The familiar trees and greens of their beloved home grew scarce, leading to more and more fir trees. The temperature began to drop as they carried on their mission, making good time. As the light began to fade, they began to set up camp, near a cluster of trees; most likely the last that they would see until their return journey. Sayuri sat with her back to a tree, watching the surrounding area as the rest of the team set up camp, and prepared food.
Koichi and Wolf sat quietly across from the small fire they had made for food and warmth, watching Tamiko prepare a stew from some rabbits they had caught. It smelled delicious, and even Sayuri was distracted from her task of keeping watch. She sighed, "Hell, its not like we are gunna get attacked way up here, right?" she smiled and came closer to the fire, focused on the food that was being handed out. "Besides, Wolf would here someone coming up on us right?"
Koichi nodded and smiled, patting Wolf on the head, sharing a silent word with his companion. "Yes she said she would listen, but she advises that we do not completely relax, even in times of peace."
"Oh shut up and eat." Tamiko trusted a bowl of stew into his hands and stuck her tongue out. "Besides, who else would come up this far north? I think we are fine." And they tucked in, eating the stew and setting up a watch rotation. As the light of the fire died, and warmth faded, snow began to fall lightly powdering the ground.
Sayuri watched the flakes fall, her shift nearing an end, and they would begin the trek again, into the depths of the northern ice; past the trees and shrubs, into the ice and snow of the frozen north, where a girl had been living alone for nearly two years now. Sayuri shivered. She had seen the picture of the north, and couldn't imagine being alone up there for even a week let alone two years. She stood chasing these thoughts from her mind; it was time to wake the others.
With a light touched Tamiko was up, and Koichi roused with Tamiko's yawn. Together they backed their bedrolls and prepared a light breakfast. After eating they doused the fire and erased the evidence of their passing. Koichi and Wolf took the lead and started out, and Sayuri watched the rear, just in case they were being followed. Tamiko remained in the center, agitated by her insects. They were not happy with the change of temperature, but they stayed within her.
For hours they traveled as the land become whiter with snow and ice, and they stopped to adorn warmer clothing, supplied by the Aburame Clan, whose love for large coats was very useful on this mission. Once changed and after a quick mid day meal they continued on. As the hours passed and the sun began to set and the darkness crept across the snow, Sayuri noticed movement behind.
She had thought she saw it before, but now she was positive. She activated her Byakugan, and without turning focused behind her and noticed a larger person following a ways behind, trying to stay low to the ground with the lack of cover in the open as they were. Deactivating her bloodline, she caught up to Tamiko and tapped her on the shoulder twice, meaning that they were being followed and it was unknown whether or not it was a hostile.
Tamiko nodded and sent out a few reluctant insects to get a better read on the unknown. When the insects returned she learned that the target was a Chunin level chakra source, and was focusing solely on stealth and Intel gathering. Still an unknown in her book, and she slowly shook her head. Sayuri noticed, and decided that they would wait for camp to decide on what to do with this unknown. A trickle of excitement tingled her spine, You had better pray that your on our side.
Akahito was having a very hard time keeping up with the Genin Team, and not for a lack of skill or speed, but rather the absolute lack of cover. Adorned in white furs that blended well with the snow, he ran in a crouch, low to the ground, and full out running at night when he risked being spotted by only one of the children.
But of late he had fallen behind, following them by foot prints left in the snow, that were quickly filling with snow as it continued to fall from the sky. And something bothered him greatly; one set of footprints were always considerably fresher then the others, and finally he figured it out.
They were being followed by someone stepping within one of the Genin's own footsteps, but he or she slipped and made a step that was not completely on. He hoped that they would learn that they were being tracked. Someone was after the Genin, and he was not sure whether they would be able to handle who ever was following them
He pumped some chakra into his legs, increasing his speed in an effort to get closer to the group incase his help was needed. He would not fail his Village and these kids. Konoha would lose no Shinobi on this day.
She sat in the bottom of the hidden chamber under the ice. She could hear the whimpers of her companion from above. "No stay there I'll find a way out!"
No you wont; you'll just die here. You're pathetic.
She shrugged and untied her blindfold, and allowed her eyes to adjust to the new amount of light. She was in a chamber that looked half man-made and half natural. The far side seemed to have been carved out; the ice smoothed into walls and had a few carved out areas that seemed to be beds. There was a body frozen in the ice. She shuddered and peered closely at the human within, and she couldn't tell anything other than it was an adult and was frozen with a lot of blankets on and laying down.
She crushed the feeling of unease within and looked around. There appeared to be carved out handholds going halfway up the wall; obviously where the last occupant had tried to escape the tomb of ice. She looked around for some tools to complete the handholds so she could escape.
"To bad I never learned to wall walk…" she shrugged. "Oh well." She went back to the whole where she fell through. "Satomi, I thank you for your companionship, but I release you from you bonds! Go home! And thank you I shall be able to escape."
"Yes mistress, and remember, once you have the chakra, you may call upon us again. Good luck, and please do not die."
And Satomi was gone, and she was alone again. Well almost alone.
That was dumb.
"Shut it you!" she sat on the floor, crossing her legs and drawing her cloak about her thin shoulders. "Well, I think a fire is in order and I'll need to think of a way out of here." She opened her pouch, pulling out some tinder, and placed it in a neat pile on the floor. She stood and searched the rest of the cave, placing all her findings in a pile near the tinder.
She found some more sticks, frozen to the ground that took her much time wrest free from the ground's icy grasp. It would be enough for one night of burning. So she started the fire, and rummaged through the rest of her findings and found a few tools that were worn down and seemed to be just pieces of metal and rock, probably something resembling a knife back in the day, worn down from use.
"Well now I have tools to get out of here with, so lets get out of here." Her stomach rumbled with hunger. "Ung…and I'm going to need some food soon, and I have not hunted today." She frowned, staring into the dancing flames before her. I wonder how Mother is. I hope to see her again. I don't remember her, but her pictures are beautiful. She sighed and drew her cloak closer around her, fighting off the chill.
She looked into her reflection within the ice, staring at her blue, sapphire eyes, and her black hair. In the right light she new there were hints of a dark purple within it, similar to her mother's. Although she had picture upon picture of her mother, there were very few of her father. And all of them were blurry. He seemed to be in continuously in motion. The one image he was standing still in, she could clearly see his crystal eyes and warm smile.
She wished she could meet him, but from the letters her mother left with her, she knew that he was dead, and that she would learn of his legend when she reached Konohagakure.
You do look like them, and he was a great ninja, I will give him that. The deep voice seemed to loose some of its menace at the mention of her father, maybe even having a little respect. You had better live up to his legend girl, I will expect nothing less. That thrice damned bastard!! The voice escalated to a roar and she smiled.
"My dear old man, he must have really pissed you off." She laughed hearing the racket he caused within her head. "Ah Kyuubi, you're such a child." And she laughed at his renewed anger.
"We cannot determine whether or not its hostile; its been keeping its distance, but it is circling the camp."
"Sayuri, can you see it now? Is there anything we know about?" Koichi asked as he listened carefully for footsteps while unrolling his bedroll.
"Byakugan!" her veins bulged and she stood still seeking her target. "Yes, to the southwest, it has stopped circling." Tamiko spoke up at this point.
"What ever it is, the colony tells me it is a Chunin level chakra source. Other then that we are in the dark; I cannot even tell the gender." Koichi nodded, and looked to Wolf, who nodded and trotted off into the night, silent and deadly.
"Well then I say it is time to trap him or her, and find out why we are being tracked." Flexing his arms, he stood and stretched. Sayuri smiled and Tamiko flat out grinned.
"Yes lets find out!"
Finally they are going to sleep, now is my time to get a better look. He spit on the ground. Konoha Nin! They may have won that war, but the time for peace has come to an end. Iwa will be the top again! The Shinobi stood, and crept forward, as quietly as he could. The glow of the embers lit the faces of two Kunoichi, and the other body was turned away from the flame.
"Fools." He muttered under his breath, drawing a kunai. Wait! Where is the animal!? To his horror, he realized the trap to late. A blur slammed into his side, crushing some of his ribs and knocking the wind out of his lungs. He twisted as he fell, out from under the weight of the wolf, but realized his leg would no longer support his weight.
Sayuri smiled, as she leapt with her teammates. She had slashed his hamstring as he fell over her, and that would take him down a peg or three. "Now!" she smirked as the Iwa Shinobi, for she could now see his Hiatai, looked at her for her outburst. Tamiko's colony launched out and covered the distraught Nin, and proceeded to feed on his chakra.
Koichi walked up behind and hit him on the back of the head with the butt end of a kunai, knocking him unconscious. They tied him up, gagged him and brought life back to their pitiful fire. Sayuri, bringing out some smelling salts, walked before the enemy; bringing him back to the land of the living.
His eyes fluttered open, and he realized immediately that he was bound and his injuries were tended to, or at least wrapped. He could feel the pressure on his leg. "You fools! Children who have gotten lucky, you should have finished me off when you had the chance!" he cackled.
"If you tell us why you are following us, well may let you live." Sayuri said, twirling a Kunai around her index finger.
"HA! FOOLS! DIE!!" to late they realized their mistake; they had not checked him for additional weapons. Explosive tags glowed and then blew them to hell. Heated chunks of flesh scattered, and Wolf howled of rage and sorrow.
"NO!" Akahito rushed forward as soon as he saw the explosion. No, no, no!! I cannot fail my village! I cannot fail the children! He neared and saw Sayuri crumbled in a ball, steaming and burned badly, Koichi was crawling slowly across the ice, one arm hanging limply at his side. And Tamiko was struggling to push herself off the ground, beating at her flaming coat.
Realizing they were all alive, or at least two where, and that no one else had seen him, he booked it out of there; Please let Sayuri be alive. He immediately made a letter to the Hokage to let her know what had happened. He summoned one of the hawks, and attached the letter to its leg. He watched it fly off with a heavy heart. I should have been faster. I will not fail again!
Sayuri could not focus. There was an odd ringing in her ears, and she hurt. God she hurt! She felt warm and cold at the same time. She felt her blood seeping slowly out of her cuts and the heat of a flame on her arm. And everything else was cold, very cold.
She tried to get her legs under her, but they did not respond correctly. She needed to fight it, she needed to stand. The cold was biting and heal was burning. She could hear a far away yelling, like she was underwater.
Koichi was shouting almost into her ear, and yet she didn't respond. Struggling up he pushed Wolf out of his face and rolled the smoking girl over, beating out the flames on the ruins of her jacket. "Sayuri! Can you hear me?!" He started violently when Tamiko fell to her knees next to him. She removed her coat and draped it over their small team mate.
Koichi looked at her, and she seemed to better off then anyone else, standing farthest from the blast. Tamiko placed a hand on her ribs, wincing, and struggled up to find their packs, seeking medical supplied and clothing that was not in smoldering ruins. Koichi managed to get a mumble from Sayuri and felt tears slide down his face in joy. His friend would make it.
"Koichi, if you keep yelling my name into my ear, I'm gunna punch you in the nuts." She mumbled, opening one eye, "Is Tamiko?"
"I'm here, we made it. But lets never make that mistake ever again, okay? Oh and leave the coat on, you're a little exposed on the account of your clothes getting burned off, and some of your skin." Sayuri winced, and looked down at her chest, and wished she hadn't. It hurt worse now that she knew what it looked like.
Wolf came over, and licked their faces, whining and crying. "Yes, yes we are fine now, or as fine as can be all things considering." Koichi smiled and his companions. "Come on, we need to get around, I suggest we move on. Someone is after us, and we don't know why, but they are hostile. Let's find an easier place to defend and rest." Slowly he stood and gathered what could be salvaged.
Tamiko supported Sayuri, and they hobbled over to Koichi in order to help gather and bandage wounds. "Let's go."
"Aha! Finally got out!"
'bout fuckin' time you tart!
"Awe…you're so sweet!" she breathed heavily and wiped sweat from her brow. "Now, onward!" she poked around with her staff and continued south, the blizzard like winds and snow dying down. A full moon, lightened the snow and made the sky seem to black and endless.
Who are you talking too? WHY MUST YOU THINK OUTLOUD!!
She chuckled and she carried on, her bloodied hands healing with a heated sizzle. She dropped the tools back into the whole, "For the next person I guess. Thanks for healin' the hands!" and she carried on.
Here I come Mother, I'm coming home! She smiled and she pumped chakra into her legs, rushing across the sea of snow and ice.
A/N Yup, chapter two, Oh yeah, I Don't Own Naruto! Though all the characters that are mine, are well, mine! :D Enjoy and sorry for errors again.