Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I profit from this work. I'm merely using it as an exercise to improve my writing and for my own and others enjoyment.
A/N: Here's your first real action packed chapter! Please read, enjoy, and let me know what you think!
Team Rin
Chapter 06
Hello, Kyūbi
Rin was reeling after Naruto explained the searched her memories of the man, how few there were, looking for any indication of Atsuo's duplicity. She had not cared, she realized, having brushed him off as a cowardly chūnin. She ground her teeth together with a growl.
Damn it, she was smarter than that!
"Rin-sensei?" Ayano's unsure voice brought her back to the present. She ran through the scenario in her mind, years of training and habits forming possible solutions. They were betrayed, two hostile ninjas were engaging the only known friendly in Takigakure, and the rest of the population was of unsure loyalty. Coerced or not, Shibuki could no longer be trusted.
Her instincts told her to charge in, rescue the friendly, and get the hell out, but the information had to be brought back to Konoha, and she was the only one with combat experience. Logic left only one viable choice and it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated at the combination of fear and fierce determination that shined from her genins' eyes. Those who abandon friends and allies are less than trash. That's what I learned from Obito. Kakashi's words, spoken so long ago, left an odd combination of anxiousness and excitement in her belly. Visions of her own capture on that disastrous mission flooded her mind, and Rin knew exactlywhat she had to do. This was going to be a lesson her students would never forget.
"Screw logic," she whispered, looking over each of her students in turn. Was this the right call? Would they all survive? What if she could not protect them? Rin let herself panic for half a breath before she pushed the doubt away. There would be time for it later. "If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right." Her tone had the genin at full attention.
"You three will act as support until I say otherwise, clear?" Three sharp nods. "We are going to get into Taki, get Fū, and capture Atsuo. But if something happens and I tell you to retreat without me, you will go. Understood?"
"Yes Sensei!" They chorused.
"Let's go, then." A shadow clone popped into existence in a puff of smoke and wasted no time in sprinting away. Rin fell in step behind, and her students raced behind her. "Naruto?" She called without turning behind her. "What can I expect for terrain?"
"Er, well, we'll be coming out of a lake?" She held back a sigh and grimaced. Both at Naruto's lack of reconnaissance skills and the idea of being surrounded by water. Water techniques were not exactly her area of expertise.
"Anything else?" She prompted. It was yet another thing to work on for her three.
"The village is sort of tucked away under a big, big tree. Shibuki's place is on the far end from the secret entrance, but I didn't really pay attention at the time…" She nodded, sparing a glance behind her to see Naruto's guilt stricken face.
"It's alright," she said to him. "Stay focused on the task at hand." Possible scenarios raced through her mind, but she knew none of them were viable until she saw the village herself.
"We're almost there," the clone shouted. A large rock face loomed ahead of them, with a dazzling waterfall cascading down its smooth surface and into a crystal clear pond. Rin would have appreciated the beauty of the scene under any other circumstance.
The clone sprinted across the water, and Rin had a passing moment of pride when it did not need to break its pace from the transition from ground to water. It rushed through the waterfall without slowing down, and Rin followed, passing through the water into the cavern beyond. They ascended the rocks with chakra enhanced jumps, and arrived at a pool that Naruto said would lead into the village.
"Natsuko?" She asked as they stood around the small body of water painted a deep navy. The brunette squinted her eyes shut, turning her head as if to listen to the village beyond.
"There are three people fighting," she said after a short moment. "A bunch of others are watching from a distance."
"Can you tell how strong they are?" Natsuko focused harder, sweat dripping from her brow, but shook her head in defeat.
"No, sorry Sensei…"
"You did well," Rin assured the girl with a half smile. Natsuko nodded, and the frustration left her face, somewhat.
"Ayano." Rin reached into one of her many utility pockets, searching for a specific vial. The redhead stood at attention, arms rigid at her sides. "You have the best aim with ranged weapons." The girl blushed lightly and Rin grinned when her hand grazed smooth glass. "You are to coat a weapon with this-" She handed the small vial to the girl, who held it in a gentle grasp. "And use it only when you have a clear shot. It is an extremely powerful paralytic-"
"One's coming closer Sensei!" Ayano interrupted, panic edging into her voice. "Fast!" Rin's eyes locked onto the dark pool, hands already moving through familiar seals as the surge of adrenaline flooded her system.
"Tell me when he gets close…" She hissed, focusing on converting her chakra to her native element. Her upper body grew hot as fire chakra built up in her upper tenketsu.
"Now!"
"Katon: Hibashiri!" Her voice echoed as chakra burst through system and a violent surge of fire streamed from her mouth, hitting the surface water and whipping up a cloud of steam. Rin kept tight control of her chakra reserves, using only enough to heat the water to unbearable temperatures.
"He's moving away!" Natsuko declared and Rin grinned behind the flames, cutting off the technique. She crouched by the steaming water, one hand held just above the surface while the other wiped sweat from her brow.
"They were going to pursue us," she informed her genin. "We just lost the element of surprise, but, with any luck, whoever that was is a bit more singed now."
"He's back with the other two now." Natsuko had her eyes squeezed shut, fingers rubbing circles on her temples. "Two of them are ganging up on the third." Her voice trembled and Rin knew the girl was using a lot of her chakra to stay that focused.
"Enough, Natsuko," she gently admonished. "Save some for the fight." The girl gave a wary nod, grey eyes full of apprehension.
"We have to get in there!" Naruto was bouncing from foot to foot, staring at her with desperate eyes. She dipped a hand into the hot water, finding it tolerable.
"Let's go then. Remember what I said." With that, she dove in, ignoring every nerve of her body to get out of the scalding water. Three yelps of surprise or pain, distorted through the water, told her that the three teens had followed her into the blistering depths.
Rin pushed chakra through her feet and hands, barreling through the water at breakneck speeds. The underwater cave she had found herself in soon widened and she was surrounded by nothing but the hazy depths of a lake. Contorting her body, her momentum jetted her through the surface of the water to the sky. She analyzed the scene in a split moment.
Fū was flying above the water, dodging and maneuvering around kunai, shuriken, and water ninjutsu being bombarded at her by Atsuo. A telltale whistle assaulted her ears and Rin drew a kunai and deflected the metal soaring at her vital points with deadly intents. Below her, a man she recognized as one of Shibuki's bodyguards was snarling at her. His skin shone an angry red and Rin grinned as gravity brought her back down. She tossed the kunai and the man dodged backward, toward shore.
She landed in a crouch on the surface of the water, quickly bouncing to the side as her opponent volleyed another round of shuriken toward her. There were three splashes in quick succession that told her the genin had caught up. The enemy eyed them with a grin that turned Rin's stomach.
"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" Three balls of raging orange and yellow jettisoned toward the man. It was a weak technique, meant for little more than distractions, but it forced her opponent closer to the shore.
And away from her students.
"You guys need to go!" Fū's yell sounded across the lake, her movements in the air fluid and graceful. Rin was almost transfixed by the waves of orange chakra that surrounded the girl and formed her insect-like wings.
"Naruto filled us in," she said, focusing on her opponent. He looked happy enough to wait for her to attack. "And we're not in the habit of leaving allies behind!"
"How sweet." Atsuo's voice had taken on a condescending air. "The will of fire is always so heartwarming."He leapt back as Fū took the opportunity to lunge at him. The girl missed, slicing into the water, causing a roaring splash. A soaked Atsuo jumped away from the lake, casting a wary glance at the darkened depths.
He landed next to his partner on the shore, and Fū burst from the water, her aura gone. She landed next to Rin, her breaths heavy.
"I was trying to buy you guys some time to get away," she said, eyes locked on the duo of enemy ninjas.
Rin shrugged. "Thanks for that, but I don't like to leave my people behind."
"I'm not your people," Fū said with a hint of desperation in her voice. She jabbed her Taki hitai-ate in emphasis.
"You are now." Naruto said, giving the green haired girl a hard look. "We're friends, right?" The girl opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out.
"Naruto's right," Natsuko said with a bright smile that belied their situation. Ayano nodded her agreement and Rin swelled in pride for a moment.
"Suiton: Mizu no Shuriken!" A sudden barrage of shuriken formed of water soared at the group, and they scattered. Her genin and Fū ended up further out on the lake while Rin had moved toward shore. "Take care of the jōnin, Satoshi!" Atsuo barked the order to his partner. Rin heard Natsuko's gasp, but could not look back before Satoshi was on her, throwing a punch with a laugh.
Rin bent back at the waist and her opponent's fist glided through open air. She shifted her weight onto her hands and sent a vicious double kick to the man's open gut, cutting off his laughter and sending him flying backwards. She flipped back up and ran after Satoshi, kunai in hand. If she could finish this quickly, the children would not have to hold off Atsuo for long.
Satoshi had landed on his feet, wiping blood from his chin with a sickening grin. Rin grimaced. She hated fighting his type. Her footing shifted from water to land and she brought her kunai to bear, held in a reverse grip. Satoshi drew a short sword and met her kunai mid swing, the cling of metal grinding against metal ringing in her ears.
Rin placed a second hand on her kunai, struggling to gain leverage against the larger weapon. Satoshi grinned, and Rin felt her feet sink into the ground, throwing her off balance. Satoshi's sword flashed away from her kunai, and Rin forced herself to fall backward to avoid the slash. She winced as the steel grazed her cheek, but a cut was better than losing her head.
With feet on either of her sides, Satoshi arced a powerful stab in an overhead swing. Rin caught the blow with the flat of her kunai and glanced at her feet. They had sunken into the earth up to her ankles. She gave a sharp yank and her feet came free, letting her knee Satoshi in the backside. The enemy ninja rolled forward and off of her.
"Pure earth chakra manipulation…" She muttered as she regained her feet. If he could do that with his feet and no hand seals, he would be a tough opponent. Satoshi gave her no more time to think and was on her again, sword and eyes both flashing with deadly intent.
Rin met the attack but kept on the move, intent on not getting stuck in one of Satoshi's earth traps again. Satoshi was hot on her heels and she knew she could not put distance between them with just running. She fended off his sword strikes with her kunai held in her right hand and formed seals with her left. It would not be as effective, but…
"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu." The weak fireball spilled from her mouth, and Satoshi slipped to the right to dodge, cutting the fireballs with his sword if they got too close. Rin was already forming another jutsu, superheated chakra rising in her chest.
"Katon: Gōkyakyū no Jutsu!" A fireball twice the size of her opponent formed in front of Rin, and she wasted no time in sending it hurtling towards the man. It covered the distance between them in seconds and she heard him grunt in surprise. The attack exploded, covering their battlefield in smoke.
Rin stood stock still, listening for any sign of her opponent. Long moments of quiet ticked by, the only noise coming from the distant battle between Atsuo and the genin. Rin's eyes widened when a spike of earth broke through smoke right in front of her and she had to throw herself backwards to avoid the deadly projectile. A second one jetted toward her, and then another, and another.
Rin danced between the barrage of stone and the smoke cleared. Satoshi was standing atop an earthen wall, hands locked in the ram seal. The spikes were forming and launching from the wall, and they seemed to be picking up speed.
"Shit…" She hissed as one of the spikes nicked her arm, and another her leg. She hoped the genin were having better luck than her.
Natsuko lowered herself into a stance, staff held at the ready. Ayano, Naruto, and Fū stood beside her and adopted their own stances. Atsuo was standing a good dozen meters away, an amused smile on his face.
"Four against one? Where's your sense of fair play?" His tone was light, condescending, and he made no move to attack them. Natsuko's gaze slipped behind the man fighting with Rin-sensei and her breath hitched. Ever since Atsuo had called him Satoshi, her head had been spinning. It was only now that she saw how he resembled her parents' assailant's picture in the bingo book. Eyes, hair, build, scars. They all matched, and Natsuko tensed, the prospect of revenge crossing her mind.
"Fū," Ayano whispered, eyes still locked on the waiting Atsuo. "Can you still do the flying jutsu?" Natsuko shook her head, and focused on the opponent in front of her. She would have to trust Rin-sensei to take him out.
"I…" The girl closed her eyes, jaw tightening. Her face tensed for a moment before relaxing. "Yes, I can." Ayano nodded, let out a breath, and glanced to Natsuko. The fire in the redhead's eyes filled Natsuko with confidence.
"Point?" She asked the taller girl. Ayano nodded and Natsuko took a moment to calm herself. She would have to trust Rin-sensei to take care of Satoshi.
Even if he took on both her parents and brother and won.
"Naruto?"
"Leave it to me," Naruto's cheery grin flashed and two clones popped into existence behind him. Fū's crimson aura formed and the girl leapt to the air. Atsuo's hands dropped to his sides, but his expression did not change. Natsuko and the real Naruto shared a glance, nodded, and charged.
Natsuko lashed out with her staff, aiming high. Naruto and his clones went after the man's legs. Atsuo contorted himself in a jump, dodging both attacks and landing clean on the surface. Natsuko brought her staff down, but he caught it with a hastily drawn kunai. They locked for a moment and the clones dove in for a grapple, but again the chūnin jumped clear from their advances.
He was forced to stay on the move as Ayano lobbed shuriken from behind him and Fū corralled him with weapons thrown from above, driving him back toward Naruto and Natsuko. The two unleashed another offensive barrage, but, despite attacks from four different angles, Atsuo was able to keep up and avoid taking a blow.
But his smile had disappeared.
Natsuko was a blur of motion, intent on finishing off this opponent and take on the man who had injured her parents. Still, Atsuo was able to meet each of her blows and fend off Naruto at the same time. Each moment there appeared to be an opening, either Ayano or Fū attacked, but Atsuo still managed to avoid taking a significant hit.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto formed more clones as Natsuko kept Atsuo engaged with the spinning motions of her bōjutsu. From the cheers the clones shouted a moment later, Natsuko estimated that at least a dozen had popped into existence.
Atsuo gave ground to Natsuko's attacks, hands weaving through a series of seals. "Suiton: Suiben!" Water rose up from the lake to Atsuo's hands, forming a gleaming stream. He spun in a circle and the water whipped out, but Natsuko used her staff to launch herselfabove the attack.
Naruto and his clones were not so lucky. A dozen puffs of smoke formed as the whip ripped through the clones and the original was sent flying back, skipping across the surface like a stone. The man held his whip loose in one hand, a taunting grin crossing his features. Natsuko growled and charged again.
Atsuo laughed. "Is this the best you four can come up with? I've faced stronger—" Fū came up from beneath the surface, drilling Atsuo in the chin with a powerful punch. The chūnin was sent flying back, and Natsuko did not waste the opportunity. She leapt above the man and swung her staff down with all her might. The man's eyes widened in pain as the wood made solid contact, and he was sent rocketing beneath the water.
Atsuo was back above the surface in moments, clutching his stomach and wearing a devious grin. "Not bad, not bad!" He complimented, hands already forming new seals. "Let's see how you do with this!" Naruto sent clones after the chūnin, hoping to catch him before he finished his jutsu, but it was too late. Natsuko braced herself for the inevitable impact.
"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" A giant torrent of water rose before Atsuo and rushed at them with blinding speed. Natsuko leapt back, but her ankle was caught in the maelstrom. She was whipped back, her back slamming painfully against the water beneath her. Her breath was cut off as her world became nothing but the surging water around her. Up and down had no meaning and she fought desperately for breath.
When the jutsu ended almost a full minute later, Natsuko gasped in a miraculous lungful of air. She groaned and sat up, coughing and trying to gain her senses. Her redheaded teammate was next to her on her hands and knees, spluttering for breath.
Naruto and Fū had somehow avoided the raging waves.
Ayano grasped a handful of shuriken and ran back out onto the water, rejoining the fight as Atsuo drove Naruto and Fū back. Natsuko was about to rush back in, but hesitated when she heard her Sensei's battle cry. She looked between the two fights, indecision freezing time for a single breath. Her sense of duty played against the desire for revenge in her mind, and she was frozen in indecision. At that moment, Rin-sensei delivered a savage punch to Satoshi's jaw, and Natsuko knew which fight she wanted to join.
"Doton: Nebari no Numa…" She whispered, hands contorting through clumsy seals. She slammed her hand into the ground as Satoshi dodged another of her sensei's attacks, and he landed in her swamp.
"What the?!" The man looked at his feet with wide, desperate eyes. Rin-sensei wasted no time in pouncing on the man, and delivered a powerful elbow to his chin, launching him out of the sticky mud. The jōnin sensei sent a glare her way, but Natsuko ignored it and took up position beside the older woman. This man had hurt her parents, and she would make sure that he ended up the same.
"Fūton: Daitoppa!" Naruto shouted in desperation. Atsuo, who had gotten inside of his guard with a kunai aiming for his heart, was sent flying backwards. Naruto'sbreaths came in quick bursts as he retreated alongside Fū and Ayano. He shivered as he got close, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Fū's chakra cloak was still going strong and while it let the girl fly, which was awesome, it put Naruto on edge. Ayano, on his other side, was sweating bullets and her face was screwed up in concentration. Naruto frowned, knowing his teammate had lower stamina.
"I will kill you!" Atsuo shouted as he recovered. Naruto used the moment to look for his other teammate. Natsuko had joined Rin-sensei against the other shinobi and Naruto felt a small spark of annoyance. Rin-sensei could handle herself, but they would probably need her help.
"Not today!" Ayano yelled back at the man, a fiery look in her green eyes as she threw a kunai aimed to kill. Naruto was off like a jet as soon as the metal flew, and followed up the projectile with a vicious kick, but Atsuo was already on the move. He jumped over Naruto's kick and below Fū's follow up dive. He landed on his hands and flipped back to his feet, hands moving through a series of seals. Naruto cursed under his breath and skidded to a halt as Atsuo raised his hands.
"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" Atsuo shouted, and again a torrent of raging water rose and shot at Naruto and his fellow were too close to escape it this time; and Naruto braced for impact.
Naruto grunted as the rushing tide struck him in the chest, and his next breath was met with nothing but water. Instinctual panic flooded his mind as he fought against the jutsu's current with all his might. He pushed chakra through his hands and feet and forced himself into a spread eagle position. Naruto halted against the torrent and climbed toward daylight, the jutsu battering him all the way.
His head broke the surface as the technique ended he took a grateful gasp of air. A quick check of his surroundings showed him that Fū had avoided the attack again, and was engaging Atsuo in hand to hand combat. Naruto felt a surge of glee as Atsuo winced every time he blocked one of her blows. That cloak was more than just for flight, then.
"Naruto…" The blonde's attention snapped to his teammate's weak voice. Ayano was floating on her back, barely keeping above the surface. Her eyes were half lidded, her clothes were in tatters, and she looked like one giant bruise. Naruto was at her side at once, lifting her out of the water.
"Are you alright?" He asked in a panic. He looked toward Rin-sensei, knowing she would be able to heal the girl, but the woman was engaging the enemy jōnin while defending Natsuko at the same time.
"Not…not really." Ayano coughed and winced. "Get me to shore? I can rest for a moment and be back in the fight." Her voice was getting weaker, but Naruto did as she said and raced across the surface of the lake. When he reached shore he cast an unenthusiastic look toward the village in the distance, but it seemed deserted. They would not get any help from there today.
"Go help Fū," she ordered him, forcing herself to sit up, clutching at her side. She dug through her pouch with her free hand. "I just need a minute and I'll be back out there." Naruto was doubtful, but held his tongue. With a quick salute, he turned and raced back out onto the lake and toward the battling shinobi.
Just as he reached them, Fū landed a knee and cross punch combo that had the chūnin spiraling backward. The genin girl stood, arm still extended from the punch, with a small smirk gracing her features. Her breathing was labored, but otherwise looked fine. Naruto was impressed with her stamina.
"Impressive." Atsuo rubbed his swollen lip and spat out a glob of blood. He sported an angry purple bruise on his cheek, and his hands were red like they had been burned. "But I'm tired of playing games." He shot them a feral grin. "I've been gifted with powers far beyond those of a normal shinobi!"
Atsuo's eyes closed as his hands formed a seal Naruto had never seen before. A deep purple chakra started to glow around his upper arm and began to spread. Naruto flexed his fists and danced on the balls of his feet, a deep sense of unease settling in the pit of his stomach. Whatever that chakra was, it was much worse than the feeling Fū's chakra cloak gave him. He glanced to his ally, finding her looking just as off put as he felt.
He held up a kunai with an eyebrow raised in question. Fū nodded and reached for her own threw a wave of kunai at the chūnin, knowing Fū would do the same, and jumped after them, forming his first jutsu he had ever mastered. Atsuo jumped to the air, eyes snapping open, and he avoided the barrage. Naruto was quick to follow, a dozen clones forming at his back.
As they leveled off in the air, Naruto saw the effects of Atsuo's jutsu. Small black circles had spread across Atsuo's face, disappearing beneath the man's clothes. His eyes were wide and filled with aeuphoric glee that was matched by the man's wicked smile. Atsuo made a single seal and a new water whip sprung to life in his hands. It lashed out before Naruto could react. His clones were destroyed in the sweep, and the solid Naruto was sent rocketing backwards.
"Got you." A pair of hands wrapped under Naruto's arms, snatching him from the air. Fū's chakra cloak was hot against his back as they sank back down to the lake. He muttered his thanks, blushing as he was pressed against some uncomfortable places.
Atsuo was already slamming his hands against the water when they made it back to the surface. A vortex of water formed at the man's side, roaring in the wind as the water spun at high speeds. Atsuo grin widened and he pointed at them. The drilling vortex burst into motion, flying at the two of them. Naruto jumped away from Fū and they ran in opposite directions, but the torrent split into two.
He had to keep up an intense pace to keep in front of the jutsu, pushing chakra through his feet the entire time. He made the hand seal, and two clones popped into existence behind him. They turned to try to stop the water drill, but Naruto almost doubled over a second later when their memories assaulted him. They had been run straight through by the attack and the phantom pain echoed in Naruto's chest.
So if nothing could physically stop the jutsu, then what? Naruto wracked his brain for a solution. Atsuo was roaring with laughter as his arms guided the drills and Naruto shivered. Whatever technique gave the man the black marks made him crazy. An idea popped into Naruto's head and he switched direction, sprinting straight at the laughing chūnin.
Naruto's heart sped up in anticipation as he got closer and closer to the man without being noticed. Just a few more meters...
"Think you're clever, do you?" His hopes were dashed as Atsuo locked eyes with him.
"Hiden: Rinpungakure no Jutsu!" Fū yelled, and the world became nothing but blinding white light. Naruto heard someone scream, but was preoccupied clutching at his eyes and falling through the surface, concentrating only on his burning eyes. Desperate, he forced his eyes open in the water, and almost groaned in relief at the soothing coolness.
A hand broke into the water and yanked him up by his arm. Naruto lashed out as soon as he passed through into the air, catching the person off guard with a kick to the gut. He flipped away and landed, glaring at whoever it was with blurry vision.
"Naruto, I'm sorry," Fū said, her voice quiet. Naruto blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision, but the girl was just a green, white, and red blur. "There was no way I could warn you, and I got Atsuo too." She sounded sincere and Naruto dropped his guard and dunked his head beneath the water again. When he came up his vision had cleared, and then he paled at what he saw.
Fū was clutching at her left side, where her white shirt had gone red. The girl grimaced and sank to her knees, her chakra cloak disappearing. Naruto ran to her side, but was unsure about what to do.
"That was a dirty trick!" Atsuo's angry roar followed a splash and the chūnin walked toward them with murder in his eyes. "That will not work on me again." Naruto sent a score of clones to buy them some time.
"What can I do?" Naruto asked, eyes focused on the blood seeping from her wound. Fū pulled her hand away, but blood oozed out at a quicker pace and she slammed the hand back to it. Naruto reached into his pouch for his roll of bandages even as memory after memory flowed into his head for every clone Atsuo killed.
"Lift your shirt," Naruto told her. He sent another wave of clones at their enemy, knowing it was only a stopgap. Fū obeyed, pulling her ruined shirt above the wound. "It doesn't look too bad," he told her, starting to wrap the bandage around her stomach.
"I think it only grazed me," she said, and winced when the bindings crossed the wound.
"Sorry," Naruto said, avoiding eye contact as his hands trailed against the girl's soft skin while he wrapped her.
"Clones won't be enough!" Naruto clutched his head as every clone was popped at once. Grimacing, he forced himself to make more. "They can't even get past my whip!" Atsuo's voice was full of irritation, and Naruto had a spark of inspiration.
"Fū, can you Henge?" He asked as he taped the bandage closed. Fū moved her left arm in a full circle with only a small grimace.
"Yeah, I think so," the girl replied, and Naruto grinned.
Atsuo was trying to force his annoyance away and failing. Clone after clone lunged at him, all shouting their high pitched battle cry, and each one fell with a sharp snap of his water whip. He ground his teeth and spun in a tight circle, forcing the whip to the greatest length he could manage. Every clone disappeared in a puff of smoke as the whip tore through them.
He turned to where the original and the girl were, and found nothing but a large wall of smoke rising from the lake. His eyes narrowed, and his chakra enhanced vision could make out over a dozen shadows standing in the smoke. Atsuo growled, and his upper right arm burned as he drew more chakra from Lord Orochimaru's mark. The boy never learned, but Atsuo was done playing.
The smoke cleared, and a dozen clones were standing at attention. Behind them, the real Naruto was glaring at him, holding the Taki girl bridal style. The way her body was limp meant that she was either unconscious or dead. Atsuo grinned, his bloodlust roaring for more.
"Come on!" He taunted the boy, whose face contorted in anger. Naruto shouted something and the clones charged at Atsuo. This time they were silent as they ran to their doom, and Atsuo was endlessly grateful for that. He raised his whip, gave it a taunting twirl and waited for them to be in range. As soon as they were close enough he spun, and the whip sliced through them like a knife through butter.
Except for one.
Atsuo's eyes widened when the last Naruto took the whip with nothing more than a wince as the water wrapped around him. Before the chūnin could react, the boy had taken a deep breath, and Atsuo realized he had been had.
"Hiden: Rinpungakure no Jutsu!" In the brief second before Atsuo slammed his eyes shut, Naruto flickered and was replaced by Fū. Despite his closed eyes, his eyes began to burn for the second time that day. He released control of the chakra in his feet, but something hit him in the small of the back before he could sink beneath the water, and he was sent forward.
Before he could hope to recover, a pair of hands caught him, spun, and threw him back in the other direction. Instead of hitting water, three boots impacted his back, and sent him flying into the air. Atsuo forced his eyes open, but between the rushing air and his tears, he could only make out a blonde blur and green blur flying past him. He contorted in the air, finding that two more blurs had appeared, caught the first two, and had thrown them back toward Atsuo. The chūnin tried to form a jutsu, but it was too late.
"Fūzumaki Rendan!" Naruto and Fū shouted, and Atsuo coughed in pain as the genin drilled him in the chest with a pair of powerful kicks. His ribs protested under the pressure, and he was sent barreling down to the water. Atsuo forced himself to flip over in midair, facing the lake. If he landed right, then he could recover from this and kill the annoying bastards.
"Fūton: Daitoppa!" Atsuo had a half second to panic before the barreling winds slammed into him. He speed doubled and he hit the surface with the distinct audible cracks of breaking bones.
Atsuo felt nothing but his master's power receding back to the seal as he lost consciousness.
Ayano sat and stared at the small red pill in her hand. She had recovered somewhat from Atsuo's attack, but was still exhausted. The soldier pill would replenish her chakra and give her a burst of energy, but not without consequences afterwards. She looked between the two fights with a frown. Rin-sensei was keeping her enemy on the ropes with a strong combination of fire ninjutsu and taijutsu, with Natsuko attacking any opening she saw.
On the other side, Naruto and Fū were running for their lives from gigantic water drills, and Ayano reacted. She tossed the pill into her mouth and chomped on it. The effects were immediate, and she felt her chakra system flood with renewed vigor. She ran onto the lake, intent on flanking Atsuo.
But then Natsuko screamed.
Of their own will, her feet switched direction, and she raced toward her teammate. Even from this distance, Ayano could see the ring of earth that encased Natsuko's left forearm, and her stomach churned at just how wrong the angle of the limb looked.
Sensei was already attacking the enemy again, and the earthen ring disintegrated. Natsuko sank to her knees, clutching her broken arm to her chest, and Ayano was there within moments. She placed a gentle hand on her teammate's shoulder, but the girl recoiled at the touch.
"Calm down," Ayano said in as calm a tone as she could muster. Natsuko relaxed at the familiar voice. Ayano glanced back at the battling ninja, and caught Rin-sensei's eye while she grappled with the man. The woman jerked her head, then focused back on her opponent. The message was clear. "C'mon," she said, putting Natsuko's good arm over her shoulder. "We've got to move."
They jumped a dozen meters away from the fighting shinobi, and Ayano gingerly set her teammate on the ground. She studied the broken arm, swallowing her unease. Halfway down the forearm, Natsuko's limb bent at an impossible angle. Ayano could see the tips of the broken bone pushing against her skin.
"I'm going to have to set it," Ayano said, hating how unsure she sounded. "I think it's a clean break."
"You think?" Natsuko asked, incredulous. Ayano bit back a retort, knowing the pain had to be intense. Still, Ayano was hesitant. They had only learned basic first aid at the Academy, and Rin-sensei's scrolls were filled with nothing but the extreme basics of medical jutsu. But she was sure she could do this.
Almost.
"Just trust me. Rin-sensei can make sure it's fixed later, but it has to be taken care of now." Mollified, Natsuko extended her arm just enough for Ayano to get a grip on it. She held either side of the break, and stared into Natsuko's worry-filled grey eyes. "On the count of three?" Natsuko nodded. "One…" In one swift motion, Ayano had straightened her teammate's arm. To the girl's credit, Natsuko only let out a quiet yell, and Ayano could barely see the tears.
"What the hell?" Natsuko practically hissed, her eyes jammed shut. Ayano ignored the complaint and stared splinting and wrapping the girl's arm, with the supplies from her standard kit. As soon as she taped it off, Natsuko cradled her arm close to her chest. Ayano stood.
"I'm going to go help Rin-sensei, try not to move the arm." She turned, but Natsuko grabbed her hand with her good arm.
"Be careful." Natsuko implored her. Once again Ayano locked eyes with her teammate. "He's Satoshi. The one who hurt my family." A moment passed and an understanding passed between them. Ayano gave a sharp nod and left to the fight.
Rin-sensei was being driven back as spike after spike of rock rose from the ground, following her wherever she went. The enemy held his hands out, guiding the attack toward her sensei. Sensei managed to dodge most of them, but Ayano could see the cuts, scrapes and bruises from where the attack had hit.
She palmed a kunai, snuck up behind the man, and leapt on his back. She hacked and slashed with her kunai, and while his flak vest took the brunt of the attacks, Ayano knew she had to be doing some damage.
The man broke his jutsu as soon as he felt her weight, grabbed her arm, and flipped her over his shoulder. She landed hard on her back with a pained grunt, and the man stalked toward her, drawing a sword. Ayano scrambled to her feet, but Sensei beat her to the punch.
The jōnin leapt in, kicked the man's wrist, sending the sword flying. Sensei landed, carrying the momentum of her jump into a spinning kick that caught the man in the chest, and had him stumbling backwards. Sensei regained her feet, hands flying through seals.
"Katon: Gōkyakyū no Jutsu!" A great fireball spewed from Sensei's mouth, and, with no time to dodge, her enemy crossed his arms in the vain attempt to block. The rotten stench of burning flesh made Ayano gag as the enemy was sent flying toward the lake. Sensei turned to her, and Ayano felt fear for a moment before the woman smiled her usual gentle smile.
"Good job on the distraction," was all she said.
"No problem!" Ayano said, blushing at the praise.
"Oye! Sensei!" The two of them turned, and Ayano felt immense relief to see her other teammate healthy as well. The blonde was trailed by Natsuko, still cradling her arm, and Fū, who kept a hand clutched to her side. Behind them , a trio of clones was carrying a motionless Atsuo.
"Is he…?" Ayano trailed off.
"Unconscious," Fū said. A moment of silence passed, and Ayano was not sure what to feel or how to act. What was the protocol after a battle?
"I'm proud of you four," Sensei began, but was interrupted by a loud splash. All five of them snapped their attention to the shore, where Satoshi stood, a snarl twisting his features burned features. His clothes above the waist had been burned away, leaving only charred flesh behind. His arms hung at his sides, useless, and his eyes were wide and crazed. Ayano recoiled from the gruesome sight.
"I will not be killed that easily!" He shouted, voice cracking. "Orochimaru-sama has given me powers beyond that of a normal man!" The man began to tremble, and a deep purple chakra began to form around him. Ayano heard Natsuko gasp behind her and could only wonder what that chakra must have felt like.
The man's eyes closed in concentration. "I will kill you all slo—" The man's eyes snapped open , and he stared, wide-eyed, at the three kunai sticking out of his chest. And like someone flipped a light switch, the burned man collapsed to the ground.
"If you ever have an ability that requires charging," Sensei said, lowering her arm. "Always do it where an enemy does not have a clear shot." Despite her nonchalant tone, Rin-sensei wore a deep frown. Ayano wondered if ninja ever got used to killing.
"What now, Sensei?" Natsuko asked, voice small. Ayano felt a pang of sympathy at just how relieved her teammate sounded.
"Now," Rin-sensei said, giving the genin her full attention. "We talk to Shibuki, and bring the traitor back to Konoha. Any idea where he might be, Fū?"
The Taki genin nodded. "He's probably hidi—"
"Sensei, look out!" Naruto's sharp warning came just in time as Sensei cocked her head to the side, and a kunai only grazed her neck instead of embedding itself in the back of her head. Ayano, though, focused on the impossible sight on the shore.
Satoshi stood, an aura of dark purple chakra surrounding him, and he had changed. Gone were the burns, and instead Satoshi's skin had become green-grey and leathery. His hair had gone chalk-white and his eyes golden-yellow with slit pupils, but worst of all was his grin. Two rows of long, sharp teeth gleamed in the sunlight, a thick, forked tongue flicking in and out between them.
He was a monster.
"What the hell are you?" Rin-sensei took a step forward, but stumbled. Satoshi's grin grew wider and Ayano felt pure unadulterated fear as Rin-sensei fell to her knees. Her eyes clouded over, and she reached a trembling hand up to her neck. It came away bloody. "Poison…" Sensei whispered, then pitched forward, unconscious. Time did not move for an eternity and an instant.
"No…" Ayano heard herself whisper, tears stinging at her eyes. Sensei had to be fine. She would get up any second. "No…" Her voice grew louder, but still Sensei did not move. "No. No. No." Her focus shifted to the man responsible, and she felt a fire burn in her belly that she had never experienced before. "No!" She leapt to her feet, and Satoshi grinned. She screamed an incoherent battle cry and ran at the demon. He had hurt her Rin-sensei. And he would die.
Behind her, Naruto roared.
A/N: And there's chapter 6! Action scenes are always something I'm working to improve, so let me know if they flowed well and were exciting, or if they fell flat. Either way, the feedback is much appreciated!
I tried to give everyone a bit of time in the limelight, but some may have shined brighter than others. I especially focused on trying to make the villains not seem generic in their skill sets. I feel like I managed it with Atsuo, but Satoshi will need next chapter to get fleshed out.
Anyway, I really enjoyed writing these scenes, and hope I didn't scare you off with my less than stellar action sequences! Please let me know!
(P.S: I will be attempting to do NaNoWriMo again this year, but will be focusing on original fiction for it. I'll probably need a break from it at some point during the month and bang out chapter 7, but don't get worried if you don't see an update through November.)
(P.P.S: Some more people questioned the pairing, and have said they don't want to get too attached just in case they hate who I have Naruto with. For the record, it is still down to a choice between two, but I am leaning heavily in favor of one. After the next chapter or two, I will have written enough to know where the story wants me to go, so expect your question to be answered in the A/N of Chapter 7 or 8)
Justu List (Ordered by appearance):
Katon: Hibashiri (Fire Release: Running Fire)
B-rank - Offensive - Ninjutsu
User creates a stream of fire that's form and instensity can be changed by the user mid-technique.
Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire)
C-rank – Offensive - Ninjutsu
User creates a small volley of fireballs, controlled by chakra, and launches them at their opponent. Not an overly-strong technique, but it is used to force space between the user and their opponent.
Suiton: Muzo no Shuriken (Water Release: Water Shuriken)
D-rank - Offensive - Ninjutsu
User uses water elemental chakra to form water shaped in the form of a shuriken and hurls it at the opponent.
Katon: Gōkyakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu)
C-Rank - Offensive - Ninjutsu
User converts their chakra to fire and releases it from their mouth as a large burning orb capable of burning through anything in its path.
Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique)
A-rank - Offensive - Ninjutsu
User must be near a body of water. Creates a surge of water several meters high and sends it as a surge toward an enemy, resembling a waterfall. Can last as long as the user maintains concentration.
Doton: Nebari no Numa (Earth Release: Sticky Swamp)
C-Rank – Ninjutsu – Supplementary
User funnels their chakra in the ground around them, turning the land into a boggy swamp that will immobilize opponents. A sufficiently strong opponent can break away from the clinging earth.
Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)
C-Rank – Ninjutsu – Mid/Long Range
User creates a large, powerful gust of wind capable of leveling anything in its path.
Hiden: Rinpungakure no Jutsu (Secret Technique: Hiding in Scale Powder)
B-Rank - Supplementary - Ninjutsu
Fu uses her biju's chakra to form a luminescent powder, and ejects it out of her lungs. The powder reflects and intensifies any and all light as well as gets into the eyes of the opponent, blinding them for a short time.
(Do you guys like the Jutsu list, or is it unnecessary and take up too much space?)