Busy Period over, so i'll start writing faster and get more posted. Comments and reviews are always welcome.
Back to the Leaf Shinobi's Perspective.
"Hinata, look for two people not one." Shikamaru looked up from the note. "There's two confirmed now." He stood up and closed his eyes whilst putting his hands together out of habit. He had the impression that there was one man causing the killings, would a second make a difference? What if it was something new? Something old? Shikamaru thought but nothing was fitting to place for him. Nothing to tell him who was this killer.
"N-Naruto, could you lend me some of your chakra? I might be able to see further." Hinata spoke quietly, she couldn't see anyone separated and she could see the closest hamlet which had too many people to be their target. Naruto snapped out of his trance. The blonde had been lost in his anger as another victim had been found and no one to answer to these crimes. However, he smiled, approached Hinata and offered her his hand. She blushed but took a hold of it and could feel the warmth of Naruto's chakra flowing within her and this made her focus sharpen and her fatigue fade.
Sakura blushed when she sneaked a glance over at the two ninja as she checked over the cadaver. She had begun to miss Sasuke once again after he left on a journey of self-reflection over a year ago. The growing couple in front of her made Sakura yearn for Sasuke to return for her. Lord knows shes waited long enough.
"There I think I see them, thirteen kilometres away." Hinata confirmed up the road and away from Iwagakure. Naruto grinned as he helped her and with a parting squeeze on each other's hands they turned to Shikamaru to see what he has to say.
"Could you see if they were depleted of chakra?" Shikamaru thought outloud
"N-no I can't tell and details from this distance but one was leaning against the other."
"One was injured, that's our target. Alright, we don't engage first of foremost" He glared directly at Naruto where he knew how he felt about the killings. Naruto squeezed his fists tighter at the thought of being so close to him, and he was injured, so he could make them pay. "We have to assume his partner is equally as dangerous so we must tread lightly, keep a distance and Sakura with myself will approach as close as possible to see if we can find out more about their plans. Naruto and Hinata keep your distance and analyse their chakra as best as you can. Any questions?" The three teammates shook their heads, Shikamaru's plan was simple but it would mean they had more information to present to the Tsuchikage.
The four shinobi began to rush from branch to branch. They kept at a speed which allowed for minimum noise so they covered thirteen kilometres slower than they had been doing so all day. The Summer's evening sky shone in pale oranges and blue above them as the mountainous temperatures began to drop causing their breaths to smoke out of their mouths as they gracefully leaped from tree to tree.
They stopped well out of hearing range and immediately Sakura and Shikimaru left to slowly approach the pair up ahead. Leaving Naruto and Hinata in their hiding spot up a tree.
"Are we in range to get a good view of him Hinata?"
"Yes, this should be fine." Hinata smiled she had been spending the past two years getting used to Naruto being near-by, mostly with the help of her friends but lately it's becoming second nature to her. She then looked down the road and whispered "Byakugan."
"What can you see?"
"The injured one… that can't be right?"
"What did you see?" Hinata looked intensely for a few moments making sure she was seeing correctly. When Hinata gazed at the chakra network and she noticed on his left hand his chakra was slowly dripping out and fizzing on the ground. It was like his chakra network had somehow been slit open on his fingers to allow a steady flow to escape his body.
"By the looks of it he was injured on his right shoulder… but his left hand, I can see his chakra dripping as if he was bleeding chakra." Hinata spoke confused. "Only that can't be right, when a chakra pathway is damaged no chakra flows."
"So his left hand is injured?" Naruto managed to follow and picture what Hinata was seeing.
"In a way but nothing like I've seen, though I wonder if anyone has heard of it?"
A Soft growl from within Naruto spoke out "Would it help if I told you he feels cold? If Naruto would switch to Kyubi-mode, he would feel it too." Kurama spoke from within so Hinata could hear. Kurama and Hinata had become comfortable enough to speak to each other, but only when no one else was present. He wouldn't admit to liking the girl, but Naruto's thoughts and feelings have spread their influence to the Beast's own mind. Naruto was still pretty clueless over her desire to be even closer. If her recent attempts were to show anything, it would have been Hinata wishing to become intimate to Naruto. Needless to say he became entertained as the two were too shy to make a solid move. So why stop the fun by tell Naruto about Hinata's true feelings? His other reason, again never to be admitted, was he was impressed with the girl. Her kekkei genkai, her ability to become stronger (He lost the self imposed bet that she would be long since dead) In addition, and probably the most important reason for Kurama, was Hinata was the second human to accept him fully. When she had the opportunity to speak with Kurama, she spoke truthfully and without fear.
Naruto concentrated for a moment and the glowing orange façade glowed as he switched his chakra to use Kyubi. He felt the glow of emotions from everyone around him, Hinata revealed an aura of love and admiration. Sakura and Shikamaru showed anxiety and frustration, Sakura fearing more than Shikamaru. The uninjured partner was showing extreme fear, the kind of fear where you were expecting the whole world to collapse in on itself. Naruto looked towards their target, he saw what Kurama had meant. There was an aura of cold, as if his presence cooled the area around him physically.
"He looks like an ANBU with your chakra Kurama." Naruto spoke so Hinata understood.
"Thinking about his leaking chakra, Hinata, the only thing I can think of is if some jitsu is forcing his chakra nodes on his finger open. But I am not sure how or why. Might explain it though." Kurama spoke in a low tone so only the pair of ninja could possibly hear him.
Before they could continue to think, Hinata noticed the pair of killers stop and the injured one slumps to a nearby tree stump.
"Something is happening." She whispered and the three of them watched whilst ready to defend Sakura and Shikamaru.
Meanwhile on the ground.
The two stalking shinobi snuck in the undergrowth. Their professional silence made sure that even with highly acute hearing they were nigh on impossible to hear. They managed to get close enough to hear the conversation going on between them. The two figures were both cloaked and facing away with the injured man leaning heavily on his partner.
"I- I need to rest, I've lost too much blood, help me, get."
"I got you, here just sit." Spoke a female voice, Sakura and Shikamaru both looked at each other. They had noticed the injured one still had the kunai deeply embedded just below the collar bone and his clothes were entirely stained red by now.
"I can seal the wound, could you tell me that jitsu I saw you use once? Please, I can do it."
"Ignus." He breathed heavily from exhaustion from the combination of the battle last night, the duel earlier and the wound sapping energy with the blood loss. "Calor." He slowly showed the second hand sign. "Quo." His fingers on his left hand slowed a weak yellow before fading out. The young girl proceeded to copy him and her fingers appeared to catch fire into a bright blue flame. The leaf shinobi watched as she hesitated before gripping onto the kunai blade with her free hand and readying her burning hand to the wound.
"I'm so sorry." The woman spoke softly.
The two peeking shinobi ducked so they didn't see the kunai being pulled out followed immediately by the noise of a loud hiss of boiling blood and flesh as she cauterised the wound. The roar of pure pain would have shaken even the most battle-hardened warriors. Needless to say, the leaf ninja had seen enough and decided to fall back and regroup. As Sakura left she swore she could hear the woman crying to herself for causing such pain to her partner.
The four regrouped and Shikamaru immediately ordered. "We should go and report in, talk about what we found on the way. I doubt those two are in any shape to do anything tonight." He had half expected for Naruto to want to take advantage of this but by the looks of it he had something to say. "Did you find out anything with your Byakugan?" Shikamaru queried.
"Yes, He has erm. To be honest I didn't look at what I was supposed to be looking for." She frowned at failing but maybe if she thought hard enough she could remember more about the pairs' chakra. "Did you see any wounds on his left arm?"
"No, he had it mostly covered why?" Sakura quickly replied as they jumped through the trees.
"His left hand was leaking chakra, I never seen anything like it." Hinata spoke up so the whole group could hear.
"I think I read about chakra pathways leaking in one book once, it happens briefly when a pathway is cut but quickly seals up again." Sakura added, her medical knowledge becoming evident. As the four ninja began to climb up towards the mountain pass.
"Mno, this looked like he was bleeding chakra." Hinata responded.
"Hmph, I think we have enough for one day. We know he has a range of unique jitsu. He is a close ranged fighter and takes speed over stealth. I believe the relationship between the two is a student and teacher one." This made Shikamaru frown, "Which suggests he is willing to teach others and improve his effectiveness, worst case, a group like the Akatsuki." He looked around to make sure everyone was following him. "We know he is injured so we have time, I'm thinking tomorrow we go and find that page he is after. Might be the final clue we need to explain who and why he is attacking Iwagakure." Shikamaru felt more relaxed now he had more information about their target. He even had a 'next step' which should put them ahead of their enemies for once.
Much of the team were exhausted as night fell. They had to report in to the Tsuchikage before they could find sleep in their hotel. Naruto was the only one who wasn't yawning throughout the report. Afterwards, as they entered the Inn, Hinata slumped against Naruto. Sakura smirked as she was sure Hinata did that on purpose. The blonde boy picked her up and carried her to bed; leaving the other two to smile at Hinata's shameless attempt to get closer to Naruto. Hinata was miraculously awake enough to sneak a kiss on Naruto's cheek as he lowered her to the bed. Grinning as he quickly stole a kiss and left the Hyuga heir to her sleep. Sakura was right, Hinata thought, I wonder who is worse. She gave a small squeak in happiness before wriggling into a comfortable position. She was almost there with Naruto she thought as sleep took over her body.