Hibiki led the rest of the group through the streets, keeping as silent as possible when villagers would pass. A few who knew Hibiki stopped him to talk, but they quickly moved on. Hibiki started to feel uneasy and decided to take the back roads around. There was a few times they were stopped due to suspicioucion, but they were able to make it away alive and good.
Finally they arrived to a big black building with two fountains in the front. It was the only building that had no snow on the front lawn, but it was filled with green grass. Hibiki smirked an walked forward onto the lawn, down the pathway leadnig to the house. As the rest followed, and they were all on the pathway, the entire village's snow suddenly disappeared and it was if it suddenly had turned summer.
"Awesome, I hate snow." Kazuko laughed.
"I kind of miss the snow." Satomi shrugged.
"Is that a good sign, or a bad one, Hibiki?" Yama asked.
"Well, I don't think they're relationship will started off with a hit." Hibiki shrugged.
Minako giggled.
Kazuko blushed as he caught on. "Would you guys stop already?"
"Actually, I would say it's a good thing since I too am not that fond of snow! But on a serious note, this is the building. Amino is in here." Hibiki stated.
Yama nodded. "And Reina too no doubt." His body tensed.
"Possibly." Hibiki shrugged.
"Don't attack, right, Hibiki?" Minako asked, grinning up at him.
"I said he doesn't attack the first time. Knowing him, as soon as he see's us, it'll be a full out battle." Hibiki murmured. "So be prepared for anything and don't let your guard down."
Minako looked down and frowned. "Th-Then, you guys should stay behind me. If I start fighting, I wont be able to tell enemy from ally."
"Or ally from love?" Hibiki frowned.
Minako clenched her jaw. "Unfortunately."
"I guess you haen't realized that all the other tmie you've slipped, you haven't really hurt me." Hibiki whispered and kissed the top of Minako's forehead.
Minako looked up at him. "I did the other night." She said, her voice hardly auidble.
"You may have hurt my flesh, but nothing more. I won't allow you to do anything else." Hibiki whispered.
Minako wrapped her arms around him. "I know. And that's why you're the only person I trust."
Hibiki smiled and led everyone into the building. They walked down the carpetted hallway an around the corner, opening a door that led down a set of stairs. "Welcome to the wonderful house of the Fernu clan." Hibiki said sarcastically.
Yama's eyes glanced around. "That's where we are?"
Hibiki nodded. "Wonderful isn't it? They're one of the wealthiest in this village."
Yama growled. 'So then she will be here...'
"Yama?" Keiko whispered and grabbed his wrist.
He looked down at her and smiled gently. "Yes?"
"Are you alright?" Keiko asked with concern.
His eyes looked back ahead. "Yes. I am fine." He said, his voice darker than normal.
"No, you're not." Keiko said lamely.
Yama sighed, ignoring her comment.
"Yaaaaaamaaaaaaaa." Keiko whined.
"What?" He asked simply.
Keiko frowned. "Hasn't your parents ever taught you that communication is key?"
Yama laughed. "No parents, remember?"
"When we were- oh just tell me what's wrong!" Keiko said.
"If Reina shows up, I'm killing her, for what she did to you." He answered, not looking at Keiko as his voice darkened again.
"Hehe. Okay!" Keiko said with a big grin.
Yama looked down and raised an eyebrow at Keiko. "Why are you grinning like that at me?"
"'Cause you care!" She smiled and laughed.
Yama wrapped his arm around Keiko's waist, pulling her to his side. "I've always cared."
"But you're actually showing it." She laughed.
He bent down and kissed her cheek. "I'll do it more, if it makes you frown at me less." He laughed.
"Please, do." Keiko sighed.
Hibiki led the way down to the basement and motioned around. "The wonderful basement where all us kids battled it out each and everyday." Hibiki laughed quietly.
Minako laughed. "What fun."
"At least I know the Fernu's and their abilities. Now that other girl, Yua, I have never met her. I have no clue what her clan is. Although, you can't judge her abilities only because of the way she dresses. She may look like a joker, but she could be extremely strong; I don't know."
"What an interesting way of putting it." Reina's voice echoed.
Yama tensed and pushed Keiko behind him protectively.
"Come on, Reina. We're not even close to him yet. Couldn't you just let us at least be near him before you attack? I'm feeling really lazy." Hibiki sighed.
Reina appreared on top of a vine. "That is where I, Reina, prove the brilliant Hibiki, wrong." Slowly another vine came forward and Amino was being binded, with another smaller vine covering his mouth.
"Thank you." Hibiki smiled. "Hokage-sama will be thrilled that this took a lot less time."
Reina laughed. "She would be, if you were actually able to return alive."
"I didn't know that we were going to return dead." Hibiki cocked his head.
Reina's eyes narrowed. "Smartass." She murmured.
"You know, I get that a lot." Hibiki laughed.
Reina nodded. "Not shocking." She sighed. "So, this battle gonna start or what? Kureji, Yua?" Her head turned to look behind her.
No answer. Meanwhile, Kureji and Yua hide behind the corner, snickering quietly while trying to make Reina look like a fool.
Reina rolled her eyes. "Idiots! I know you're there!"
Yua placed her finger over her lips as the both of them tried not to laugh.
Reina pouted. "I hate my family..."
"Seems like your plan backfired." Yama hissed.
Reina's eyes drifted to him. "Possibly, or possibly not."
"Stop going in circles." Minako mumbled.
"You should kill her, Yama." Keiko egged.
Yama nodded. "I agree."
"Kill me? That cannot be done." Reina smirked.
"Why not?" Yama growled up at her.
Reina laughed in an eerie way. "'Cause you're weak."
"I'd be fighting alongside him." Keiko stepped out from behind Yama. "And if you dare touch him, I'll kill you!"
Reina laughed. "If you fought with him, I'd just hurt you so he panicks. It's simple really."
"Yeah, okay! If you think that. I doubt you could at any time defeat me!" Keiko scoffed.
Reina smiled. "Wanna really test that against me?"
Yama stepped in front of Keiko. "You'll have to go through me first."
"Easy." She hissed.
Before Yama could process what was happening, Reina lifted a vine and covered it in spikes. She thrusted her hand forward in Yama's direction, the vine following her actions, stabbed his chest. The vine retracted and Yama fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Heh, see, easy." Reina laughed.
Keiko narrowed her eyes and ran towards Reina, pulling her kunai from her pouch.
Kazuko's eyes widened. "Keiko, no! You can't use Taijutsu!"
Reina smirked as she thrusted her hand forwards again, this time toward Keiko.
Keiko dodged and swung herself up on the vine, running along the vine towards Reina. "Die!" She yelled, tears flowing from her eyes.
"I'd rather not!" Reina yelled.
She jumped up an over Keiko, landing behind her. A vine grew from her hand and wrapped around Keiko.
"You're from the Nanami clan- last survior acually, aren't you?" She laughed.
"Yes, I supose I won the challenge." Keiko smirked.
Reina laughed. "I have no more need for Amino."
Amino was suddenly dropped to the ground, coughing as he tried to breathe again. Reina narrowed her eyes on Keiko, while yelling, "Kureji, Yua, we're takign this girl now. She is valuable, trust me. Uncle will want her."
"You're not going anywhere with Keiko!" Kazuko screamed.
Reina laughed. "I disagree."
"And as do I!" Keiko said and struggled against the vine.
Minako shook her head below. "Give her back, Reina!"
Reina laughed. "The monster is caring for someone as immature as Keiko? Funny."
Yama, who had appeared dead, slowly sat up. His eyes looked around to take in what he had missed and widened when he saw Keiko. "N-No!" He gasped.
"Y-Yama!" Keiko coughed.
Reina laughed. "See yeah!" She called, retreating from the area.
"No, Keiko!" Kazuko yelled.
Minako grabbed his shoulder. "Stop, you wont catch her."
Hibiki placed his hand on Minako's shoulder. "And neither can you."
Minako shook her head. "I'm the fastest, you know I can." She told Hibiki, realeasing Kazuko's shoulder.
"I know that. But it isn't safe to go alone and none of us could catch up." Hibiki replied.
Minako lowered her head. "We need to go after her."
Kazuko walked over to Satomi who was looking after Amino. "He needs to get back to the village."
Yama coughed a bit as he pulled himself to his feet. "Satomi, Kazuko... go with Amino back to the village... w-we need to go after Keiko, please Hibiki, Minako." He begged weakly, gripping his bleeding chest.
"Yama-sensai, you're too hurt to go with them to retrieve her!" Kazuko fought.
"Kazuko and Satomi wouldn't know how to get back to the villages' exit." Hibiki murmured. "And you need to heal first."
"Can't you show them out?" Yama asked weakly.
Minako sniffed the air. "Reina took off in the direction we came. Doesn't that mean we'd need to go that way anyway?"
"Partly, depends exactly where she's headed," Hibiki stated.
"Reina wore a rock village headband, doesn't that mean that she would go there?" Kazuko asked.
"If that's where she's headed." Hibiki stated once again.
"I'm not going to let Reina get away with Keiko!" Yama yelled, as loudly as he could, almost falling over.
Minako ran to catch him. "Calm down, Yama." She whispered awkwardly.
"I need to heal Yama quickly before we head to the villages' exit. By the time we reach the exit, he should be alright from being healed." Hibiki said and moved Minako away before pulling Yama's clothes away from the wound to heal it.
Yama winced as he felt the wound slowly close. Kazuko and Satomi helped Amino to his feet and walked over to the others. Minako watched closely at Hibiki before looking around.
"How are you Amino?" Hibiki asked.
"I'm fine." He responded. "I'm sorry you lost a team member because of me."
"No, don't be. We'll get her back safe and sound." Hibiki said matter-of-factly.
Amino nodded. "If you can save me in this confusing village, I'm sure you can get her back."
"We will, we have to." Yama stated sternly.
Hibiki nodded firmly. "We will. Reina won't get away with this."
Kazuko lowered his head as he clenched his fists.
Minako frowned at the two men. She didn't really know what it was like to lose someone, but she figured if she lost Hibiki, she would be devistated. She walked over to him and grabbed his sleeve tightly.
"Hm?" Hibiki turned to look at Minako.
Minako just shook her head and gave a weak smile.
Once Hibiki had finished healing Yama's wound they began to head out of the village undetected. Once they passed through the two tall tree's that they first entered through, the snowy darkness turned into the regular forest. "Kazuko and Satomi, you head back to the village with Amino. You three should be safe. The rest of us are going to head to retrieve Keiko. Report to the Hokage immediately once you get back to Konoha."
Kazuko nodded. "Bring her back, Yama."
Yama nodded. "I will, don't worry."
"Just get Amino back as fast as you can." Hibiki murmured.
Kazuko nodded. He grabbed Satomi's hand and gestured for Amino to follow as they ran off.
Satomi blushed lightly, picking up her speed so that Kazuko wasn't dragging her along.
"So I guess we will start to head towards the Rock village."
Minako nodded nervously. "This isn't going to end well... I can feel it." She murmured.
"We'll get Keiko back safe and sound." Hibiki said with determination. "I refuse to let Reina do anything to Keiko."
Yama nodded. "Can we please just go now?"
"You're going to pay for this!" Keiko's muffled voice came from behind the vine covering her mouth.
"That's what they all say." Reina said with a sigh. "I wont pay for anything."
"Can I please speak without this thing covering me?" Keiko asked annoyed.
Reina flicked her wrist and the vine moved from her mouth. "If you become too annoying, it's going back on."
"What are you going to do to me?" Keiko asked.
"Not sure. First I have to run home. Then make the annoying trip backwards to just before the leaf village to my Uncle's hideout. He is the one who will decide your fate. Also, I still have to find my stupid cousin and his bi-polar girlfriend." She sighed.
"So you're going to leave me here?" Keiko asked, raising an eyebrow.
She laughed. "Is that what you got from that? No. You're coming with me the whole time, but if needed, I will harm you."
"Yeah...okay." Keiko scoffed.
Reina laughed. "Now shh, you're starting to give me a headache."
"Alright, who cares?" Keiko laughed. "SO WHAT?" She screamed.
Reina flicked her wrist and a vine moved around Keiko's mouth, tighter than before. "Quiet."
Keiko bit into the vine and glared at Reina.
"To the Rock village we go." Reina smiled.