Well here it is at last...an update. I'm still getting use to this new outlay (well it's new to an absentee like me) but I've finally got around to it! I would also like to point out that this is more of an azumanga daioh story then "Naruto" which I find myself trying to move away from. P.s. please forgive the lateness of my reply.
Recap: With the village under attack, and the enemy force inside the forest as well, Tomo and the others find their exam over. Unfortunately the stresses of examination will be replaced by the stress of trying to survive.
Chapter 33
Chiyo wasn't keen of the darkness at the best of times, so she felt very uncomfortable out in the dark now. She knew there was an enemy out in the forest, possibly just a few metres away from her, that had already come close to killing her. She found herself shivering slightly and this time it wasn't because she was cold. She could have died tonight.
"No…you can't…that" said Osaka in an amusing manner in her sleep, drawing Chiyo out of her worried thoughts. She looked down at her older friend who had her head resting up against Chiyo. The small girl smiled faintly. Perhaps it might end alright. Perhaps all of her friends would make it unscathed, or at least not badly injured. Perhaps even Chiyo herself, the one always seen as the small weakling, would make it.
"I hope so."
Twang. Thump.
Chiyo looked across as a dull noise caught her attention. She wondered what that was, it sounded strange. She saw one of the men fall to the floor and the other rush across to check on him. He crouched down and rolled the man over.
"I swear if this is some sort of-" He didn't finish his sentence as a shuriken embedded itself into his neck, tearing through the flesh. He looked up at Chiyo and mouthed the words run before he collapsed. Chiyo turned her attention to the forest as two men stepped out. One looked straight at her, a cold expression upon his face.
"Sorry about that" he said. "I know you won't believe me but I mean you no harm. All we want is for you and your sleeping friends to act as hostages. We could have left the other two alone, but they would have just got in the way."
Chiyo stood up, gently resting Osaka's head down on the ground. She slowly pulled out one of the kunai knives. She held it up, thinking about how pathetic it looked. She seemed barely half the size of them, and the knife looked equally small in her hands, tiny worthless, not much more then a toy. She pointed it towards them.
"Stay back…leave me and my friend alone!" she said, trying to sound as intimating as possible. The man frowned.
"Now look here, don't make this difficult teeny ninja" said the man. "I have a much larger knife and I know how to bloody use it."
"Just…stay back…please" she said, Osaka shifting beside her.
"Flying fish are difficult to catch. Zabuza? No…Kimura?" she muttered in her sleep. Chiyo did her best not to suddenly turn her attention away from the men as her friend spoke.
"Put down the damn knife" growled the man.
"N-n-no I wont" replied Chiyo. "You aren't going to hurt my friend."
"I'm bored now" grumbled the other man.
"Ah this is just going to go nowhere slowly" replied the other. "Feel like bloodying your knife? You haven't got any kills yet have you?"
"Sure, I could have a go." They were like two predators looking hungrily over fallen prey. "This won't hurt too-" He stopped and looked around. Chiyo could hear something strange…it sounded like water. Lots of water.
"A flood?" suggested the other man, just as confused as Chiyo.
Trees were torn up from their roots and flung against the fence which buckled outwards slightly. Two long glimmering columns of water stretched up and over the fence, moving towards the two men like fingers reaching out. They stood rooted to the spot as Chiyo ducked down. Small pieces of debris moved downwards, floating within the shining columns.
"Well what is that?" asked the other. "Another creature in this damn forest?"
"I dunno. I guess so. It seems kind of dumb."
With that one of the columns reached down and wrapped around one of the men.
"It's cold" he said laughing. The other was surprised as the second column wrapped around him. He looked down at it with contempt.
Both yelled out as they were suddenly lifted up into the air. Chiyo crouched down further, trying to protect Osaka, watching two sets of legs kicking out against thin air. The two men were yelling out and shouting obscenities, stabbing their knives into the water to no effect. And then they were struggling more strongly, and now their shouting was replaced by screams. The water began to tighten around them and Chiyo watched as their torsos began to compact, seeing everything through the water. She turned away, hearing two separate crunching noises. Osaka seemed peaceful, almost smiling in her sleep.
A loud series of splashes caught her attention as the water fell to the ground along with the two bodies. All that remained was a large bloody puddle. Chiyo poked Osaka who barely moved. She tried again.
"Please wake up soon Osaka" she said desperately. "Please."
"Sakaki a little help please?" asked Minamo, holding up an unlit torch.
Sakaki nodded and held up her hands. She muttered a phrase quietly, producing a quick series of hand movements. She was able to create a small burst of fire which lit the torch. She pulled back, feeling the heat against her cheeks. She hadn't noticed how cold the night had become.
"Thanks Sakaki" said Minamo. Sakaki glanced over at the man who had joined them to search for other students who were still out in the forest. She wondered how many of the students had come into conflict. Deep inside she was preparing herself to come across the body of a student, or even a group. She hoped she could handle it and not let Minamo down. They continued walking through the forest when the man stopped suddenly. Minamo turned.
"What is it?" she asked quietly.
"I'm pretty sure I just heard something" he said quietly. "It sounded like talking."
"Where did it come from?"
"Over there" said the man pointing across from Sakaki.
"Are you ready Sakaki?" she asked. "And don't feel you have to get in dangers way. It's my job to keep you safe ok" she replied.
"I'll try" said Sakaki quietly. Slowly the trio moved apart, slowly stepping towards the thick bushes that the man had pointed towards. Sakaki was breathing deeply, tightly gripping the knife. The handle was digging into her hand. She was focused upon the bush, wondering who or what was waiting within.
"Please be Yomi and the others all safe and together" said Sakaki quietly to herself.
Yukari and Tomo ducked back into the shadows as two people ran by, yelling something about orders. Much of the village was deserted now, many people having fled to safety, to areas where they would be protected by ninja. As Tomo stood in the darkness she had a sudden realization.
"Yukari?" she asked.
"Yeah, what?" replied Yukari looking out at the street.
"How do I know that you are you?" she asked. "After all deception is apparently a key skill of a ninja…or something."
"Well look into your heart and see what it tells you…you dumbass" replied Yukari. "Of course I'm Yukari, no mere copy could reach this level of beauty and elegance."
"Yeah, you're definitely Yukari" muttered Tomo. No one else could tell such exaggerations and lies with a straight face.
"And how do I know you're Tomo?" growled back Yukari.
"You're supposed to be trained in these things?" suggested Tomo, backing away from Yukari's fierce glare. "Just saying."
"I think it's safe to say we are who we are. I doubt an actor or actress could piss me off as much as the real thing" said Yukari. "Just saying" she added.
"Those two guys are gone" said Tomo.
"Lets go" said Yukari.
Tomo nodded and the two sprinted out into the street. They continued running, passing ransacked houses and stores. Tomo felt her stomach sink slightly as she sprinted by a torn apart ramen shop. To the right in the distance flames burned high into the sky on the horizon. The fire had yet to reach this area.
Tomo found herself creeped out slightly. Even though she knew people were fighting, most likely to the death, everything seemed too quiet and still. She, along with Yukari seemed to now be the only people running along the main street of the village.
"It's too quiet" she said to herself.
"I like it like this" said Yukari. Tomo hadn't expected her former teacher to hear her. She hadn't wanted her to- she didn't want to seem weak. "I prefer it like this- no babies crying, no old people telling pointless stories" she said.
"Ever heard of keeping thoughts to yourself?" suggested Tomo. "How about an inner monologue?"
"Oh I have one of them" said Yukari as they continued along the street. "Normally it focuses on Minamo or you" she said in a sly manner.
Tomo didn't reply, she felt an odd feeling. She was sure she felt a presence behind her and she slowed down slightly. She looked across and saw Yukari doing the same thing. The academy was within sight, but she knew someone was behind her. She ducked down and rolled across the ground, cursing as she cut her knee on the rough ground. A shuriken tore into the wooden door of the house next to her.
Still prone on the floor she peeked behind her to see a man standing there. Yukari was standing trying to pull a shuriken from out of her stronger right hand, and the man was walking towards them. Tomo reached down to get a knife or a shuriken or anything- but spotted her pouch on the street. It must have fallen off as she hit the ground. Still dazed she tried to pull herself towards the pouch as the man pulled out a new, bright and razor sharp shuriken.
Tomo kept pulling herself forward, pull, pull, pull! But she knew she couldn't make it, and she'd get a shuriken in the head… Suddenly the man collapsed. What was happening? Tomo was confused. Luckily timed heart attack?
"Come on!" called out a voice. Tomo turned her head to see one of the academy doors open. Kimura stood, signalling for them to, in what he would later describe in his own words, get a bloody move on.
Tomo stood up awkwardly and quickly grabbed her weapon pouch and ran towards the building. Yukari followed, cursing the weapon still deep in her hand.