"Captain Yamato, my radio isn't working." Chouji shook his headset experimentally, "All I hear is static."
"Me too taichou," Ino landed lightly next to the leader of Team Two, "I thought you said that these didn't need to be recharged?"
Yamato glanced over at Shikamaru who had pulled his headset to rest around his neck. Guess that makes the four of us. He slunk into a crouch, resting his fingertips gently on the bark of the branch he was perched on. Closing his eyes, he focused on every vibration reverberating through the thick trunk of the tree. Nothing but the normal wildlife, He mused. So, we aren't being attacked. He straightened, trailing his fingers unconsciously along the moss covered tree trunk as he stood.
"Ino, use your mind-body-switch-jutsu to check up on the camp."
"Okay." She nodded, her long blonde hair swishing with the movement. Shikamaru and Chouji dutifully positioned themselves on either side of her. Not two seconds after the girl collapsed into their arms, a small bird flitted purposefully through the assorted shinobi towards the hidden base.
"She'll be back in about ten minutes," Shikamaru sighed, helping Chouji prop their blonde teammate against the trunk of the tree.
Yamato nodded distractedly, already lost in his thoughts. There's no reason why the radios shouldn't be working, we tested them all before we left. He frowned slightly. If they really are malfunctioning, what are the chances that all four of them would act up at the same time? He yanked out his earpiece, And, we wouldn't be hearing this static. If the radios were broken, they just wouldn't work. There must be something else going on here.
As they waited for Ino to come back silence settled softly around them. The only noise was the occasional rustle of leaves, the sunlight casting dappled shadows that quivered with the wind. As tranquil as the forest was, Yamato felt a tingle of dread prickle through him. It was an uncomfortable, but distinctive feeling that he knew all to well. He hadn't felt it since his ANBU days, which, to be honest, weren't that far behind him.
Whenever something bad was about to happen he would get this feeling. And it had never been wrong. His little sixth sense had become something like a commodity for his ANBU team, they had half-teasingly insisted that he check it before every mission. One time, when he had felt particularly apprehensive, his team had gone so far as to try to switch missions with another team.
Yamato remembered regretfully how they had been sent out regardless and lost two of their own.
Most of the time it was just a small feeling that kept him on his toes, preventing any accidents or miscalculations that could prove fatal. But this felt different. Yamato checked his watch, forgetting the time as soon as he looked away. He could sense something big pressing down on them--a dark, colossal feeling that was strangely malignant and wicked. He picked up a leaf and twirled the stem idly to preoccupy himself. I hope Kakashi-senpai and his team are okay.
"Shit!" Ino sat up suddenly, slamming her fists angrily into the wood beneath her, "They've been found out!" She jerked herself to her feet, stumbling against Shikamaru as she adjusted to being back in her real body.
I hate being right...This must be what I was worrying about.
"Calm down, Ino," Shikamaru gently pushed down the girl's tense shoulders, "What do you mean, 'They've been found out'?"
Never one to be babied, Ino slapped his hands away, "I mean they've been freaking found out! They're all handcuffed and being guarded in the middle of the camp! Stupid Sakura, how could she--"
"Is anyone hurt?" Yamato interrupted what was sure to be a passionate rant.
"No," Ino seemed to calm down a little at this. Her stormy blue eyes cleared a little, "No, they seemed fine. Nothing but a couple of bruises. Although..." She paused, smirking, "Kakashi-sensei looked a little red when they stabbed a kunai through his book."
Yamato chuckled. That sounds just like senpai. But it isn't like him to get captured... maybe something big really is going on here. He looked at Ino's unusually worried expression, at Shikamaru's preoccupied look, and at Chouji's nervous chewing of a protein bar. It might be nothing...
But something tells me we need to get them out of there as soon as possible.
"They know we're here." Shikamaru's calm statement startled his teammates out of their reveries, "They must have suspected that there was a backup team and disrupted our radio transmissions." He looked up, solemnly, to Yamato. "That means that they are prepared for an attack."
The wood-jutsu specialist took a deep breath, reflexively pushing down any worries or fears that could cloud his thinking. "So, what do you propose we do?"
"Obvious." Shikamaru smirked, "We attack."
Was it possible to get frostbite when there wasn't any frost?
Kakashi contemplated this as he methodically attempted to wiggle each of his toes, checking for signs of life. Toe number four of the left foot is a negative, he squinted in concentration, Toe number five of the left foot is immobile as well.
He bowed his head sadly, mourning for the loss of his left foot.
Who would have known that betting his shoe in a card game would result in the amputation of his entire left leg? Granted that hadn't happened yet... but Kakashi was sure that if his foot remained unclothed for much longer in the cold, wet grass then it would surely die of exposure. His foot was more timid and bashful than the normal appendage, and to be left bare and vulnerable to the elements was a traumatic experience at best. As it was, his leg was so attached to his foot that Kakashi was sure that it would follow soon after, leaving him to hobble around with only his right leg to support him.
His enemies would never take him seriously.
Which was just as well, Kakashi had secretly trained himself in the sacred ninja art of fighting with crutches when he was eighteen and had fractured his pelvis. He had also vowed to never again go with Gai to a karaoke bar, but that was besides the point.
Well isn't that a cute picture? Kakashi huffed, eyeing the picture of coziness and contentment before him.
He wasn't in the least bit feeling left out or jealous of his subordinate's collective warm and toasty dog-pile. No, he was just entertaining himself with how every time he breathed he could see a swirling vapor of mist. Quite amusing really, the discovery that the temperature had dropped to such a degree that his mask no longer inhibited the visibility of his breath expelled through chattering teeth. Amusing in much the same way as that time when Kakashi had been required to shadow Ibiki Morino for a two week period upon his entrance into ANBU. Gah, Kakashi moaned, I will never look at tissues the same way again...
Was it just him or were there actual heat waves rising up from their heaped figures?
Kakashi shivered and stared balefully at his entangled students. But, at the sight of their peaceful faces, Kakashi found that he couldn't maintain his resentful expression for very long. His pout unconsciously slipped into a small smile. Naruto. Sakura. Sai...Sasuke. Despite his best efforts, he had grown attached to them. This thought sent a wild flutter of unease through him, a reflexive reaction.
But this sudden feeling, (he wouldn't admit it was a fear), was eclipsed by another, much darker, worry. He had come terrifyingly close to losing them all today. Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut at the too vivid image of red blood dribbling out of his students necks.
They aren't your students anymore, Kakashi distracted himself. And Sai never actually was your student! A different type of shudder jittered through him--Thank god for that.
He often looked back on the early days of Team Seven as one might fondly recall a two week period spent in one of Mist Country's interrogation facilities during the Third Great Ninja War. Ah, those were memorable times, Kakashi threw up a little in his mouth, I'll never find out whose socks those were...
Throwing Sai into the picture would be just like throwing Gai into that four day solitary confinement those Mist Nin had tried. The result would be absolutely horrific--People all over the world would commemorate--
The sudden feel of smooth wood wrapping around his jaw, covering his mouth, made Kakashi flinch so badly there was an audible thump when he fell back to the ground. He swallowed a curse. I really need to talk to Tenzou about his tactics, there's a thin line between being efficient and being creepy. Kakashi frowned, realizing his friend had crossed that line a long time ago.
There was a sharp pressure on his wrists as thin slivers of wood wound sinuously between the links of his handcuffs. There was an ominous moments hesitation before the strands thickened and twisted. Kakashi's eyes watered. Not wanting to lose his hands in addition to his soon-to-be-departing leg, Kakashi forced his hands to relax. The pressure increased to an unbearable degree and his wrists blistered with pain.
Sometimes! Sometimes Kakashi would pick dandelions and pinch the stem right under the bud, causing the head of the flower to pop off. He had always thought it comical and morbidly entertaining. But now, now the image of his hands popping off his wrists cruelly tainted the pastime. I swear, Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut in agony, I swear that I will never decapitate pretty weeds for my own amusement ever again!
The pressure suddenly stopped. Cool relief washed over him as the wood withdrew. Kakashi's hands throbbed hotly and he found himself mourning for the loss of his arms as well. How would he fight with just one leg? His only option was to acquire a very pointy hat and attempt to impale his attackers with it. Kakashi sniffed regretfully. In order to become adequately proficient in the art of sparring with only his head he would have to develop grotesquely bulky neck muscles. This would eventually call for a complete alteration of his wardrobe, he didn't have any--The sound of splintering wood behind him jolted Kakashi back to the situation at hand.
Unable to twist his head because of the wood locking his chin in place, his eyes slid over to peer apprehensively over his shoulder. He's probably rethinking his strategy for getting these chakra repressing handcuffs off. Thank god.
The sight of ten poised tendrils of wood merging together to form two hands near the vicinity of his ass made his eyes widen.
"Shet! Tnzzuh!" His voice was muffled by the wood wrapped around his face like a scarf. Definitely crossed into the creepy zone! I always thought he might be--The wooden hands cleanly broke apart the manacles binding his wrists together.
Kakashi visibly deflated with relief as the wood retracted from his face and wrists. He watched as his students--subordinates!--underwent the same process. It did not escape his notice that the removal of handcuffs went a lot smoother for them than it did for him. Tenzou had clearly used Kakashi as a unintentional guinea pig to determine the best strategy.
Kakashi didn't hold it against him, the former ANBU operative had been a guinea pig himself since birth.
The Copy Nin swiftly rolled over into a crouch and readied himself for whatever ambush Tenzou had planned. He was sure that it would come quickly, and he didn't want to be left out of the action. Kakashi grinned wolfishly beneath his mask and bounced on the balls of his feet eagerly.
That fat man who stabbed a kunai through my Icha Icha is going to learn the definition of karma, his eyes narrowed wickedly, A chidori through the chest should suffice.
Kakashi really is a quirky guy, isn't he?
I really enjoy writing from his point of view :) Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter! I hope that you enjoyed it and continue to stick with me as I carve out this story. If anyone has any questions or suggestions please review, I'm not the most experienced writer and would greatly appreciate hearing your opinion. To those of you who have given me reviews I just wanted to say that I am so totally blown away by how sweet you all are! It's really encouraging to hear from you guys, especially from those of you who write amazing fanfiction! Yeah, I'm just a grateful little bugger lol.
Thanks!
~Flintyminty25