Chapter Fifteen: Into Oto
Disclaimer: Silly rabbit! Naruto is for Mashashi Kishimoto.
Tsurara motioned for the cell to move forward. Ryuu and Hebi flickered ahead of her while Sakura and Sasuke crossed over, leaping to one one tree while using the other for cover. Peering from behind the trunk, Hebi gave the all-clear and the movements were repeated. They had to be careful--they were in the heart of Lightning, a village that had held contempt for them since before the first shinobi war. If they were caught, it would be labeled an 'invasion' and they would retaliated against Konoha.
"We're close, better to go on foot from here." Tsurara whispered.
Nodding, Ryuu gave another cue to Sakura.
Glancing back, Sakura leapt from the tree--landing lightly, she reached for a kunai, ready to deflect any weaponry that happened to come her way. Scanning for bombs, trip lines, and traps, she gave the all-clear.
As the ANBU took up their positions beside and around her, there was a faint rustle in the foliage.
The sound of shuriken tearing through greenary...
Flicking a senbon, Hebi deflected the star from Sakura and proceeded to toss another handful right back at the offending group. Tsurara jumped as another malstreom torn at her, somersaulting over the first line before coming to a graceful landing that allowed her to use the flat side of her katana as a makeshift guard. Beside her, Ryuu was launching his own weaponry into the trees and surrouding brush.
"Sakura!" Sasuke cried, a senbon entering his periphearal vision.
Sakura turned. Realizing it was too close to deflect, she threw her arms over her head. A moment later she was pushed aside as Hebi shoved her down while simultaneously parrying the needle and the ones that followed behind it.
"Thanks." Sakura whispered as she pulled herself up.
Sasuke--quickly growing irritated with the hidden opponents--pulled his katana and began to build up the chakra necessary to release the Chidori.
"Sasuke! Don't!" Sakura cried.
Instantly, he realized what they were doing: By shifting and throwing weaponry with seemingly haphazardness, they were keeping the enemy from pinpointing their location. The light of his Chidori would have betrayed them instantly.
And then, as quickly as it had begun, Ryuu and Tsurara had destroyed the opposition.
"Let's get going." Hebi suggested as he jumped back into the trees.
Nodding, his comrades followed after him.
"There it is." Tsurara said as she motioned to a massive patch of disturbed earth.
"I'll go right," Ryuu began, "Hebi scout out the perimeter. Sasuke go around. Sakura, Tsurara, left front."
Dispatching wordlessly, the took up their positions beside the subterranean complex.
"Remember," he added, "This is a recon only."
Sakura kept a kunai clutched tightly in her hand as she followed after Tsurara. Across the forest expanse, she could see Sasuke--as planned, Ryuu would infilitrate the base while Sasuke covered his escape. Hebi was in charge of early alert and they were to cover the back-up exits.
But is something were to go wrong, they would likely have to withdraw and regroup without Hebi and Ryuu--a potentially fatal situation.
"Sakura, relax. It'll be alright." Tsurara spoke so suddenly Sakura jumped, "Lower you chakra levels."
Sakura blushed with shame, having forgotten herself and losing control of her carefully erected barrier.
"It happens to the best of us." Tsurara assured her.
"Than..."
Sakura was cut of as the ANBU grabbed her and spun her away from a senbon. Withdrawing her katana, Tsurara drew Sakura close, laying the blade laterally across her chest with the blade pointed at their enemy.
"How touching..." Kabuto began as he slid his glassed up the bridge of his nose.
"Alpha-beta formation on my command." Tsurara whispered,
Sakura didn't nod, but she did tense in preparation for the complicated formation. She knew Sasuke had already withdrawn to the trees to wait for his oppurtunity to strike. Now, they just had to coordinate their movements.
"Now!"
Sakura ducked as Tsurara flung her katana at Kabuto like a fuuma shuriken. Charging in behind the blade, Sakura forced chakra into her hand and legns.
Dropping his shoulder, Kabuto evaded the sword as he pulled past Sakura's chakra blade.
Spinning, Sakura brought her leg around, catching his near the cheek hard enough to tear the skin. He retaliated with an equally hard blow to her left thigh.
"Sakura!"
Kabuto jumped away from Hebi as he brought his sword down over his head. Twisting, Kabuto drilled his foot into the ANBU's head.
"Die!" Ryuu cried as he came up behind the nin'i.
Kabuto ducked, losing several inches of hair before slicing the man's heart wide open with his chakra scapel.
"Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!" Tsurara cried as she propelled herself to a higher vantage point while simultaneously releasing a grip of stars.
But this time it wasn't Kabuto that stopped them...
At the last possible moment, another figure had thrown itself in front of him...
And successfully executed a Rotation that sent them right back at Tsurara.
TBC