AN: I posted a chapter earlier this week, so please double-check if you're up to date. Thank you :)
The convoy continued its march on the wide and long highway to Yugakure. Two weeks had passed since they had left Konoha, and they were still a day's journey away from reaching their destination. Nothing noteworthy happened during the past several weeks, with the group resting at small rest area settlements or making camp in the woods during the evenings. Other than Shin looking disgruntled due to his empty backpack, things were relatively calm and boring.
This was not the shinobi life that Kinjo had envisioned.
"Ok, we'll take a short break here before we get moving again," Hayama shouted as the group slowed to a halt and parked next to the woods. "Ten minutes to hydrate and finish any business."
Kinjo leaned against a wagon and took a swig from his water bottle as the employees of the Haga Merchant Corps took inventory for the umpteenth time. Izumi joined him and sighed as she looked around. "This is nice. Just taking a nice stroll through the country and visiting other villages. I wish we could do this for every mission."
"You like fighting though," Kinjo commented.
"Yeah! But this is nice too. I think it's great that the bad guys are letting us enjoy our first mission."
"Don't jinx us; we might get attacked for real."
"This close to Yugakure? Nope! I think we'll be fine."
"Hey guys," Shin said as he wiped some sweat from his forehead and reached into his pocket to pull out a single melon bread. "... I knew I should've packed more."
Kinjo offered him his water bottle, which he accepted. "You're doing great, Shin. Sensei will take over for you tomorrow, so keep your chin up."
"Yah, leading from the back sucks, even though I've already done this four times already during the trip. Sensei yells at me if I even take a bite of food while walking."
"It's good practice. We'll have missions where you can't bring weeks' worth of snacks, so it's better you prepare now."
"Can I sit out those missions?"
"No," Izumi and Kinjo answered in unison.
Shin grumbled under his breath. "Do you think we can buy one of those nice sealing scrolls from our client?"
"I think sensei would torch it if you do," Izumi chirped.
"And I won't stop him if he does," Kinjo added. "Remember, we're a team. We need to work together and focus during every mission. Otherwise, we can't watch each other's back when something goes wrong."
"... Did sensei ask you to tell me that?" Shin asked.
"No comment."
"Gah! Sensei has even turned Kinjo against me!"
Izumi rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a big crybaby. I think Kinjo's right."
"You're literally two years younger than me."
"At least I don't cry about eating!"
"Guys." Kinjo stepped in between the two of them. "Let's not fight in front of our patrons. I don't want that talk with sensei again."
His teammates turned to see a few of the merchants chuckling at the scene and straightened their faces instantly. As they settled down, Katsumi approached them and smiled. "Hayama said that he was meeting with someone and went on ahead. He'll return in an hour or so, but we'll keep moving since we're very close to Yugakure. Can we count on you three to protect us?"
"Of course," Kinjo answered promptly. He glanced at his teammates to note their reactions. Izumi nodded confidently, while Shin also assented after a few seconds of hesitation.
"Great! Then let's get moving!"
"Who is our sensei meeting?" Izumi wondered out loud.
"A friend of his," Katsumi mentioned as she waved and walked back to her wagon.
Shin cleared his throat and gathered his teammates in a huddle. "Formation D: three-man vee formation. One person on each side, except the front. If we come under fire, we rotate to the left by ninety degrees to cover all sides. It seems like the forest is thicker on the right, so Kinjo will take the left side, and Izumi will take the right. Izumi, remember to use the Sharingan every few minutes to track any movements or signs of chakra. It'll be harder without sensei, but we've practiced for the last two weeks for this. We got this."
While they knew their formations from their manuals and lessons, Hayama ordered the designated leader for the day to vocalize everything when giving instructions. Partially so the leader could demonstrate their comprehensive understanding of formations and tactics, but also so that the rest of the team could be refreshed.
"Let's go, Team Five!" Izumi cheered.
Kinjo grinned. "Nice briefing, Shin. I trust you to make the right calls."
As the team dispersed, Kinjo excused himself, claiming he needed to take a leak. Once he was clear from the convoy and his team, he breathed out an Ash Clone. "Follow the convoy and try not to be spotted."
"'Course," his clone answered while pounding his fists. "Insurance?"
"Yep. Can't be too careful, even though we haven't seen anything larger than a deer in the woods these past few weeks."
"Right. Should I stay on our side or Izumi's side?"
"Our side. Izumi will spot you from her side, and she can handle herself."
"Sounds good." The clone hopped away into the trees without another word.
Kinjo rejoined the group and took up his position in the convoy. He scanned the woods and hovered his hand near his shoulders, his chest tightening with every step. He glanced at his watch every few minutes, staring at the seconds as they ticked by at a glacial pace. A sudden bristling nearly caused him to toss a kunai at the disturbance, but he slung his kunai back at the last second as he saw a brown snake slither out.
"No need to be so nervous," Katsumi remarked as he quickened his pace. "I'm sure we'll be fine. Hayama is a fine teacher, and I trust that he taught all of you well."
He kept silent as his eyes inspected every inch of the forest next to him.
Forty minutes ticked by with no sign of anything out of the ordinary. Kinjo finally loosened his posture, though he kept a hand on his gunbai. However, his teammates seemed much more relaxed compared to before, with Shin strolling behind the group and Izumi looking at her side of the forest sparingly.
Something in the forest gleamed unnaturally. Kinjo dashed forward, his heart leaping out of his throat, and whipped out his weapon. He covered Katsumi a split-second before a dozen kunai embedded themselves into the wood, his client shrieking in surprise at the attack. He grunted as his fan vibrated from the impact of the projectiles, his grip tightening as he swung to dislodge the kunai.
He whipped out a Great Fireball into the woods, setting the forest ablaze with a house-sized fireball. Kinjo smelled an unpleasant smell filling the air as the trees burned and tried to check up on Katsumi, but a masked shinobi wearing a simple black tunic and pants jumped out of the flames and dashed at Kinjo with a sword.
Kinjo wielded his gunbai and parried the person's strike with ease, forcing his attacker to back away from the wagons before Kinjo spat an immense fireball onto his opponent at point-blank range. He smirked as his opponent burned from the sudden burst of fire, yet something sliced his left arm and made him wince. His senses screamed for him to drop, and he ducked to the ground in a split-second, right as a blade sliced an inch off his spiky hair.
A burnt log stood where his enemy should've been. Instead, the masked shinobi was unharmed and looming over Kinjo with their sword.
Desperate, Kinjo quickly tilted his fan sideways, presenting its flat face like an impregnable shield. His assailant's strike was dulled as it collided with the fan's scarred surface, thwarting their advance. Kinjo pushed forward, and the man's feet slid back, creating long streaks in the dirt. The man was double his size, yet Kinjo shoved him as if he was a paperweight.
However, his seemingly unstoppable charge slowed as the throbbing pain in his left arm weakened him. The masked shinobi broke the deadlock and weaved under the fan, slamming Kinjo's chin with an uppercut while his sword held back the gunbai.
Kinjo's teeth rattled from the hit, and he bit back a curse as he felt something oozing out of his tongue. Shaking his head, he lowered himself and slammed his shoulders into his opponent, turning into a red blur. His opponent sliced Kinjo's right shoulder and made him shout in agony, but was forced to leap back just before Kinjo's elbow struck him.
The masked shinobi lunged in again, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. This time, Kinjo readied himself with his feet planted firmly on the ground and angled his block to leave a gap between him and his assailant. Their weapons met with a loud bang that vibrated in Kinjo's ears.
Kinjo growled as he shoved his opponent's blade away and twirled. His fan glowed green before crashing into the sword like a runaway propeller, "Leaf Tornado!"
The sword shattered, but the unknown shinobi slammed their forearm onto the gunbai to block it before kicking outward. Kinjo scoffed as he knocked down the hit with the handle of his fan while avoiding a fist that zipped past his jaw. Dodging another abrupt punch, Kinjo rammed a kick of his own into the enemy's gut and swatted him away with his weapon.
His opponent flew through the air and landed in a heap a few meters away. Kinjo bolted toward him and pointed his gunbai at the masked man, wincing at the stinging pain in his right shoulder and left arm as he held his weapon. He steadied his trembling and kept the fan inches away from his opponent's face.
The unknown shinobi gasped, and blood leaked from under their mask; the arm they used to block his fan bent at an awkward angle. "Please don't..."
Kinjo heaved his gunbai at their head but hesitated. They were defeated, and from the looks of it, they were affiliated with a shinobi village. The enemy shinobi likely had information about the person that hired them to attack the merchants.
He was also unarmed, and a nagging voice in the back of his mind pleaded to spare the man. Ice ran through his veins and locked his right arm into place.
Before he could ponder further, something slammed into his back and sent him sprawling onto the ground. Kinjo coughed as he tasted the familiar bitter taste of earth and spat out chunks of dirt. His shaking hands dug into the dry soil and pushed his body up just as another person entered his vision.
The stranger's appearance was the same as the shinobi he had just defeated, and Kinjo's jaw slackened as the 'defeated shinobi' dispersed into a puddle of water.
A Water Clone. His sensei's previous warnings blared through his mind as he held back a fireball.
From the corner of his eyes, Kinjo saw Izumi engaging the same masked shinobi and Shin deflecting shurikens with his Partial Multi-Size Technique. As he rose, he rifled through his pouch and shouldered his gunbai, the sharp wood digging into his skin.
Pulling out his magnesium shurikens, Kinjo tossed them with his right hand and lit them on fire, launching a flurry of kunai immediately after. Without waiting for his opponent to react, he charged in with his fan, partially shielding his eyes.
His assailant stood still for a moment and waited as though they expected his Phoenix Flash Fire. When the ablaze shurikens continued their course toward them instead of creating a dome, the enemy shinobi sprayed a jet of water and drew his sword.
However, the shurikens continued to burn despite the water drenching them, and Kinjo willed them to converge on the enemy despite the shurikens being knocked off course. He reached his opponent at the same time his projectiles did as the enemy shinobi sliced at his legs. A blinding flash of light surrounded them before an explosion rocked the ground.
A black cloud of smoke shrouded the scene, hiding the remains of any survivors from the large blast.
"Kin!" Izumi screamed.
Izumi panted as her opponent dashed away for the umpteenth time, blasting her with a spray of water. She ducked and rolled out of the way, bouncing up with her toes and barreling to her target with practiced ease.
She had maintained her dojutsu for the past several minutes, and beads of sweat rolled down her dirt-streaked face as she blinked to clear her vision. Her Sharingan swirled as she saw her opponent backing away and running through a familiar sequence of hand signs in slow motion.
Her Fire jutsu and genjutsu were nullified by her opponent, and she lacked a bag of tricks, unlike her teammate. Yet, she had an idea.
She took a sharp breath and huffed out a Great Fireball as the masked shinobi released a Water Bullet. The two jutsu collided mid-air, producing a sizeable steam cloud in the center while Izumi slid onto the ground. Her fingers ran through the hand signs of a basic jutsu as she masked her technique in the steam.
Once Izumi was sure she was hidden, a clone appeared next to her and turned sharply to the right. She continued her slide to the left and pincered her opponent with her illusion. Her face unwillingly sprouted a grin as she played out the next part of the plan in her mind.
As her cover drifted away, Izumi watched as her clone rushed in and faded away after being 'hit' by a sword. A millisecond later, she was right on top of him, swinging her tachi down at her opponent and locking blades to prevent them from fleeing. She gritted her teeth as she pushed down, just as her opponent broke free and swung.
They traded blows from every angle, metallic clanging echoing through her ear as they traded blow after blow. A stab at Izumi's hips knocked her off balance as she twisted her body unnaturally to dodge with a pained cry. It was immediately followed by a strike at her wrist from the handle of her opponent's sword.
She knocked it away with her own handle and sliced her tachi sideways at the masked shinobi's neck. A kick to Izumi's right leg slowed her momentum, but she desperately held her aim with her trembling hands and lowered her aim as her legs buckled.
Her tachi hit something, causing Izumi to yell in triumph as she twisted her wrist to shift her slice into a sharp stab.
The long curved blade skewered the masked shinobi in the stomach, causing them to slump onto the long blade and cough violently.
Izumi tugged at the handle of her tachi and stumbled as she pulled it loose. As her opponent fell forward, the Uchiha leaned over and heaved, her upset stomach rumbling as she tasted something acidic at the back of her throat.
She whimpered as she stabbed the fallen enemy in the back, just as her sensei had taught her. Her eyes returned to normal, her dark eyes tearing up as she looked at the dead body.
This was her duty as a shinobi, yet Izumi's resolve shook from killing someone for the first time. If she had hesitated for even a moment during that fight…
Instead of bleeding out, the masked shinobi dissolved into a puddle of water. Izumi flinched, looked around, and saw her teammates fighting.
Her traitorous thoughts faded as she scurried to Shin, who tossed a clump of dirt at his nimble opponent. The enemy slashed through the earth and slammed a Water Bullet straight into Shin consecutively. Izumi caught Shin as he was shoved back by the powerful wave of water crashing into his enlarged hands. She grinned up at him as she held him up, her small arms keeping the Akimichi standing.
Shin smiled back and expanded his torso as the pair rushed the enemy. The masked shinobi dodged the rolling Akimichi right as Izumi appeared behind him, her tachi slashing downwards. Parrying with their own sword, their opponent tumbled away and landed right in the path of Shin's Human Bullet Tank.
The masked shinobi blasted Shin with a wave of water and pushed him into Izumi just as she was recovering her footing from her attack. The two fell onto the ground together, and Izumi slowly pushed herself up using Shin's massive stomach.
An explosion shook the ground, and Izumi stumbled. Behind her was nothing but black smoke - no dirt, no trees, and no Kin. She couldn't hear over the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in her ears, but her throat was raw as she screamed over and over. "Kin!"
Izumi activated her Sharingan unconsciously, scouring the smoke for any hint of chakra. All she saw were scattered remains on the ground. Her sword fell from her hand and landed on the ground with a thump.
Kinjo had to be alive. He had to be. She chose to help Shin first as she believed in Kinjo's abilities. Her frenzied mind refused to accept the fact that her best friend had potentially died due to her choice.
The air stilled as Izumi felt a wave of fury emitting from Shin, who had pulled out his bo and twirled it with practiced ease. He growled as he shot forward but slowed to a halt as a giant fireball engulfed the enemy before he could reach them.
"Izumi?" Shin asked uncertainly as he looked at her.
She whipped her head to see a battered Kinjo limp out of the woods with a pained smile. "Hey, guys…"
He never finished his words as Izumi tackled him and wrapped her arms around his chest, causing him to wince. "Kin! But I thought… but you…"
"Blew up? Nope. Switched out with my Ash Clone right before I set the exploding tags off."
"Never do that again!" Izumi scolded as tears dripped down her cheeks. "At least warn us, you idiot!"
"Very touching… But have you three considered checking on our patrons or ensuring that the area is cleared of all enemies?"
The trio turned to see their jonin tower over them with his arms crossed. His eyes looked tired as he inspected his students and sighed.
Izumi broke her hug and ran up to Hayama. "Sensei! The enemy shinobi! They came out of nowhere and…"
"A test," Hayama stated matter-of-factly. "It was a test."
"What do you mean this was a test?" Kinjo pressed.
"It was a test to see how well you three would respond to an ambush while you had your guards down. Don't think I didn't notice how the three of you were relaxing after two weeks of peace and quiet."
"So… there were no enemy shinobi," Shin said, kicking a nearby puddle of water.
"The 'enemy shinobi' were my Water clones, as you may have noticed during your fights."
Kinjo rubbed his temples and groaned. "One of them used a Body Replacement Technique right in front of me…"
"I used it, and one of my Water clones attacked you from behind after jumping out of the convoy. I was also the shinobi you fought before you launched your final assault."
"The clients knew?" Izumi asked with her jaws dropped.
"Of course. Katsumi has done this before, which was why I took on her escort request. That's why I didn't specifically target them during the attack. The attackers would've succeeded if this were a real ambush aimed at killing our patrons and destroying their cargo. All of you were too focused on fighting rather than defending."
Katsumi strolled up to them and frowned. "Hayama, they're still kids with plenty of time to learn. You weren't so tough on Asuma and his group when they were your students."
"That was before my first team was almost completely wiped out during the last war," Hayama answered bluntly. "Asuma and his group were arrogant but a level below this group when they first started."
"Still."
"Shinobi business, Katsumi. Let me handle this."
The middle-aged woman sighed and waved her hand. "Do as you will."
Hayama cleared his throat. "Let me be clear; when you are out of the village, you are to never relax. Heck, even within the village, you should always be on guard. The only place a shinobi can relax is hell. If you three were on your guard initially, you would've responded to the attack swiftly and maybe coordinated together. Instead, all of you were immediately on the back foot and gave ample time for the ambushers to achieve their objective. Two of you were far too tunnel-visioned on defeating your opponents and left the convoy at risk by doing so. It is better for the enemy to escape rather than cutting them down after they killed our patrons."
He continued as the trio remained at attention. "The clones fought to specifically counter your fighting styles and used abilities that was a step above yours, which should be the bare minimum you should expect in any fight. Kinjo, good work creating space for yourself to wield your gunbai and Fire jutsu, but you left yourself open too many times and relaxed before you confirmed that your enemy was dead. Not only that, you froze before landing the killing blow. I give you marks for preparing an Ash Clone for substitution before the fight and utilizing your Phoenix Flash Fire to mob me at the end. However, I expect you to never hesitate again, and to use everything you have to bring an opponent down, even if it means killing. You would've most likely perished in a real fight against a serious opponent.
"Izumi, excellent usage of techniques to close the gap and engage the enemy in close combat. You figured out that your genjutsu and ninjutsu were ineffective and avoided wasting your chakra. I noticed you read my clone's Water Bullet perfectly with your Sharingan and used the chance to create a natural smokescreen with your Fire jutsu. That was very creative of you. However, you failed to follow through with some of your attacks and nearly missed the kill during the last spurt of the fight. Your tachi gave you the extra inches you needed to beat the clone, which was why I had you choose it over a katana due to the tachi's longer reach and better slicing power. You also let your guard down far too fast after stabbing the clone. Some shinobi have ways to ensure their opponents die with them, and I expect you to act fast to ensure that your enemy is dead before letting your thoughts wander.
"Shin, you were the only one that attempted to defend the convoy, which I applaud you for. Yet, you were unable to figure out a way to deal with my clone from a distance other than hurling things at it. We will work on your Earth jutsu when we return to the village, but I expect you to compensate for your lack of diversity regarding long-range firepower with something else for now. You could throw kunai with exploding tags or keep the enemy on their toes by waving your enlarged bo around. Remember, a predictable shinobi is a dead shinobi. Once the enemy has seen your moves a few times, they will eventually figure out a way to fight around it. Unfortunately, your clan techniques are widely known; if you show it once, they will have a rough idea of how to counter you. You will need to end the fight before they do. Do all of you understand?"
"... Yes, sensei." the three of them mumbled.
The jonin smiled at them reassuringly. "I know you feel bitter about this since you feared for your life and were battered by my clones. However, this surprise ambush ensured that you gained some experience in fighting an unknown enemy. It is better to learn while being bruised, rather than learn by getting your limbs sliced off. All of you learned not to freeze up and gained valuable insight into your deficiencies. I expect when a real fight occurs, these same mistakes will not happen again. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now let's continue our mission to Yugakure. Once we arrive, I'll let you three rest up and enjoy yourselves for a few days. My treat."
"Really?" Shin perked up. "Does that mean…"
"Yes, I will pay for some of your food. Same thing for you two, Kinjo and Izumi. We'll also get some training done since we're in a different environment."
As Izumi and Shin let out exhausted cheers, Kinjo slid his gunbai onto his back and narrowed his eyes as he recalled his fight. The Body Replacement Technique and the exploding tags had been a last resort move, a surprise attack used in conjunction with his magnesium shurikens. Magnesium burned even when doused in water, though he feared that his gamble had failed for a second after the shurikens were hit. It was only due to lucky happenstance that he had prepared an Ash Clone beforehand. For some reason, he had a feeling that his first mission would be derailed, and it did, just not in the way he had imagined.
And that brief moment of hesitation… He needed to eradicate such thoughts before they cost him his life.
They were lucky that Hayam was their instructor. Kinjo didn't want to imagine what would happen if he froze up during a real fight.
"I should've done better," Kinjo muttered. Even though he didn't have his weights on, he felt outmatched against the clone.
"Don't beat yourself up." Hayama leaned in and whispered. "I went especially hard on you since I knew what you were capable of. My clone was purposely faster and more aggressive against you compared to the clones that Izumi and Shin were facing. Not only that, but you had to fight twice, once with my clone and once against me. Even then, you slapped away my clone and came up with plans to beat me during the fight."
Izumi picked up her tachi and sealed it into a small sealing scroll before slipping it into her kunai holster. Kinjo recalled how Hayama had instructed her to hide her sword to grant her an element of surprise against unsuspecting opponents. While he stewed in his thoughts, she dusted off her clothes and pointed at him accusingly, "You owe me a sweet potato roll once we get to Yugakure!"
"Sure, sure," Kinjo answered as he held up his hands in surrender. "As many as you want."
"And practice the Ash Clone with me!"
"Yeah, I will. We're a team, remember?"
"Wish I had a Fire affinity," Shin muttered. "I feel left out sometimes."
"Aww Shin, it's ok!" Izumi cooed. "I like you better than Kin right now."
Hayama chuckled as he walked toward the convoy, "You kids can be so adorable sometimes. Come on, let's go."
Compared to Konoha, Yugakure seemed like a small town rather than a shinobi village; it was defended by wooden palisades rather than large, imposing stone walls. Yugakure was about a fifth of Konoha's size, emphasizing the vast difference between a major village and a minor one. Yet, the sizeable flow of traffic and the presence of Yugakure shinobi quickly shattered the notion that this was a minor town. Every Yugakure squad he saw was paired with a few Konoha shinobi, and Kinjo guessed they were working together to strengthen cooperation and teamwork between the two villages.
As the convoy rolled into Yugakure, Hayama urged his students to say goodbye to Katsumi, who smiled and patted their heads. "All three of you are splendid shinobi already. Listen to your sensei, but don't be discouraged by his words. He can be a bit mean sometimes, but he does have your best interests at heart."
"No need to coddle them, Katsumi," Hayama said gruffly. "If you need someone to escort you, you can call for my team."
"Will you ambush your own students again?"
"No promises."
"Oh well, guess I'll have to wait until you get a new team."
"I'm too old."
"That's what they all say," Katsumi remarked with a wink. She sauntered away with her group and waved energetically before disappearing into the busier districts of Yugakure.
"... Are you sure you don't have something going on with her?" Kinjo asked.
Hayama grunted. "Enough of that. First, let's head to a nearby inn and rest up for the day. Tomorrow, I'll have you three train and then give you a small tour of the village. We'll also visit a hot spring since that's the main attraction around here."
"Hot spring!" Izumi skipped forward. As Team Five made their way down the road, she accidentally ran into a tall man and stumbled back. "Sorry, mister!"
The man had medium-length gray hair and unfriendly purple eyes. His mouth twisted into a sneer as his hand gripped his weapon, a giant halberd tinted in red and silver with white tape wrapped around it. He wore a black leather jacket, navy blue pants, and shin-high black sandals. Kinjo noticed the Yugakure headband on the man's forehead and the distinct lack of modifications to it.
"Watch where you're going, squirt," the man cackled. "I don't think your team of shitty Konoha brats and an old geezer can protect you if you wander off."
Kinjo unwillingly gripped the handle of his gunbai and drew, but his sensei pushed down his weapon. Hayama smirked at the Yugakure shinobi and stepped into his face. "... The Mad Dog of Yugakure. There's no need to start a fight here. After all, we are friends, Hidan."
AN: Kinjo's sensei did the old bait and switch... The next chapter will feature Hidan, along with some other things and the return to Konoha. After that, there will be a small time skip (about two months-ish).
Thanks for reading!
Now onto the reviews:
Tobi-kun-is-a-good-boy: Thanks! As for pairing... which girl might be loud, feisty, and a headache to deal with? Hmmm...
evilstatistic19: Yep! The MC's aura for trouble strikes again... kinda. And thank you :)
serus black antihumannature: Funny thing... The next chapter will be partially dedicated to him.
