(Welcome back! This is the Fifth Chapter of a 10 Part Arc. Team 3 journeys deeper into the enemy hideout in order to save their comrade, but what kind of trap are they walking into? I love feedback and constructive criticism, so please leave a review so I can improve my writing and storytelling skills. Enjoy!)
The cave system has many twists and turns, but the mechanical bird that tracks chakra stays on the main passageway lit by the overhead lights. Small bits of light reflect off its metal wings allowing the team to keep track of it as it traverses through the winding paths. Some of the corridors are wide enough for all three team members to travel through comfortably, while others are so narrow that it is difficult for a single person to travel through. The damp and cool atmosphere doesn't do much to pump up the team's spirits, but they stay true to their goal.
"The lighting system doesn't seem to be anywhere except on this main pathway," Kuroda observes, "So, either they have traps set up in the unlit areas, or they simply haven't gotten around to installing lighting everywhere."
"More likely they just happened along this place and the lights were already here," Kayo comments, "It was probably a mine at some point."
"But there are no tracks to for the carts to haul out the minerals," Jando points out.
"True, but there are more efficient ways of moving things," Kayo replies as she notices the bird begin to flap its wings faster, "We're getting close. Be ready."
They turn at the next corner and appear in a large open cavern, bigger than anything they have been through so far. In the center the two Smoke Ninja that they have encounter are discussing something with each other. The mechanical bird lands in Kayo's hand and poofs into smoke.
"Look, Sakura is with them," Kuroda points out.
"Does this mean that there are only two of them?" Jando asks, slightly disappointed.
"I think so," Kayo says, her eyes scanning around and analyzing the situation, "They probably assumed that it would be an in-and-out type mission so they only sent two people. But they are very skilled."
"So what is the plan?" Kuroda inquires, his eyes showing his determination to get back his ally.
"It looks like our guests are here," Kaneo announces, "Why don't you come out and we can do a trade. Your little comrade here in exchange for the sculpture."
"I don't think so," Kayo says coolly, "We will be taking both of them out of here."
"Is that so?" Bosch sneers, "Well, then come and get her." He throws Sakura's body over his shoulder and takes off into one of the side caverns linked to the large one they are in. Jando sees Bosch and feeling confident he goes after him without thinking.
"It is my fault Sakura got captured, I should have seen him with my Byakugan. Don't worry, I can handle this guy on my own!" he calls back.
"Wait, Jando, you won't be able to get past his Genjutsu…" Kayo yells as she tries to follow him.
The entire cavern starts to shake, Kuroda and Kayo look around in confusion while Kaneo smiles confidently. Loose pieces of rock fall down from the ceiling making a deadly rain. Kayo stops short when giant boulders crash down and close off the path behind Jando.
"Bosch, you imbecile, I told you to occupy both of the boys," Kaneo thinks in frustration, "Fine, I'll just kill the kid quickly so I can duel with the Yuhi."
"We're cut off," mutters Kayo, "I don't have anything that can get through this much rock."
"We'll just have to hope Jando can handle it by himself until we can find our way around," Kuroda responds, annoyed by the setback.
"You seem to be forgetting about me," Kaneo interrupts, "I'd worry about saving yourselves first before thinking about your friends."
"You're right, we'll just have to take you down then," Kuroda replies, shifting into a cocky battle stance.
"Easier said than done," Kaneo replies as he makes hand signs, "Water Style: Hidden Mist Technique." The air turns cold and damp as the moisture in the air thickens. Visibility is severely reduced as the mist consumes the entire area.
"I can barely even make out Kayo-sensei even though she is right next to me," Kuroda thinks, "But the enemy should be suffering from the problem."
"Stay close to me, Kuroda," Kayo cautions as she places her back against his, "If he is using a mist this thick then he probably has advanced senses so that he can locate us."
"You've faced this Jutsu before?" he asks, eyes uselessly looking around to try and detect the enemy.
"Yes," she confirms, "It is the trademark Jutsu of the Village Hidden in the Mist just like the Fireball Jutsu is for Konoha."
"You know you really shouldn't talk so much," calls Kaneo as he weaves his way towards them, "It makes you so much easier to find. I don't even have to bother with listening for your heartbeats."
"He can actually hear our beating hearts?" Kuroda wonders, "Is that a special ability of his, or is he augmenting his senses with his chakra?"
A leg flies out of the haze and smashes into Kayo's side and sends her flying across the room. Kuroda tries to track where she lands, but the mist screens her from his view. He runs over in the general direction that she traveled, but has no sure way of finding her. The mist starts to swirl around him and then seems to back off and give him a few meters of room where he can actually see clearly. His mind races as he runs through several different courses of action.
Kaneo steps out from his mist with an evil grin upon his face and says, "Sorry, but your journey is going to have to end here. I don't want you interfering when I fight your master head on."
"He wants to fight Kayo alone?" Kuroda wonders, "But why?"
"Don't worry I'll make it quick," Kaneo says as he makes some hand signs, "But not painless. Ninja Art: Deadly Poison Death!" A cloud of purple mist erupts from the ground, spreading out on the floor much faster then any natural gas would. It seeps all around and quickly surrounds Kuroda before he can move out of range.
A strange feeling washes over the Leaf Ninja as the new mist engulfs him. His feet and legs cramp up and the muscles inside seem to seize and knot together and lose all strength causing him to fall to his knees. He slides his pant leg up and sees that his shins are turning purple. The feeling of limbs becoming frail and weak spreads up through his body. He stares helplessly wondering, "What is this? What is happening to me?"
Kaneo laughs as his victim succumbs to his Jutsu. He turns his back on the boy and goes to find his true prey.
Meanwhile Jando has followed Bosch through the maze of the cave system until arriving in another large cavern. This has poor lighting compared to the previous one, and there are no other visible entrances or exits.
Jando stops to catch his breath before moving in closer to the enemy. Bosch turns around to face his chaser and carelessly tosses Sakura's unconscious body onto the rough surface of the rubs his shoulder with his hand and then rotates his arm in a circle to work off the stiffness before deciding he is good to go.
"Well, well it's the Hyuga boy again," he taunts, "Don't think you'll get lucky like you did last time."
"There was no luck," Jando counters, "It was all skill."
"Really now?" the Smoke Ninja replies as he makes hand signs, "Then let's see how you deal with this. Ninja Art: Poison Fog!" He leans his head back and then juts it forward and a cloud of purple smoke sprays out of his mouth.
Jando covers his mouth with the sleeves of his robes in an attempt to prevent himself from inhaling the deadly gas. "That's not going to work," Bosch shouts, "My poison will seep right through that flimsy material your clothes are made from." Jando's body slowly but surely slumps down to the ground.
"Stupid kid, thinking you could take me one on one," Bosch thinks as he walks over to the body, "Now I need to go find that other one before Kaneo gets pissed at me for ruining his challenge. Then I can have fun with the girl."
He notices a hint of movement and quickly leaps far away. "Damn, I missed my chance," Jando thinks after his failed strike, "I probably won't get one like that again." He moves his left leg back and his right arm forward into one of his clan's classic Taijutsu stances.
"Impossible, how did you survive my poison?" Bosch questions in complete astonishment.
"You're pretty dumb, aren't you," Jando replies as he taps his finger against something over his mouth and nose, "Your friend used the same attack against us earlier. So our Sensei gave us each a breathing apparatus so we wouldn't get poisoned."
"Huh, you are better than I thought," Bosch admits "But I am still going to pound you into the dirt!"
Kayo sprints through the dark corridor formed long ago by nature. Her pursuer is right on her tail, so she doesn't have much time to decide on a plan of action. "I'll lead him away from the mist he created," she thinks, "Hopefully Kuroda will find his way over to Jando and assist him. Now I just need to find a place where I'll have the advantage in a fight against the leader."
"She's looking for a spot that will be advantageous to her," Kaneo thinks as he follows along in her wake, "But if my memory is correct then she is heading towards the perfect spot for her demise."
The corridor comes to an end in another large, spacious cavern. Kayo spots another passage on the side and heads for it. But the floor rumbles and the ceiling comes crumbling down, blocking off not only that exit but all of the others as well. "Damnit, he was steering me here the whole time," Kayo thinks as she turns back around to face the enemy.
"It looks like my careful planning worked to perfection," Kaneo brags, "Now we will have this place as a nice arena for our contest and we won't have to deal with any disturbances."
"Contest?" Kayo repeats in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm guessing you probably don't know who I am so let me properly introduce myself. I am Kaneo of the Hidden Smoke Village," he says with a formal bow, "In my village I'm rather well known as the best Genjutsu user around. Of course I know about you also. You are from the famous Yuhi clan of the Hidden Leaf. After the massacre of the Uchiha clan your clan became the top Genjutsu users in the Land of Fire. So since I came across you so conveniently I figured why not test my skills against one of the best."
"So then splitting me up from my team wasn't really your master plan to get the sculpture," Kayo says, "You just wanted to fight me one on one."
"I'm confident that my subordinate Bosch can handle your two remaining Genin seeing as one is unconscious and the other is a waste of space," Kaneo states confidently.
"You are forgetting about the last and most skilled of my Genin," Kayo responds with a grin.
"Oh no, I already took care of that one," Kaneo replies with a devilish smile, "He should be dead in a few more seconds."
"Could he be telling the truth?" Kayo wonders, "Did he lead Kuroda into a different trap? I'll have to defeat him quickly and go search for him."
"Now then as the gentleman that I am, I will let the lady make the first move," Kaneo announces with another bow and sweep of his arm.
"You won't last long as a ninja if you are so courteous to your enemy," Kayo replies as she makes hand signs.
"Ahh, but manners are what allow us a sense of civility in this murderous occupation of ours," Kaneo counters, wagging his finger.
"It's your life, if you want to throw it away so casually who am I to argue?" Kayo shrugs in response, "Body Freeze Jutsu!"
Kaneo tries to move forward but his muscles are locked in place. "That's it?" he complains, "Your opening move is a paralyzing type? I guess your clan isn't as good as I presumed."
"Big talk for someone…" Kayo starts to say before she realizes that she can't move her body. Kaneo has regained control and makes hand signs for his own Jutsu.
"What? He already reversed my technique?" she thinks in shock as she tries to release herself.
"I'll just go ahead and show you what I am capable of," Kaneo announces sinisterly, as he finishes his hand signs, "Ninja Art: Deadly Poison Death!"
A strange feeling washes over the Leaf Kunoichi as the new mist engulfs her. Her feet and legs cramp up and the muscles inside cramp up and lose all strength causing her to fall to her knees. She looks down and sees that her shins and ankles are turning purple. The feeling of limbs becoming frail and weak spreads up through her body.
"Crap, this is a top level Genjutsu," Kayo thinks as she struggles to concentrate her chakra, "I guess he wasn't lying when he said he was the best in his village. I'll need to work quickly if I want to survive this."
"So how does it feel?" Kaneo asks pervertedly, "Are you enjoying the taste of my Jutsu?"
"It's not bad," Kayo replies calmly, after managing to free herself from his technique, "A little too slow moving for my liking."
"What did you say?" Kaneo questions with a scowling face.
"I'll probably need to use my strongest technique to defeat him," she thinks, "But that will take some time to prepare. I'll have to try and distract him for a bit with another one."
"I asked you a question," he demands, "It is rude to not answer me."
Kayo's eyes shine brighter and their crimson color seems to bleed out and infect the world around, turning every other color into a shade of red as her Jutsu starts to take effect.
"I think you heard me just fine," she responds, "But in a minute you won't be able to hear anything at all. Ninja Art: Crimson Wrath!"
"Oh, this Jutsu is much stronger," Kaneo thinks as tears of blood flow from his eyes, "This might be a challenge after all."
(Sakura has been captured by the enemy. Jando chases after Sakura, but can he save her on his own? Kuroda is on the verge of death, will he survive? Kaneo is intent on battling Kayo, but whose techniques will prove stronger? As always, 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.)