(This is the Fourth Chapter in the 7 chapter story arc set in the Land of Snow! The Snow Ninja are ready to strike, but have our heroes prepared enough to withstand a second attack? I love feedback and constructive criticism, so please leave a review so I can improve my writing and storytelling skills. Enjoy!)
A few more days pass and the freighter is finally repaired: wood is no longer splintered, the steel no longer dented, and enemy weapons are no longer scattered all over the deck. Now that the crew of the ship is focused on sailing again, they have made it almost halfway to the Country of Snow. Yui, Kenta, and Jando are not fully healed, they are lying in bed wrapped up in bandages and resting until they recover. Everyone else has to cover for their assignments.
Kuroda and Ichimaru are on lookout duty and are making rounds on the deck of the ship.
"Man this is such a bummer," Ichimaru thinks as he rests his elbows on the rails of the deck and looks out at the water, "Why am I so stressed out? I never get like this. I just need to settle down and relax a little. Hey, I know, this would be the perfect time to catch up with Kuroda."
"What is wrong?" inquires Kuroda as he leans over the guard-rail beside Ichimaru.
"I'm just getting restless with all of this waiting," answers his old friend, "I thought those Snow ninja would have attacked again by now. It is making me a little on edge. I don't think they would give up that easily, so it makes me think they are planning a big attack."
"Well, at least the others are resting up pretty good and should be back on their feet soon," says Kuroda.
"Yeah, that is one positive thing," Ichimaru agrees, "Maybe I am getting worked up over nothing."
"I don't think you are," says Yoshikuni, coming up from below deck.
"What, do you sense something?" inquires Ichimaru, slightly alarmed.
"Yeah, just look up ahead at that mist," says Kuroda pointing, "It is not natural." Ichimaru turns his head and spots the thick, dark blue mist quickly forming right in the path of the ship.
"So, an ambush then?" suggests Kayo, appearing next to them.
"It looks like it," says Yoshikuni, grimly.
"Well, then everybody get into position like we planned," orders Kayo, "We don't want them getting the jump on us again."
"How many guys do you think they will have this time?" asks Ichimaru with trepidation.
"Not sure," she replies, "But it is the rogues we need to focus on. If we take them out then the rest will be easy. In fact, they will probably give up if their leaders fall."
"Sorry I am late," pants Sakura as she bursts through a door from the crew's quarters.
"Did you secure the others like I asked?" questions Kayo.
"Yes, Sensei," Sakura replies, snapping to attention.
"Good then get ready, we are almost into the mist," she says grimly.
The freighter slowly enters into the mist. The ship is dead silent as the Leaf Ninja wait for the attack that is sure to come. They stay hidden, with hearts pounding, their nerves nearly stretched to breaking point, waiting for the strike. But a minute or two later they float out of the mist unharmed.
Sakura sighs in relief and then comes out of her hiding spot. "I guess we were wrong," she says, relieved, "They really weren't planning to strike at us. It must have just been some strange chakra mist."
"Sakura, watch out!" screams Ichimaru as he sees three figures coming down at her from above. Taiki slashes at the foolish pink-haired girl, cutting clean through her body. But when his feet hit the deck and he looks up he sees that she is several meters away in the arms of the black-haired boy with long bangs.
"That was a pretty fast move, kid," he comments.
"He just got lucky," replies Funimo. Yukiko absently glances around staying silent and waiting for orders.
"Ichimaru's position is compromised and Kuroda and Sakura are now exposed," thinks Kayo as she watches, "It was pretty smart of them to use the mist as a distraction to get us to let down our guard. Luckily Sakura was the only one who fell for it. I guess we need to change our strategy now."
An instant later she appears in front of the rogues and Yoshikuni is right next to her. "I guess we had the same idea," he comments, unsurprised.
"Looks like it," she agrees, with a slight smirk, "So, what are we going to do now?"
"It doesn't matter what you try to do," says Taiki, dashing forward to attack, "You're going to die either way!" He thrusts his kunai at Kayo at the same time Yukiko, who had been tailing him, slips out to his right and attacks with a kunai as well. Kayo leaps backwards to avoid the assault and it just a second to slow to hit her. Yoshikuni comes at them from the side, but Taiki predicts this and uses a back-spin kick. Yoshikuni catches the leg, but then Yukiko slips around the side and tries to stab him in the gut. The elite Leaf ninja chooses to leap back and join Kayo at her location.
"So, they wanted to separate us again," observes Ichimaru as he makes his way over to Kuroda and Sakura, "But they didn't send the strongest guy to take us out like last time. We should stand a better chance."
"Took your time getting over here, didn't you," jokes Kuroda.
"I was just doing some calculations on how we can beat this guy," Ichimaru jests back.
"You think you can beat me?" laughs Funimo, "You little twerps don't stand a chance, especially if you have to protect that useless girl the whole time."
"You shouldn't underestimate her," retorts Kuroda, "Hidden Leaf kunoichi aren't just ordinary girls."
"Thanks, Kuroda," she says turning bright red and shooting him a grateful glance.
"Hah, sure she is," mocks Funimo.
"So, he is going to try and target Sakura," thinks Ichimaru, "But we can also use that as part of our strategy." He looks at Kuroda and then nods towards Sakura. Kuroda nods back confirming that he understands the plan.
"All right Sakura, you and me are going to attack while Ichimaru backs us up," whispers Kuroda.
"Okay, I got it," she whispers back, a determined light glinting in her eye.
"Good. Then I will follow your lead," he says. Sakura takes out her kunai, trusting in her comrade's plan and then begins to move forward.
"Well, well, this is a surprise. I didn't think they would hire so many ninja to defend a simple shipment of food," says Taiki with a cocky grin.
"I think it's obvious that this shipment of food isn't exactly little," retorts Kayo with her crimson eyes focused on him, "But I'm sure you already knew that, didn't you?"
Taiki laughs carelessly, "Think you got me pegged, do you, Leaf Ninja?"
"Actually, we were wondering why a Snow Ninja would be attacking ships that are delivering goods to his own country," says Yoshikuni slyly, hoping to gain more information about his opponent and his motives.
"Ah, if it isn't Konoha's Brown Cobra. I didn't realize such a famous ninja would be here," says Taiki with an elaborate bow.
"You seem to have me at a disadvantage, because I don't exactly recognize you," replies Yoshikuni evenly.
"It seems my former village hasn't let out the news that I no longer reside with them. No matter, you don't need to know my name," Taiki muses.
"So you're a missing ninja then?" asks Kayo.
"Yes, and now that I know who you are it will be a good chance for me to test my skills against one of the best," replies the rogue, keeping his eye on the Brown Cobra the whole time.
"I don't go around looking for fights, but if you're going to continue attacking these freighters then I'm going to have to stop you," warns Yoshikuni.
Taiki laughs, "Well then, let's get to it."
He and Yukiko act in a perfect synchronized motion and fling some shuriken at them both. Both Leaf Ninja dodge the attack, and Yoshikuni counters with his Striking Shadow Snakes. Four brown-scaled snakes are launched out of his left sleeve and wrap themselves around Taiki, while four snakes from his right sleeve capture Yukiko. Kayo moves in close and attempts to use a Genjutsu on the leader. Before she can, Taiki's body melts into a pool of water.
"Hmm, a Water Clone," comments Kayo intrigued, "When did he do that?"
"Kayo, behind you!" yells Yoshikuni. He moves to help Kayo as Taiki rises up from the water behind her with a spear composed purely of ice in his hands. However, as the Leaf Ninja moves to help his partner he momentarily forgets about Yukiko.
"Ice Style: Swallow Blizzard," announces the girl once she gets off the hand seals. A large group of small, sharp icicles shaped like birds appear over her head and then streak towards the Leaf Jonin. Light sparkles off the tiny shards of ice as they zip through the air.
"Oh crap," Yoshikuni thinks as he detects the light shining off of the surprise attack.
Meanwhile Ichimaru has been attempting to capture Funimo with his Shadow Paralysis Jutsu while Kuroda and Sakura run around and distract him. "Man, this guy is tough," comments Ichimaru in an undertone to his temporary teammates, "We need to think of a better plan."
"You little kids are annoying," Funimo complains as he appears in front of them and lands a kick to each of their abdomens, knocking them a few feet away. Sakura falls to her knees, holding her gut, but Kuroda stands strong on his feet.
"I should end this already," thinks Kuroda, annoyed, "But with Ichimaru around I can't use my Jutsu."
"I'll teach you what a real ninja can do!" shouts Funimo. Before Ichimaru can react Funimo has rattled off the signs for a Jutsu.
"Damn, that was some fast hand weaving," thinks Ichimaru, "So what is his Jutsu going to be, an Ice Style?"
Funimo grins and says, "Ice Style: Instant Freeze!" A cold blast shoots towards Ichimaru. He instantly feels a drop in the temperature and begins losing the feeling in his feet. When he looks down he sees his leg freezing over. Then not a second later he is trapped in a block of ice.
Kuroda looks over and sees Ichimaru standing motionless and thinks, "It must have been some sort of Genjutsu otherwise I would be able to see its effect. I need to get over there and free him from it before he is overwhelmed." He moves to help his friend, but that gives Funimo the chance to strike at his real target.
"Swallow Blizzard!" yells the rogue as hundreds of ice shards shoot out from over his head. Sakura is trapped in a bad position with crates filled with grain on both sides. She is utterly helpless to move and all she can do is watch as the razor-sharp ice flies toward her getting ready to slice her into a thousand bloody pieces. Many of them are headed right for her vital spots. But right before the attack hits, Sakura's seal activates. Underneath her clothes the spot right above her belly button glows purple, revealing the seal. Kuroda is instantly transported in front of the attack. He easily deflects all the shards aimed at vital spots with a kunai. He also manages to knock down many of the other icicles, but there are so many that some of them manage to get through and tear thin strips of skin off of both him and Sakura.
"What the hell was that?" thinks Funimo, flabbergasted, "How did he get over there so fast and how did he deflect all of those? He doesn't even have one significant scratch and neither does the girl."
Kuroda ignores the pain from the hundreds of small cuts he has acquired and extracts one of his special kunai from his weapons pouch. He makes a few well-practiced hand signs and then flings his weapon at Funimo. The rogue dodges, but Kuroda activates his top secret technique. He vanishes from sight and appears behind Funimo almost simultaneously and knocks him unconscious with a chop to the back of the neck.
Ichimaru is slightly released from the Genjutsu and falls to his hands and knees, his heart beating rapidly. He looks around, his vision blurry, trying to figure out what happened and sees his comrade standing over the body of their opponent. A sense of darkness washes over him, seeming to originate from his old friend.
"So it looks like I really can use this technique I inherited in an actual battle," Kuroda thinks as he stares absently at his hand, "That is as long as I'm not seen by anyone, and since Ichimaru was trapped in an illusion I should be fine. Now I just need to put this guy down for good."
While battling the two Jonin Taiki catches sight of his subordinate being defeated and narrows his eyes speculatively and thinks, "So that one was holding back. I can't fight all of them at once, so I'll have to get rid of them one by one. He seems to have a connection with that girl, so I'll start with her."
Taiki quickly makes seals and a Water Clone forms from all the water droplets on the deck. It rushes forward to help deal with Yoshikuni and Kayo, as the real Taiki goes after Sakura.
"Sakura, watch out!" screams Kayo as she tries to make her way to her student, but Yukiko steps in front of her and blocks the path. Kuroda turns to help his teammate, but it is already too late. Sakura is helpless to defend herself against the rogue Jonin. After knocking her unconscious with one blow, Taiki tosses her into the freezing cold ocean. Kuroda sprints past him in a blur of insane speed and dives in the water after Sakura.
"Well, that is convenient," laughs Taiki, to himself, "I took out two birds with one stone."
Yoshikuni is locked in a clash of kunai with the Water Clone, both of them fighting to overpower the other. Out of the corner of his eye he spots an opening and suddenly stops pushing back against the clone, causing it to stumble forward. Then he sprints over just as Yukiko is landing back on the deck, his mouth is set in a grim line as he drives his fist into her face and sends her flying.
Taiki is able to jump over and catch her before she falls into the ocean. Then he looks over to see Kayo slash his clone across the chest with a kunai causing it to lose its form.
"It looks like you've won this time, Leaf Ninja, but I'll be back, and you'll be down two more ninja," promises Taiki as he picks up the unconscious Funimo and runs across the top of the water back to a waiting pirate ship.
Yoshikuni walks over and fully releases Ichimaru from the Genjutsu. The Leaf Genin wakes up, his head pounding, wondering what happened. "You were caught in a Genjutsu," explains Kayo, "Kuroda was about to release you from it, but then he had to go and help out Sakura."
"Damn, a Genjutsu? I should have expected that," Ichimaru curses, "Wait, where are Kuroda and Sakura now?"
"Somewhere out there," she reveals, pointing to the sea.
"What are we waiting for then?" he questions frantically, "We have to go after them!"
"We can't," says Kayo, "It is the middle of the ocean. Even if we had a qualified tracker ninja it would almost impossible to find them. It hasn't even been three minutes and we have already moved far away from where they entered the water. There is nothing we can do, we just have to hope that Kuroda can find Sakura and then make his way back to the village on his own."
"Sensei, come on, we aren't just going to leave them out there to die are we?" shouts Ichimaru.
Yoshikuni places a comforting hand on his student's shoulder and replies, "Sometimes ninja lose the ones closest to them, but they have to keep going and complete the mission. Have faith, Kuroda is a strong ninja. He knew what he was doing when he jumped in after Sakura."
"Damn it," thinks Ichimaru as he clenches his fist, "You'd better come back, Kuroda, or I won't forgive you."
(The enemy ninja have retreated again, but the Leaf Ninja have paid a high price. Can Kuroda and Sakura survive the freezing temperatures of the ocean? As usual, if you want more information on my characters you can see their bios on my profile page. Be warned, there may be some spoilers. Also I'm in the process of getting pictures drawn for the characters, but I have no idea how long that will take. If you're interested in drawing and have a DA account then send me a Message. Enjoy the next chapter, and please review.)