Shinobi Leaves: What Lies Beneath

Ami Inuzuka isn't quite sure how she feels about her first Genin team. Her fellow Jounin make it seem easy, but dealing with three twelve-year-olds fresh from the Academy is driving her crazy! One of her students is color blind, another one uses hand puppets to communicate and the third is deathly afraid of dogs, including Ami's pet, Ryu. After a close call with the children, Ami's feeling the pressure of past mistakes. Ready to give up, she gives the kids one last, simple mission. Unbeknownst to the Inuzuka, there's someone out there who desperately wants to get their hands on one of her kids. And they're willing to do anything. Will Team 6 manage to pull themselves together in time to prevent disaster? Find out in the first of the Shinobi Leaves series, What Lies Beneath, updating every Tuesday and Thursday!

Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence and Sexually-Themed Humor)
Pairings: Vary

Shinobi Leaves, Characters © wolfram18, angeloflight123
Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Prologue

2

The first scream rose and fell like the howling of a wolf.

The squad leader had made the first kill of the night in a wooden house of a woman being kept as a slave by one of the Killjoy's cronies. In the blink of an eye the village was alive with violence and fear. Torches had been lit and men were rushing to light all the lanterns around the houses. Ami slipped into one and came face-to-face with a young boy attempting to lead his younger siblings out. Their mother lay lifeless in the far corner.

Before he could say anything, Ami put a finger to her lips and then touched the ANBU sign on her bicep. He seemed to understand or knew that Killjoy didn't employ women because he turned to hush his little brother and sisters, all under the age of seven. Ryu dove into the small living room and paced. Quickly, Ami loaded the two smallest children onto his back.

"Hold tight", she told them. The girls nodded. Ami turned to the two boys. "Stay close to me." She stepped through the doorway and into a blazing inferno.

Someone had dropped a torch onto the dry underbrush and the village had gone up in a flash. Ami turned and picked up the smaller boy before sprinting through the chaos, careful to keep step with the oldest boy. Ryu dashed ahead of them, aware of the safe zone for dropping rescued citizens beyond the trees. Once within a safe distance, Ami set the boy down and told his older brother to continue forward. She signaled the scout in the trees and headed back to the village. Ryu was quick to join her.

"Ami!" Kakashi Hatake, the squad leader, shouted to get her attention. He jumped from the roof of a hut and rolled out of the fall. A Killjoy follower leapt after him. Ami quickly pulled her staff out and stepped in front of Kakashi as the silver-haired shinobi got to his feet. One swipe of her Tsume no Ookami opened the man's soft belly and when he fell to the ground, he didn't get back up. "I could have handled that," Kakashi told her.

"Don't deny me my blood bath," she slipped her bladed staff back into its straps with a grin. Kakashi let her comment slip.

"There are children in the longhouse. It seems that's where the majority of them were being kept. Get them out of here." He ordered her. She nodded and was gone. Since her childhood crush on Kakashi, he had always held a special spot in her heart. Seeing him in good health had been uplifting, now if only she could spot Tenzō and Kai. There was no door on the longhouse to break down. At least thirteen children were huddled in one corner and they screamed when she and Ryu entered.

"Hush! You're fine. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to save you." She tried to calm them down. Tears poured down their cheeks as they grasped each other tightly. The oldest girl, around twelve years old stepped forward, a baby in her arms and a toddler hugging her leg tightly.

"Are you from Konohagakure?" She asked bravely.

"Yes. Yes I am." Ami lifted her mask and smiled. The girl smiled back softly before turning to the other children.

"She's going to save us. You better listen to her." She told them. Their crying dwindled to sniffling. Ami surveyed the group. There were at least four babies, six toddlers, two younger than ten and then the girl. How did she pick who she would take first? She wanted to take them all, but knew it was more dangerous that way. She slipped her mask back on, shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She would get them all out, no matter what it took.

"Come here," she pointed to two of the older toddlers. She loaded them onto Ryu and told them to hang on tight. They didn't have a problem with that. Their tiny hands were wound tight in his fur, knuckles white. Ami untied his bandana and threw it over her neck and under one arm. "Hand me the baby," she told the oldest girl. There was no hesitation.

Ami slipped the baby carefully into the makeshift sling and then knelt for another toddler to climb onto her back. She turned back to the group.

"I'll be right back for you." She told them and made for the door. The older girl stopped her.

"I want to go with you. I can carry two of them too." She insisted. Ami shook her head.

"I need you to stay here and keep them safe. They'd panic without you." Ami rubbed the girl's arm softly. "Okay?"

"But," the girl began to argue.

"Don't leave us!" One of the children came forward to tug on Ami's pants. She pushed his hand away softly.

"I'll come back for you all. I won't leave you here." Ami told them; then to the girl, "They need you." This time she didn't argue. Ami went out the door. Ryu followed closely as they wound their way through the flames.

"Bastard, I'll take you all with me!" Someone suddenly roared to their left. Ami whirled. A large man charged them, an ax swinging wildly.

"Ryu, go!" Ami commanded. The wolf knew better than to disobey or hesitate. Ami pulled Tsume no Ookami from her back and turned to run. She could at least try to distance herself from the crazed man. He gained distance on her within seconds and lifted his ax to strike. Tree roots suddenly erupted from the earth and coiled around him, stopping him in mid-step. The force behind his blow diminished and Ami was able to block the blade with her staff without hurting either of the children she carried.

"Ami!" Tenzō yelled from behind the man who was slowly being encased by living wood. "Are you alright?"

"Thank you, Tenzō!" She shouted back before taking off. She didn't have time to stop and chat with her lover. She needed to save the children that had given her their trust. When she got close to the drop zone, she was happy to see the number of rescued had tripled. She handed off the baby to a village woman and was gone. Ryu waited for her impatiently in the line of trees that separated the village from the field.

"Let's go, Ryu!" She tore passed him. He caught up to her easily, braving the flames to accompany his lifelong partner in another exhilarating rescue.