Shadows
Chapter 3
Evening fell over the village as five ANBU members perched themselves on the roof. All five stared down at the Hokage. The leader, who wore a bird mask, jumped down and pulled it off. Ino Yamanaka smiled at the scowling Hokage.
"You let him leave," Ino's words were cold as her features turned to a glare.
"I had no choice, with war on our heels, they think were hiding our strategists away," Stated Tsunade as Ino began to circle the Hokage.
"War on our heels and you're playing baby sitter to a genius, doesn't it get tiring trying to run his life, Just lock him away. You should have done away with her then, we'd have no problem then," Ino began to get louder and louder as she came to stand just behind Tsunade.
Tsunade turned to look at the woman and crossed her arms. Her hands gripped tight as she spoke.
"You wanted it, you got it. She's gone but you've been erased from the village reports. Have you not been paying attention Yamanaka?" Ino simply shrugged her shoulders and walked back to her group.
"So are we on retrieval?" She asked Matter of factly.
"Not yet, if he runs, then retrieve. But watch out Kakashi and Kiba are with him. I gave them a two day lead so as not to be spotted." Ino glared down at Tsunade and then looked past her.
"Trackers Haru, you'll be up," One of the other birds nodded and each one jumped up and away. Ino looked back at the Hokage.
"The hunt for her is still on, if I find her. I will kill her this time," Said Ino as she backed away and jumped up and away.
Tsunade let her arms fall.
'I looked it over once, twice, by the time she left I had looked at that paper a million times. Ino could you really do the dirty work?' She thought as she moved to look over the railing.
"Sure you can kill the girl, but can you kill the child as well?" She asked allowed.
"If it means Ebisu's wiped out, I'll kill woman and children," Ino's voice rang out and a shiver ran down her spine, she turned to where Ino once stood but no one was there.
Shizu ran from tree to tree. Hiding behind each trunk, she'd peek out and dash to the next one. Looking down at the ground she scanned quickly then run to the next tree. From somewhere in the forest a twig snapped and she pressed herself flat against the trunk. She looked up again, but saw no one around. Two, three and six trees later, Shizu ran under a bush causing her hair tie to catch and fall off. She looked at the tie but then kept going. Skidding to a halt under a fur tree, Shizu stopped stunned.
A man stood in the forest with a deer before him. He was petting and whispering to the skittish creature. Shizu moved from the tree fascinated by the creature. As she moved closer and closer the man lay a hand on its head then moved up to pet it between the antlers.
As Shizu took her next step it landed on a branch and snapped. The deer's ears flicked and nostrils flared. It bolted from the man and disappeared into the forest. Shizu moved quick and sprinted for the deer.
"Stop!" The man shouted as he moved to scoop her up. Shizu reached out, trying to kick her way out of his arms.
"Stop look," he whispered in her ear. He pointed to the place the deer had darted and Shizu's eyes followed. There sat a female deer and her baby. The deer from earlier stood behind them protecting his family. The man put Shizu down slowly and raised his hands in surrender.
"We mean no harm, I'm deer folk. We will leave you now, we bare no ill tidings to you," He let a hand drop and moved to take Shizu's. They both backed away slowly till they no longer stood in the clearing.
"That was close," Said the man letting go of Shizu. The small girl looked up at him. He seemed tired and not of her village. He wore a green vest and black under shirt and pants. His hair was done up in a high spiked pony tail.
"I'm Shikamaru, is your family close by?" He asked looking at her. His eyes widened slightly as his black meet her red ones. He squatted down to her height and looked her over. Her black hair was down to her shoulders. Shizu moved around Shikamaru and tugged at his hair tie.
"Hey, knock it off!" He shouted turning away from her. He stood back up and Shizu just pointed at him, she pulled her hair all together and put it just like him. Letting go she pointed up at him again.
"Shikamaru!" Kakashi's voice rang though the forest. Shizu looked to the forest, smiled up at Shikamaru and darted back the direction she'd come.
"What a drag…Kakashi over here!" Shikamaru jumped up into the trees and spotted his team mates, more like he spotted Akamaru out of all the haze in the air.
"Come on we will be late," Shikamaru joined the group and they proceeded in the direction Shizu had darted.
Shizu watched as all four men and big white dog passed over head.
"…Maru…" She whispered as she looked around spotting a fox walking toward her. Hitta yipped at Shizu and the little girl smiled, the fox turned and ran, Shizu laughing as she followed.
~The Mizukage~
Mei Terumi watched as Shikamaru looked over a stack of maps
and lists of Ninjas. Everything was detailed down to jutsu's, height and weight. She looked up to Kakashi and Neji who stood on either side of the door keeping an eye on all routes into the room. Kiba sat propped up against Akamaru next to the window.
"Are you sure your strategist was on your side?" Asked Shikamaru as he scribbled out a lot of notes and crossed out camps on the map. Kakashi moved forward and looked at the map. The camps and movements of the Akatsuki were all off. Shikamaru looked up at the Mizukage and then rubbed at
his eyes.
"Are you sure he was killed by enemies?" Asked Kakashi as Shikamaru stood up and stretched. He moved to the window and opened it up, pulled out a cigarette and lit up. Ever since she'd left he'd picked up smoking more often. Taking a long drag he looked over the village. It was hazy
all around. Cylinder like buildings surrounds the Mizukage's fortress. The whole village was lined by mountainsides and only four paths in and out. The forest surrounded the mountains on the outside, and then ocean. Three bridges to get on to the main land. Everything covered by jutsu's.
Shikamaru turned to the Mizukage, her eyes stared down as she laid her hands on the table before her. She was shocked, he couldn't blame her. There was more to the story. He put out his cigarette and moved to the Mizukage.
"Who killed him?"
"We did. He was… He was giving away our points of attack and every ninja in the area. I had no other choice." Said the Mizukage as she looked to the shadow Nin.
"With war on the horizon, this was not something we had time to deal with. There's another group out there, there looking for something. Maybe even someone, they were in the village directory." Kakashi stepped forward and scanned the list of names.
"Let's end this here, we will come back tomorrow and look over the rest of the files. For now, lock down the village," He watched as she clenched her fists and glared at the ninja.
"Something is here, still here."
Akamaru stood up quick and moved to the window. Neji and Kiba followed close behind as the canine pair began to sniff the air.
"Byakugan!"
"I can't tell how many." Said Kiba as he moved to stand on the window ceil.
"There blocking us," Said Neji as he squinted harder.
"Flowers….leather….fir trees." Kiba sniffed more and Akumaru barked.
Hitta jumped at Shizu, the little girl laughed as she lunged out of the way. Shizu saw her mother come around the building and bolted to her making Hitta follow. She collided with her mother and all three tumbled to the ground. Yae laughed as she tickled her daughter and kissed at her nose.
"MARU!" Shouted Shizu as she scrambled out of her mother's arms and after Hitta again, Yae's fingers froze and she watched her daughter play. Shizu looked to her mother and her face fell, Yae was pale with wide eyes, she sat frozen with tears in her eyes. Hitta yipped as Yae's world began to grow black.