blonde spared only a worried glance at us before leaping into the trees. The man squirmed in his bindings causing Riku to let out another growl and lower himself, ready to strike at my signal.
"Was letting another one of your teammates go really the best idea? You children need all the help you can get."
Noburu's glare returned full force and he brought out his own kunai.
"We're not the ones tied up bastard," he snarled, gritting his teeth when the thug laughed.
"Oh, I'm so scared of the shaking genin," Ichirou tittered.
The brunet's hold on his kunai was shaking, from anger or fear I couldn't tell, but before Noburu could take another step, I gripped his arm.
"Don't fall for his taunts," I said, pulling him back. He fought against my pull. "He's just trying to get a rise out of you-"
He jerked out of my grasp, faster than I expected. "I'm not scared!"
It all happened at once.
Noburu stepped forward.
A sinister smile spread across the thug's face.
Riku's bark was cut off with a pitiful yelp as he was kicked aside.
Without warning, there was a huge surge of chakra and Noburu's body flickered out of sight.
And then the thug was free and standing right in front of me.
I threw my arms up just in time to block a kick, but the force of it sent me flying back a few feet. And as I stabilized myself, only one thought passed through my head.
Oh shit.
…
We squared off.
The man stretched whimsically and I stood ready but wary, put off by the amount of chakra he was exuding. It wasn't as much as the jōnin-leveled thug that had been waiting to ambush us, but there was a staggering difference between him now and the scrawny civilian I had sensed before.
Riku staggered to his feet without his blade and Noburu was tied up, locked within the binds that had once held Ichirou, an admittedly impressive display of a replacement jutsu. Not only that, in the time it had taken him to kick Riku away and switch with Noburu, the thug had also snatched the blade away from the canine. He flipped it into the air nonchalantly as he peered at me through his bangs.
"I did tell you," he snickered again and fixed his shoulder with a cringing crack. "Your teammates won't be able to save you in time."
Just how had he increased his chakra so exponentially in such a short amount of time? I had not seen any seal on his person, nothing that would keep such obvious chakra hidden away.
What had he done?
I found my answer as I noticed the absence of another chakra signal, the other thug's pathways startlingly dark. Lifeless. He couldn't have…?
Ichirou's grin widened.
"Oh, so you've seen my little trick, have you?" he said, pausing in his showboating. "Nothing escapes your eyes huh?"
I glared and let the kunai in my hand drop to the ground, Riku snatching it from his spot near me. I lifted my hands, the form of the jūken coming to me automatically.
"Was killing your 'brother' a part of your plan as well?"
A choking sounding emerged from Noburu as Ichirou chuckled, readying himself.
"A necessary sacrifice."
His chakra flickered and I moved; he was fast as he went to strike me but I was faster, dodging and keeping my distance. If whatever technique he had used to steal his brother's life force was done through touch, if that was what he had done, I didn't want him anywhere near me. From a preliminary analysis, I could assume I would be safe for brief physical contact, but I would not risk it.
A crazed grin stretched across his face as he swung, and I dodged one way while Riku moved another, the man focused on me. I brought my hands together and let a string of water bullets shoot from my mouth, deterring his movements briefly. He dodged clumsily, the bullets crashing into the road around us. But it proved to be a critical error as he moved right into Riku's waiting body and the canine struck, slashing at the thug's thigh with his kunai.
Immediately, blood began to pour from his leg but that didn't stop him as he kicked at the dog once again, Riku flipping away just in time.
The way Ichirou moved was desperate, a last-minute effort to turn the tide in his favor. Frantic. And so I didn't think as I flickered towards him, faster than he could blink and entered my stance. The world slowed around me and I lowered my center of gravity. As he rushed towards me, unable to stop his momentum, I attacked.
Two strikes then four.
Four strikes then eight.
The points of light that made up his tenketsu dimmed one after another, like a city in a blackout.
Eight then sixteen.
Sixteen then thirty-two.
Ichirou was sent flying, his chakra pathways effectively cut. The illicit energy faded from him, dissipating as his back hit the ground near Noburu who watched with wide eyes.
I released my breath as Riku returned to my side. Even as the man laid there, unable to move, a breathless chuckle escaped him.
"Ha…ha…I suppose I got ahead of myself…"
"Just what were you after?" I demanded as I approached cautiously, pulling another kunai from my pouch.
The man ignored me from his prone position, looking into the sky with an amused smile on his face.
"Oh man…boss is gonna be super pissed about this," he mumbled to himself. "Although, I guess it wasn't a complete loss..."
Boss? What was he even talking about?
"I guess…I guess there's one thing I can do."
And then there was another shift of chakra.
His tenketsu glowed dimly as it tried to fight the blocks I had made, and though they failed, the man moved again, on his feet in the blink of an eye and heading towards Noburu who stared on in complete shock. My body tensed, Riku barked, and before I could even form a thought, I flickered.
The world blurred around me and I stopped- for barely a second- to put myself between Ichirou and my friend. The only thought that made it through my head was to make him stop.
And then I was moving again.
My byakugan hid nothing. I lifted my kunai as Ichirou swung down, trying to make contact with Noburu, and I watched as my blade slid through his chest, through his ribs, and into his heart. His body was heavy, pitching forward with his momentum and I stepped to the side, letting it fall to the earth.
The silence that rose after he hit the ground was almost painfully loud as the dust settled. I watched his pathways slowly but surely dim until they were completely dark, accompanied by the last twitching of his heart around the kunai embedded into it before going still.
The encounter ending as soon as it began.
He was dead.
Author's Notes
Posted/Edited: November 11th, 2017
I would call this mission a success but... well, you know.
As always, thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites; I really appreciate them all. Especially all your well-wishes for me and my family; I'm really grateful to have such a supportive base on this site.
-And for those asking, there will be romance later on; however, it won't be the main focus and won't appear until our characters get older.
Don't have much to say for now, but I have updated my profile with a sort of progress report for For a Chance at Happiness. So if you want to see how many chapters I've drafted or how far I am in the editing process it'll be there. I'll try to keep it updated regularly, so if you don't see a new chapter for a bit check there.
Though I must say, I'm interested to see your reactions for the next couple of chapters.
Next time on For a Chance at Happiness
Chapter 29: Of Numb Reassurances