Here comes the first C-rank! Sorry for the EXTREMELY long wait… I have a hard time with motivation and I don't have a writing schedule, which definitely doesn't help. I often find myself writing very few times per week, sometimes not at all. I guess it's cause I'm lazy. If it's any consolation, this chapter's LONG. I wanted the mission to take one chapter, but I thoroughly underestimated how long it would be. I'll probably write the word count in the end notes since as of writing this, I'm not actually done with the chapter.
I edited last chapter's talk with Gai a little bit. There was this one part that I've been cringing at for the past month and I finally remembered to change it. It's the part where Daisuke straight up tells Gai the full names of the people he plans to get help from, i.e. Minato, Itachi and Shisui. I thought it was too literal and I think it was part of what gave me the idea that writing the talk with Gai was a rushed narrative (which wasn't my intention. It's rushed by Daisuke, not the story, because Daisuke is feeling pressured)
I edited part of chapter 1 because it was written super unnaturally and was horrible to read.
I have spent a fair bit of time brainstorming and rewriting lines, and once again I don't have a beta reader, I just kind of reread and edit weird sentences to make them feel more natural, so I might have missed something this time (as always). Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!
June 14th, 1bNb
I knew I had to rest as much as possible, but similarly to the night before Tsume-sensei's test, it was hard to get the shut-eye I would need for the mission. It's not like I didn't sleep at all, but it only came after hours of anxiety, nervousness and racing thoughts.
Dealing with a lack of sleep is something that shinobi did all the time thanks to chakra and soldier pills, but I learned in the academy that it wasn't the healthiest habit. Your body and brain could become dependent on chakra saturation, or worse, the aforementioned soldier pills.
I'm not sure what's in those pills, but with a little common sense, it isn't hard to imagine some components of the pill being drugs. Dependency and horrible side effects were well known side effects of the soldier pill, which sounded an awful lot like the same drugs that were oh-so-popular back on Earth. Countries on Earth DID use drugs to their advantage in war, too.
You know what, maybe I shouldn't be thinking about soldier pills.
I woke up at about 5 o'clock, anxiety prodding at my stomach like a dull blade. It would supposedly be a safe mission, but I don't know… a mission's still a mission. I got into the shower to wake myself up, and also because this would probably be my only shower in days.
Sensei hadn't told us many specifics about the mission. Iruka and I guessed that we would be briefed on the mission at the village gates. The outpost was nowhere near any border, still deep in the heart of the Fire Country, which helped to keep me optimistic.
Lazily leaving the shower, I dried myself off and brushed my teeth. Similarly to Before, my morning routine was a slow one. I preferred waking up a little earlier and enjoying the cozy silence for just a bit longer, without needing to rush. It's why I woke up at 5 instead of a time closer to 6. I could probably shower, eat, brush my teeth and prepare my gear perfectly fine in under 30 minutes, but I needed this so-called 'calm before the storm'.
Kaa-san prepared some rice the night before, so I treated myself with a small bowl of that with a fried egg. It's important to not overeat before doing anything strenuous, after all. A little bit of carbs would energize me just fine, especially with this small body.
I finished my meal and started to get my mission gear ready. Kunai, shuriken, soldiers pills (just in case), ration bars, ninja wire and a shinobi-grade canteen were neatly packed within a standard and compact backpack I got myself with my money from the countless D-ranks my team had done.
Reaching for the door handle, I was startled by cold air being blown at my neck, which sent chills down my back. It was kaa-san, drowsily smiling at me. "You didn't think I'd let you go without seeing you off, did you?" she teased as she ruffled her hand through my hair playfully.
I felt my cheeks heat up as I looked down shamefully. "I thought it would be better if you didn't worry about me in the morning…" I muttered sheepishly. She sighed before kneeling down and cupping my cheeks with her warm hands. "Oh, sweetie. I'll always be worried about you, no matter how much older or stronger you'll get." she said solemnly. Her expression held a worried smile, showing both pride and anxiousness.
"Kaa-chan, I'm sorry, bu-" I said before being interrupted by a finger covering my mouth. "Shhh, I know. After all these years, if there's one thing I can count on with you, it's your desire to be a shinobi. That Will of Fire blazing within you."
Love and warmth emanated from each word. She spoke fondly, despite the worry my insistence at being a shinobi brought her. Guilt incorporated itself into my smile. Her arms wrapped around me, squeezing me just hard enough not to hurt.
One of the many things I'm glad to have here is a mother who was just as loving as my previous one. Love and support went a long way, no matter the situation.
"Just be careful, 'Kay?" she whispered into my ear, worry thoroughly present in her voice. "Of course." I responded back with a heavy heart. She released the hug and stood up. "We don't want you being late on your first mission outside the village, do we Daisuke-chan?" she affectionately chuckled.
I faced the door and stepped out. "Guess not. Love you, Kaa-chan. Tell Izumi that I'll be back soon." I waved goodbye as I looked back. "Right! Bye-bye, Daisuke-chan! I love you!" she waved back.
I still felt the warmth from her hands on my cheeks as I jumped along the roofs of Konoha, heading towards the gate. Neither the early morning cold nor the chilly breeze could take that warmth away. Nothing could.
The distance to the village gates did not take long to travel and I found myself gazing at the massive entrance to my home. At the front of the entrance stood my team's leader and my sensei, Inuzuka Tsume, along with several other figures.
Approaching Tsume-sensei, she acknowledged me with a grin and nod. "Mornin', brat. Yer here early." she noted before her eyes glanced over to a pale man… with straight, long and black hair… and yellow eyes.
Is that Orochimaru? He's here, why's he here? My heart nearly stopped in my chest as my eyes glided over his neutral face. Sweat beaded on my forehead. Calm down, at this point, he isn't an enemy.
A side of his lips curved in a slight smile of amusement. My breath hitched. "Good morning, young one. I don't believe we've met." he remarked, interrupting my sharp intake of breath. Taking the hint, I straightened up my expression as well as I could.
"O-oh! I'm sorry to be rude! My name is U-," yeah, nope, "Daisuke." I stammered out, trying not to trip over any words. "I assume you already know who I am?" he chuckled, hinting at my silent outburst of fear. I quickly nodded twice.
A snort echoed out from behind me.
I looked around and realized there were other people with us. In fact, the first thing I noticed was a lavender ponytail. Anko, and… Hyuuga Momoku, along with a boy who I vaguely remembered as a fellow graduate from our class at the academy. Along with their sensei, Team 2 had been gathered here alongside Team 4.
I approached the genin to avoid talking with Orochimaru. The brown-haired boy waved at me, "Oh hello, Uchiha-san. It's nice to see you again." he said politely. Shit, I forgot his name. I think he was someone from the academy. "Nice to see you too, eh…" I said nervously, trying to think of his name.
He chuckled, "You can't remember my name either? Don't worry, I can't remember your given name. It's Hikaru Kamiki." he reassured me sheepishly. I offered a handshake. "Thank god! I'm Uchiha Daisuke. Let's get along during the mission, Hikaru-san." He shook my hand, "Likewise,"
I noticed the gaze of my Hyuuga classmate after that. I nodded at him, "Hyuuga-san." he gave me a curt nod in response, "Uchiha-san." he acknowledged with his usual formality. That only left one girl. "Hey, Anko..." I greeted sheepishly. She glared at me for even trying. I'd say it was worth a shot.
As I sighed in exacerbation, I heard footsteps behind me. Shimada and Iruka had arrived at nearly the same time. Before I could greet the two, a loud voice boomed, "A'right, everyone! Gather 'round!" Tsume-sensei ordered.
"Ya pups look a little confused, so lemme fill 'ye in. Team 2 and Team 4 are on a joint mission to bring intel to a Konoha outpost, code-named 'Utahime'. It'sa new outpost, 't was put tagether 4 months ago. And lemme just cut out the bullshit, the real reason fer our groupin' is that the Hokage thought it'd be an enrichin' experience ta take as many o'ya as we could." she informed us in the least formal mission briefing in Konoha's history.
"It is convenient that my team accompanies Team 4, as I have been assigned a mission not far from 'Utahime'. It has been decided that Inuzuka Tsume-kun will escort my team back to the village." Orochimaru added, his voice irrationally startling me.
"Does anyone have any inquiries? If not, we shall soon depart. The journey is a relatively short one. One day of traveling at genin-standard speed, which you all should be able to reliably maintain." the sannin concluded, looking at each of us. No one had any questions, and so we walked towards the gates. Sensei and Orochimaru spoke to the chuunin guards, preparing our departure.
What a great turn of events. A mission with two girls who hate my guts and a jounin who I'm deathly afraid of. Way to make a situation uncomfortable, Sarutobi Hiruzen… maybe it's a little unfair to be upset at that guy, he wouldn't know about any of that.
What's done is done and I'll have to spend the next week with those three. A nervous sigh escaped my lips. This'll be a wonderful first C-rank!
—-
Being outside the village for the first time was exciting. In my past life I'd done plenty of traveling, so it's not because I was sheltered or something, but the way the famous Hashirama trees of Konoha stretched out in front of us for miles, how we hopped for hours and hours, it all made the places I'd lived in on Earth seem pretty damn small.
This was the first time my endurance was put under this kind of stress, too. It's not like I couldn't handle some running, I had plenty of training done on that front with Gai, but it felt like what jogging for the first time in my original body felt like. Keeping at a pace I could technically maintain, yet the experience was foreign to my body. The slowly rising fatigue and breathlessness was oddly nostalgic to me.
The feeling of wind blowing past my body, blowing my hair back, the slight burn and strain of my muscles and the satisfying speed that a chakra powered leap would provide, it was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Combine that with the soothing silence, and I was able to forget about the fact that it was my first real mission, and that Orochimaru was just meters away from me.
During the journey, we were finally able to make use of Tsume-sensei's teachings about discrete travel and clearing up our trail. There was no time or breath to be wasted on chatting, and we had to rely on the use of Konoha-style Shinobi code to communicate.
As expected, the team of Orochimaru was prepared physically for this kind of endurance. I couldn't see much of a sign of struggle on Anko, Momoku or Hikaru-san. I was doing fine, too, but I was concerned about Iruka and Shimada, who were both breathing just a tad faster than the rest of us. Maybe Sensei had been a bit soft with our training.
Orochimaru said the travel time was about a day, but in reality it was approximately 26 hours. We left in the morning, and by now 16 hours had passed, and both senseis had stopped us to set up camp.
Finally stopping for something other than a ration bar or water break, we got to setting up camp, which was just a campfire and sleeping bags, which were brought using the convenience of storage scrolls.
Shinobi didn't always forage and hunt for food mid mission, but Tsume-sensei was able to convince the reluctant snake summoner that it would be 'A crying shame!' if we didn't catch something to eat on our first day outside the village.
Us genin were split into little groups to find something edible, which had me and Hikaru-san paired up for hunting. I'm convinced even us newbie shinobi won't have any problems finding a few rabbits or birds worth eating.
At first, the hunt was silent so we wouldn't scare away any animals and to keep our senses ready for action. Hikaru-san was able to pick up the sound of two rabbits hiding in bushes, and swiftly killed them with a kunai. The way he threw the kunai made me think he'd done this before. I was able to catch a rabbit before it ran away as well, though I didn't have the heart to kill it, to Hikaru-san's confusion.
Can you blame me when they're just so cute? Anyway, three rabbits were okay just for a bit of stew, and we managed to kill two birds on the way back.
"Uchiha-san-, wait, can I just call you Daisuke-san to make this easier?" I nodded, "Anyways, I was wondering… why Anko was glaring at you like that? Weren't you guys like besties with that other kid back in the Academy?" he asked when we didn't need to keep quiet anymore.
Good question, man. "I said some hurtful stuff that offended her, and before you ask I'm not elaborating. I was too hasty and explained myself poorly, and that's how I got here. I hope I'll get the chance to make up with her soon."
My conversation with Anko came with no preparation and was probably a sign from above that not everything would go my way if I rushed things. I wasn't sure what I would say differently if I could go back and do it again, but as things are right now, our relationship could put the squad's communication or cooperation at risk.
'"Huh. To be honest, I couldn't imagine much that would genuinely offend the Team's resident tomboy." he said amusedly. I snorted, "Heh, a tomboy? I didn't see it before, but now that you mention it…"
He clapped excitedly, "Finally, somebody gets it! Orochimaru-sensei and Momoku-san are completely immune to humor, y'know? They just stare at me with this creepy glare if you try to make a joke!" he exclaimed, slapping my shoulder.
"Hyuuga Momoku and humor… yeahh, no. He's way too formal AND he's a Hyuuga." I commented. "You can say that again." he shot back with a huff.
I chuckled before looking at him again, "By the way, is Orochimaru any good as a sensei?" I asked. He tilted his head, "Well, I guess he's pretty stern. He trains us really hard, saying that we're at war and that we need to be ready. And since he's a Sannin, he's always sent off to missions without us."
I raised an eyebrow, "Really? How often is he gone?"
He scratched his chin, "A few times a week, I think he's something of a scientist. Whenever we ask, he says he's off on official duty, or working on some kind of experiment."
My eyes widened, "B-but he's not being neglectful or anything! He always makes sure we have something to do when he's gone! He's more thoughtful than you'd expect." he corrected himself hurriedly, misunderstanding my expression.
Well, if he's openly talking about his experiments it must mean he's not doing anything morally dubious right now, but I can't help but feel concerned. Is it possible that he feels some sort of compassion for his students? Maybe he holds himself to some kind of standard. A sense of duty for Konoha? Who knows how long till that lasts.
"It must be tough. Has he gotten you started on a specialization already, Hikaru-san?" I asked with some curiosity. It'll be a good idea to know what he's capable of.
"He said I've got some talent in stealth and bukijutsu, and I'm a sensor, so apparently I can specialize in infiltration and assassination type missions. He's been working me to the bone teaching me to suppress my presence. What about you?"
"Ninjutsu and chakra control, mostly. I think my taijutsu is alright too."
"Huh. Got a lot of chakra?" he said with a small amount of interest. I shrugged, "I think so? It's not anywhere close to an adult's amount." I humbly admitted.
A sensor, though. The concept has always interested me. Sensors were, from what I could remember, extremely valuable for strategic purposes and somewhat rare. It's a shame that I wasn't born a sensor.
"Hikaru-san, how much can you sense from chakra?"
"I'm worse than my tou-san is, but I can sense peoples' general emotional states, their chakra flaring up, their location. That's pretty much it, for now at least." he explained casually.
"Can you differentiate between signatures?"
"Sure, but I need to concentrate," he added.
"Then, how can you tell if they are hostile in a pinch?" I questioned further.
"That's simple, actually. Malice and bloodlust will subtly leak out of anyone who isn't experienced in reigning it in. Things like that, I can sense much easier. As my sensory abilities grow, it will become easier to sense more than just emotion from people." he admitted easily.
Now I'm curious about something.
"You said if you focused, you could differentiate chakra signatures. Do they feel especially different from person to person?" I wondered. My own thought process told me that it depended from sensor to sensor. If Hikaru-san could judge peoples' emotional state through sensing, perhaps proving that Orochimaru was dangerous was actually possible, at some point in the future,
"Kinda. I can sense some characteristics which seem to match their personality and chakra's quality." he confirmed after a short pause. He glanced back at me, "Why do you ask?"
"I was just wondering if you could tell me how my chakra felt to you." I admitted with a sheepish smile. "You're interesting, Daisuke-san." he snickered, "Sure, but we're gonna need to stop walking for a second." I nodded, watching him close his eyes.
His concentrated expression shifted from straining, to surprise. "Daisuke-san, wow. You weren't lying about having a lot of chakra." he breathed out, his eyebrows scrunched again, "It's… blazing yet… tranquil? Your chakra feels much more serene than a normal Uchiha's. Do you have another affinity?"
I hummed in affirmation, and he shook his head in disbelief. "By the way," I began, "how does, say, Orochimaru's chakra feel like?" I asked, pretending that my question came from vague curiosity.
"I guess…," he murmured, "I mean, it's a bit hard to describe. His chakra almost feels like it slithers. Most jounin have a sort of authority and power behind their signature, and Orochimaru-sensei's signature feels the most overwhelming out of anyone else's I've sensed."
"Well, that's only natural."
Before we knew it, we returned to the camp, meat on hand. A fire was blazing below a suspended pot. The adults stayed behind while us genin got water, herbs, vegetables, and meat.
For the cooking process, Tsume-sensei and Iruka took charge. They knew how to cook the best of us, and to be honest I didn't want to know what kind of cooking someone like Anko or Momoku would produce.
The stew, a kind of amalgamation of different meat, herbs and veggies, was actually pretty good. Nothing like a genuine home-cooked meal kaa-san would make, but it was a filling dinner with a satisfying richness. It probably tasted better since we prepared the meal ourselves. And because we hadn't eaten anything proper in a full day. Even Orochimaru, who was originally against the idea, admitted that the stew was worth the effort.
As the warmth from the stew settled into our stomachs, we divided our sleep time so we could always have someone keeping watch. We were heading to sleep by about 11 or 12 in the evening. And six hours of total sleep was enough sleep for any shinobi, according to the Sannin.
As some kind of a learning experience, Tsume-sensei and Orochimaru opted to make us, the genin, in charge of keeping watch. Makes plenty of sense, but to be honest, I could hardly imagine the two of them fully sleeping during any mission, let alone when green children like us would be put in charge. I bet they slept with one eye open.
We had six genin, which meant we could give each person an hour of watch to do, but we opted for pairs. It would be easier to stay awake if there was someone to chat with. Shimada and Anko would be the first to keep watch, then Momoku and I after them, and finally Iruka and Hikaru-san.
I knew falling asleep would be easy, with the faint exhaustion dulling my limbs and the warm food sitting in my stomach. Merely climbing into my sleeping bag had my eyelids droop immediately, as if a weight were placed on them.
The light sleep I fell into was a dreamless one, and it was way too short. Upon being forced awake by painful slaps on the face, the heaviness behind my eyelids remained, lighter than before, but ever present.
A grumble of irritation escaped from my parted lips and as I sat up and stretched my arms, cheeks stinging. I scowled at the two snickering girls, who unsympathetically walked away to sleep without another word. Rubbing at my tired eyes, my eyes glanced around to see Momoku, who was already awake, exhaustion cleverly hidden or nonexistent. I couldn't tell which.
"Not to offend you, Uchiha-san," his expression held no disdain or anger, "but a shinobi must always be alert, even while others are keeping watch. Especially if you are being slapped." he advised me. I frowned, "No offense taken," I reassured him. "It won't happen again." I'm sure if there had been any real hostility from either girl, I would have reacted.
I stood up with a slight groan and joined Momoku, who was leaning up against a tree. The Hyuuga were notoriously formal and stern, similarly to the Uchiha, though they were said to not be as socially stunted as their red-eyed counterparts.
Apparently, Momoku felt comfortable in total silence for our watch. The absence of talking surprisingly didn't end up being awkward. I imagine that he simply didn't feel the need to make conversation in these circumstances.
That's why it surprised me when Momoku suddenly spoke after about an hour. "Back at the village, you were petrified when you first saw him." he said suddenly, narrowing his pale eyes at me. I blinked at him, blindsided by the abrupt statement, "Huh? Do you mean Orochimaru?" He nodded wordlessly.
"He just startled me, that's all. He's kinda scary, and I freaked out a little." I deflected with an awkward chuckle. His eyes narrowed further, "Do not lie to me, Uchiha-san. Even I can tell the difference between someone who is startled or terrified."
I grimaced at his prying words. Why the hell is every kid in this world so creepy? You're supposed to be thinking about legos or something! His pale eyes bore into me, demanding an answer.
"What can I say? I'm just scared of him, okay?" I looked down at my feet nervously, and then faced him again with a grimace, "I've always felt like there was something off about the guy." I relented with a huff. "This sort of irrationality doesn't suit you." he stated after a pause, finally looking away. The famous Hyuuga gaze was just as stressful as everyone said it was.
After that, he didn't say anything. Despite the fact that I barely admitted anything to him, strangely enough, he didn't ask me about anything else. What could I have told him?
I've noticed that I keep asking myself that question nowadays: 'What can I tell them?', and it's getting frustrating, to say the least.
Our watch finished without incident. To be honest, I didn't feel all that tired yet, but I knew that I should sleep as much as possible. The lack of sleep would kick in and later hit me like a truck if I didn't take sleeping enough seriously.
Momoku and I roused Hikaru-san and Iruka from their slumber. Both boys woke up in a more graceful manner than myself, alert and focused almost immediately. Momoku stared at me pointedly, unimpressed.
The morning passed in a blink of an eye, and considering how long I slept, another two hours, I was expecting more of a lackluster rest than I'd gotten. We ate some ration bars for breakfast and before I knew it, the six of us were standing in front of both of our squad leaders, whose arms were crossed impatiently.
"I shall ignore the amount of time it took for you all to get prepared as this is your first mission. Next time, you will be faster. Let's go, we are racing against the clock." Orochimaru ordered us with an air of professionalism. "And try'da keep up, will ya? We're uppin' the pace!" Tsume-sensei added. We all turned to follow their lead.
The rest of the journey was short in comparison to the previous day's one. Because of the quicker pace, Orochimaru and Tsume-sensei estimated we would arrive in just shy of 8 hours. Momoku, Anko and I handled the increased speed somehow, but it seemed like Iruka, Shimada and Hikaru-san were barely holding on.
I guess they would earn points in our senseis' eyes for discipline. It took real perseverance to move at a level beyond their normal limits for so long, though I suspected there was something to boost us in those shinobi rations we ate. Hopefully just caffeine or sugar.
As we passed through the wilderness at these higher speeds, I could hear the scurrying of rabbits and deer. Flocks of birds flew by, their wing flaps sounding more like claps due to their numbers.
The eight hours passed quickly and without incident, and we found ourselves just a small clearing from our mission objective. I let out my long-held breath, as I felt a rumbling sensation in my feet. Didn't know I was that nervous.
The outpost was partially underground and had the appearance of a small hilly area covered in trees, not at all unique from the landscape around the area. From a distance, it was virtually invisible. It was impossible to tell the size or shape of the base from the outside. Seals and genjutsu hid the entrances, sealed off sound from the inside, and eliminated any possible smells. Utahime was an important base, after all.
We approached our mission objective, being sure to avoid making any tracks traceable to the base. Sensei led us to an otherwise normal-looking tree by the side of the hill. She took a sniff and looked around to ensure no one was around, and,
"A kunai whistles through the battlefield, and Hashirama's leaves part as though they are air itself." she said curtly.
A second passed before an unknown voice echoed out of nowhere. "Thereafter, His leaves surge forth," they murmured, their voice heavily distorted.
"Razor-sharp." she finished, saying what I now registered as a form of code. A slight glow of blue illuminated our faces as the ground shook, and a Konoha Jounin who I didn't recognize opened an invisible door, seemingly parting space. Fuinjutsu is as intriguing as I remember…
"Come in," the man said curtly, his voice no longer disguised. His arm pointed us into the base. We nodded as we finally entered Utahime. The weird seal-door-hybrid closed behind us, and as soon as the sound reached our ears, Tsume-sensei immediately shouted. "Kousei! Ya 'ol grouch, how've ya been?!" she asked as she roughly swung an arm around his shoulders.
The sudden change in demeanor had all of us genin gapping our mouths open in surprise. They're friends? A loud scoff came from the Jounin - Kousei's mouth. "Get your arm off of me, Tsume, before I lop it off." he demanded, glaring at Tsume-sensei's smiling face.
No. Not friends. Definitely not friends. "You know ya love me!" she snickered before taking her arm off of the poor man. "Pups, this's Kousei, one'ah my pals!" she announced with uncharacteristic cheer, pointing at Kousei's shaking head. Maybe they are friends? "As if we were anything as ridiculous as 'pals'." he said sternly before facing Orochimaru. "I assume you are all on a mission here to deliver intel, yes?"
He nodded curtly, fishing into his Jounin vest for the scroll. He placed it in Kousei's outstretched hand. "Good. You may all rest here until morning." he allowed, walking further into the base presumably to deliver the intel to the person in charge.
The morning was quite the ways away. I checked the clock on the wall, sighing as I read 3:11. That left us with quite a lot of time, even if we slept early. "You'eard the man, go crazy! We're leavin' tomorrow at 5 o'clock, so get plenty'a shut-eye." she ever-so-cheerfully ordered. Creepy. I was more used to her typical feral behavior. I saw Shimada and Anko scurry off together excitedly. Quick friends, they are.
Looking at my side towards the remaining boys, I found their exasperated gaze meet mine. This kinda thing was not what we were expecting from a C-rank. I'd heard (and seen) stories of C-ranks gone wrong. Missions outside the village were hyped up to all of us shinobi-hopeful, and now we were given free time to explore like children.
Eh, whatever. I bet the Hokage and our senseis felt that we needed to go on a safe and easy mission for our first time out the gates. I shrugged absentmindedly as I stepped further into the outpost.
The main hall's walls held signs, showing direction around the outpost. There was a main office, a few rooms to sleep in, a lounge, a first aid room, bathrooms and a cafeteria/dining room in one. Utahime's accommodation for shinobi went all out, it seems.
My stomach rumbled, making my next decision obvious. I made my way to the mess hall, belatedly noticing Momoku coming in with me as I entered. As I entered the room, I noticed an assortment of Konoha genin and chuunin, who glanced at the two of us as we entered before returning to their own matters.
The hall was filled with idle chatting, which surprised me. Vibrations reverberated through the walls, probably from the bustle of the shinobi. I didn't think a gathering of ninja would be so lively, but I guess I was wrong. War buddies? Momoku and I walked in silence towards where food was given.
A genin stood by a large pot. "We'd like something to eat, please," I said, speaking for Momoku. He frowned at us. "Woah. You're all coming out of the academy younger and younger…" he commented, "Just grab some cutlery over there. Stew's on the menu for today!"
We each got a plate and some spoons, because he was serving stew. He gave us our portion. It smelled good, but also unique from any stew kaa-san's ever made me. "If you don't mind me asking, what did you put in this?" I asked politely. A frown appeared on his face for a split second. It wasn't a thoughtful frown.
Then he smiled warmly at me. "It's been a while since someone's shown interest in my cooking! Let's see, I used beef, chicken stock, mirin, ginger, lemon, butternut squash, and onions. As for seasonings, I used the ol' reliable. Salt, pepper and soy sauce." he explained with pride. Sounds good.
"What's such a good chef like you doing out here as a shinobi?" I asked as I held my plate out. He sheepishly rubbed his head, "You flatter me. I've been cooking my whole life, a stew is the least I can make! My comrades in the Genin Corps loved my cooking and I landed a position over here 7 months ago. I'm just glad to be out here feeding so many Konoha-nin!"
That can't be right. I kept my expression carefully controlled. "That's great! Thank you for the food!" I said with forced cheer. Momoku and I sat down and I instantly caught his gaze. Good, looks like he isn't a Hyuuga for nothing. I can't believe kaa-san's stew and small talk helped me find an infiltrator.
"We can't eat this, Hyuuga-san." he whispered to him urgently. "I'm aware, but most shinobi in this room have already eaten it." he whispered back, voice sharp as a kunai.
The stew's odor is something most would never comment on. It didn't smell bad, in fact, its scent was very pleasant. But as soon as I knew something was wrong, I could instantly smell that the stew was not normal. Like something else has been added.
On top of that seemingly ridiculous tell, we now had confirmation of his phoniness. My mind flashed back to yesterday morning's pre-mission brief. The floor shook.
"...joint mission to bring intel to a Konoha outpost, code-named 'Utahime'. It'sa new outpost, 't was put tagether 4 months ago. …"
Tsume-sensei's voice echoed in my head. 4 months. Utahime is 4 months old. How could he have been cooking here for 7? I may be overreacting. Maybe it was a slip of tongue, but the feeling in my gut told me it wasn't.
Now I was gritting my teeth. Think! All of the Konoha-nin here could be poisoned or worse. It must be slow-acting, or hardly noticeable, if they haven't reacted yet. Are they even poisoned? How the hell did a spy even manage to sneak his way in here?!
"Hyuuga-san, please use your Byakugan and look at the bedrooms. How many people are sleeping?" I asked quietly, voice shaking. He nodded as veins popped around his eyes. Jesus, those eyes are scary! Shut up, me, there's no time for that!
His pale eyes widened in surprise. "This is a problem. Far too many of us are sleeping at a time like this, and…" he hissed as he narrowed his eyes, "I can see some unconscious allies hidden in the restrooms and closets. This is a recent and ongoing infiltration…!" he whispered.
It had to be recent, otherwise the others in the outpost would have already noticed. Should we bolt out of here, and regroup with our teams? Should we shout a warning? Should we wait and counterattack when the base is attacked?! Everyone here's drugged! I felt the ground churning under my feet. What should I do, no, what should we do?!
I found myself breathing harshly. Why now? We aren't ready, not for something like this! All I could hear was my thoughts in my head as my vision blurred. This was supposed to be a C-rank! Clutching the side of the table, my breathing grew quicker. Calm down! This is no time to be panicking!
Trying to calm down only had me shaking more. I can't move! I can't do anything! I–!
I'm scared!
A weight tugged at my shoulder and I looked up with panic at Momoku, who's mouth was moving. I couldn't hear him. I couldn't read his lips. What's he saying? His hands formed the Tiger seal, and-
"Kai!" he said, purging foreign chakra from my brain. Genjutsu? I roughly exhaled as the overwhelming fear was suddenly blown away, replaced by adrenaline and stress. This is bad. Really bad.
Momoku gazed at me sternly. "Uchiha-san, we need to regroup with the others," he ordered. I'll need to thank him later for saving me. I looked back at the cafeteria to see that most of my fellow Konoha-nin were knocked out, though a few outliers sped toward the spy to engage him. I'll leave that to them.
"Let's go." I agreed with him easily.
The two of us sped down the main hall, but were stopped by a permeating rumbling sound beneath us. I could hear the ground under us being ripped apart as if being drilled through. What's going on?!
I looked at Momoku for answers, he already had his Byakugan activated. He hissed and started running, ushering me to come with him, "Uchiha-san, we have to move faster! 10 Iwa-nin are coming from below using earth ninjutsu!" He informed me urgently, as I followed him as quickly as I could.
"When do they get here?!"
"...about two minutes," he said tensely. The two of us prepared to speed up as we heard rapid footsteps echo through the hall. Our heads snapped in unison to meet the possible threat, and…
"You two," a stern but recognizable voice ordered, "we must rejoin the others. Come." the voice was none other than Kousei, Tsume-sensei's friend/acquaintance/frenemy. Who knows, but the two of us welcomed a capable superior in the situation. We nodded without hesitation, a natural reaction for a shinobi.
The three of us finally made our way to the hallway connecting to the sleeping quarters and common area. Slowly, I was picking up agitated barking from Kuromaru. It wasn't much longer until the three of us were met with the sight of a frantic Sensei running at us.
Her expression was not one I was used to seeing on her. The air in the room grew heavier as pressure mounted. Despite the situation, panicked, widened eyes and beading sweat wasn't something I'd ever expect to see on her face, and I couldn't help but grow worried.
She wouldn't slow down as she approached us. Not all of us, but Momoku and I specifically. Was she an enemy who was transformed? No, that's not right. Disguising oneself as a shinobi from a clan who works with ninja animals was a bad idea, and incredibly risky to any operation. A ninken or kikaichu would not mistake their partner.
Before I had time to mull over the questions in my mind, the two of us genin were grabbed and hauled away from Kousei. He turned his head with his usual cold calmness that I was getting used to. "Tsume, what are you doing?" he gazed unwaveringly at the… furious Inuzuka.
"Don't say m'name so casually, you Iwa bastard!" she all but growled at him. Wait, another spy? But I couldn't detect a transformation. "This is no time for your incompetence! This outpost is compromised!" he rebutted, trying to steer the conversation.
"That formal way of speakin', yer bluntness, and yer damn professional attitude that's always gettin' in the way. Ya musta studied that grouch real hard, but," she narrowed her eyes, "that guy 'coulden get a code wrong in his dreams!"
'Kousei' scowled dangerously at us and immediately got to forming hand seals. I moved to make distance, but, "He also woulda noticed me do this." she murmured, voice unusually calm, but low and remorseful. Her hands made a simple snake seal.
Without a delay, a sizzling hiss sound came from his back. A paper bomb-! The Iwa spy's body was engulfed in an explosion that left my ears ringing, leaving behind only a gray, burnt up corpse. When we first arrived, that's when she must've done something. She wrapped her arm around him back then. She must've already realized that he was a spy at that point.
Tsume wasted no time and turned to us. "You dumbasses, quit gawkin' an' meet up with th'rest of the kids!" she ordered. "Me 'n Kuromaru can take care'o the enemies who're diggin' up here!'' She reassured us.
It was a safe option for us two, but what about her? I wasn't sure how many Iwa-nin were gonna come, or how strong they were. She could get overwhelmed and killed. "Inuzuka-sama, with all due respect, you and Kuromaru-san cannot win against that many. There are ten of them, and they all appear to be chuunin, judging by their vests. We should consider retreating together." Momoku urged before I could raise my own concerns.
She smirked at us, "Don' worry, stuff like this's my specialty! Hit 'n run. We'll fight dirty! Buyin' y'all time to get to the others is tha main priority.." she explained, still alert and looking out for threats. I frowned at her, unconvinced.
She just lost a friend and now she wants to fight a group of enemies with just the help of her partner. I didn't think she was in the best condition for a fight like this. "Sensei, please! Let us stay and help! We may be genin, but…" she snapped her head at me, "No. Too dangerous for tha two of ya."
Looking at our determined expressions, she smiled fondly. "Think about it. After you brats're together again, y'all can come back 'n we'll have a better chance at beatin'em back!" she placated with a feral grin. I stared at her but my answer was made for me when the Iwa-nin began coming up from the ground around the area.
Momoku grabbed my sleeve and pulled me to run with him. Sensei flashed a thankful smile at him. "What the hell, Momoku!? We have to help!" I shouted at the pale-eyed boy.
"Her strategy is sound," is all the reason he provided, looking for the rest of our comrades with his Byakugan. We'll probably be able to regroup with everyone, but, what will happen to sensei in the meantime…?
I grit my teeth in frustration and lifted my head up. "Fine! Let's find them quickly!"
—-
3rd person POV: Anko
Anko would've never imagined her first mission outside the village to be such a catastrophe. Orochimaru-sensei said it would be a simple mission, with minimal chance of confrontation with even bandits.
It really was a simple mission. Sensei had seemingly prepared her for the mission perfectly. They traveled at speed well within her limits. She wasn't used to the duration of the trip quite yet, but she would surely adapt and come out stronger than before.
All in all, she was happy with the mission, even if Daisuke, who she'd been pointedly ignoring, was one of her squad members for the time being. Shimada Nara proved to be a fun friend, and they were even given time to rest and explore the outpost.
Perhaps exploring Utahime was a bad move, because now she was separated from the rest of her squad with the exception of her newest friend. She'd heard rumbling on the way to the objective and had just assumed it to be sounds of nature. It hadn't occurred to her until about 5 seconds ago (when the distant rumbling became sharper and louder than before) that maybe it was something to worry about.
'Something to worry about' turned out to be a gross understatement, when towering before her and Shimada was an Iwa nin with a vicious sneer on his face. He was wearing a vest.
The two had managed to dodge an oncoming barrage of shuriken. The surprise attack had nicked some skin on their limbs, but none of the cuts were deadly or even painful with the amount of adrenaline running through the pair. The man who ambushed them appeared to be a teenager with straight, dirty brown hair and a nasty scar on his right cheek, nearly making a checkmark symbol.
And suddenly, a wave of killing intent hit them. Anko's knees very nearly gave out but she grit her teeth and stood her ground. There was no way Anko would collapse in fear after everything she went through with Orochimaru. She glared darkly at her enemy.
"Two little tree huggers all alone, huh? Looks like fate's got a nice job for me." He let out a low voice, focusing on Anko. "You've got a dangerous expression on your face, girl. Maybe it's for the best that I missed you. Now I can tear you apart myself."
Anko was ready to move at a moment's notice. Her whole body was tense with nervous anticipation. Orochimaru told her that when faced with death, she'll need to ground herself to avoid fear. Her heart banged so loud, it was all she could hear.
Their opponent's sight panned over to Shimada. "You look like you're gonna piss yourself, though!" He smirked, looking pleased with himself. Anko had been too focused on herself and had failed to take notice of Shimada, who was paralyzed with fear. The Nara girl's frantic eyes shot to Anko pleadingly.
A kick from the Iwa-nin nearly hit its mark on the terrified girl, who had been tackled down by Anko. She grunted in exertion and she led Shimada down the corridor.
The two would likely only have an advantage in mobility and speed. There was a massive size difference between the two child soldiers and their opponent. Between the two of them, there had to be something they could do.
Before that, though…
"Shimada! Snap out of it already!" She shouted desperately. Shimada's pale face turned to hers. "I… we c-can't win… didn't you feel that earlier?" The terrified genin mumbled, voice shaking. "Look! It's not about winnin', okay?! We've just gotta survive!" She pleaded, her fists clenched so hard she could feel her nails drawing blood.
"Survive?"
"Yah, survive! Look back," she said, looking back at the pursuing shinobi. "He's not takin' us seriously at all. We can totally get away! We're smaller and probably faster, and you have a damn paralysis jutsu!" Shimada turned her head back.
Just down the hall, the Iwa-nin was leisurely jogging, kunai ready in hand. He was grinning hungrily.
"I don't think-" Shimada doubted before she was harshly interrupted by a shout.
"Oh shut up! Don't you have anyone back in Konoha to return to?! We just hafta hold out!" Anko demanded, thinking of home. Her mind flashed to a mental image of her two brother figures and Orochimaru.
Shimada's eyes widened, "Yeah."
"Then get up'n fight! Let's do this!" Anko encouraged the shaking girl, offering her hand. Shimada took her hand with a slow exhale, "What do we do?" she said with a shaky but sure-sounding voice.
"T's about time! I have an idea." Anko said confidently.
She might not have been a genin for long, but her sensei was one of the Sannin, for Christ's sake. Her sensei hadn't yet taught her his snake techniques (to her greatest disappointment), but Orochimaru encouraged her to take up poison, explaining that it would suit her fighting style.
"I can use one type of poison," Shimada frowned in response, "beat it! Sensei says I have to be immune to a poison before I can use it, so it takes time!" she snapped, turning a corner to avoid a shuriken thrown by their pursuer.
"It'll be hard to poison a Chuunin if he's focused on us," Shimada commented with some melancholy. Anko felt her lips tilt upwards, "That's yer job. Any chuunin worth their shit would never get hit by a kunai thrown by a snot-nosed little genin, but what if 'e can't move?"
Shimada's eyes widened. "Shadow possession jutsu…" she murmured. Anko's smirk turned into a serious gaze. "Yep. Tha poison's a non-lethal paralytic, we'll just kill the bastard or get away, but that only comes after we make an opening for yer shadow." Shimada's eyes met hers, "Now I've got an idea." the Nara girl said.
Anko hummed, impressed. She hadn't expected Shimada to think of something already. Anko was considering taunting him or using kunai to distract him, both being flimsy plans. "What do you have in mind?" she asked. The two ducked under a pair of stones racing for their heads.
"Clones." Shimada stated simply. Anko couldn't stop herself from letting out a quiet 'Huh?' in response. "There's no way in hell even that lowlife would fall for a stupid clone!" she berated, annoyed with the suggestion. Anko felt that not even academy flunkies would fall for the Clone jutsu. The jutsu was a test of someone's capabilities, but it wasn't an actually effective jutsu! She shook her head in disappointment.
"Exactly. He won't fall for it," Shimada's lips formed a knowing smile and Anko's eyes widened in realization. It was a taunt. A trick. "He'll know where we are right away. He'll think that we think we've lost him in the chaos. It'll be the 'perfect' chance for him to strike." she finished for her squad member.
"That Nara brain of yers is churnin'! Okay, let's-" Anko was cut off by Shimada pulling her out of the way of an impatiently thrown kunai. "-do it." she continued, reminded that they were still being chased.
It wasn't the best plan, but Anko felt it would work against their opponent. She off-handedly remembered that the Iwa-nin was still under the impression that Shimada was a quivering mess. Did Shimada think of that, too? Smart.
Turning the next corner, a horde of clones from both girls flooded the area, each one scattering in a slightly different direction. Anko exhaled harshly, trying to ignore the nervousness clinging to her stomach.
A curse echoed loudly from behind them. Anko readied her poisoned kunai, gripping it harder than intended. She looked over at her friend who was nervously smiling back, a rat seal shakily formed in her hand.
She found herself nearly chuckling. 'Hah, so much for a tough front.' She thought to herself grimly. Despite their resolve in trying to trick and immobilize the enemy shinobi, they couldn't stop themselves from shaking.
The Iwa-nin turned the nearest corner in the corridor, arm primed to throw kunai. His expression was secretly terrifying to Anko, especially considering the circumstances. "You dumbasses must've just graduated, huh?!" He roared, shoving 3 kunai at Shimada, who not-so-gracefully fell on the floor to dodge. Her hands were visually hidden by a clone in front of her, which was being ignored.
Shimada's face was warped in fear, but Anko quickly noticed that the expression didn't quite meet her eyes. A wave of surety came over Anko. He didn't notice. He didn't see Shimada's hands, or her faux expression.
"You're quite the jumpy one… Hold still, will you?!" He said, dashing straight towards the 'scared' girl. Anko's throwing arm was twitching in anticipation. A Chuunin would surely dodge if she threw it now. She had to wait for Shimada's jutsu to paralyze him, if even for a second.
The speed of his pursuit of Shimada had suddenly gotten faster than both girls had expected. 'He really was toying with the two of us earlier.' Anko mentally confirmed. The shadow under Shimada's figure shot toward him nearly as fast as his mad dash. His eyes briefly widened, and,
He dodged it. Anko's eyes were carefully watching for an opening. He dug his heels in and leapt to his right, in the same vague direction as Anko. The girl had seen his speed when he was serious. She had seen the speed of the shadow, which was still chasing after the man. In that split second, she made her judgment. Shimada's shadow paralysis jutsu could no longer ensnare their enemy.
The realization didn't cause her to despair. It didn't overwhelm her with fear or panic. She accepted the fact and settled on a simpler attack. Throwing the kunai now. A calm came over her as she narrowed her vision.
The shinobi had leapt to dodge her squad member's shadow. His attention still was on Shimada, and his feet were not yet touching the floor. She readied her aim with a slow inhalation, and threw the kunai, aiming as close to his heart as possible. If enough paralytic actually reached his heart, it could spread the poison around the body through the bloodstream, or even slow down his heartbeat.
Orochimaru's words had helped ground the girl throughout the mission and this battle. She felt more and more grateful towards her teacher as she fought on.
The sound from the flung kunai quickly alerted the airborne shinobi, prompting a last-minute sway of his torso. The kunai very nearly hit its mark, but all of their effort had barely managed to earn a graze across his side. The Iwa-nin made distance, as the shadow was still charging towards him unforgivingly. The jutsu stopped in its tracks like a fully extended rope after 10 meters of travel.
Shimada wasted no time and ran next to Anko. Both girls had expected to plan to work. "We nicked him! All that for a scratch?!" Shimada nearly shrieked. In truth, Anko was frustrated, too, despite her lack of outward reaction. Now they couldn't take advantage of a surprise attack and would have to fight him more 'evenly'. The only silver lining was:
"The paralytic's still gonna affect the bastard. We've just gotta wait him out." She pointed out, remembering Orochimaru's lectures about dosage and its effects. She was sure that it would still affect the man, with that large of a scratch, she just didn't know if it would be fast enough.
"How much time do we have to buy?" Shimada asked with hope in her voice. Anko clenched her fists. "Considerin' his build… about 2 minutes, but he won't be paralyzed, only slower. His arms 'n legs will feel weak." she explained quickly.
Two minutes against this foe is a gamble. The two were under no illusion that they were stronger or more skilled than their enemy. They haven't seen what he's capable of yet, making the fight extremely risky, since he was taking the pair more seriously.
The pair's morale may have been dashed by the initial failure, but despite the circumstances, their confidence had not yet fully disappeared. Anko firmly believed in her master's abilities, so how could she not believe in her own chances of survival, granted she was his student?
Anko looked out at their opponent and something clicked in her mind. A few seconds had passed since their previous exchange, and yet the Iwa-nin had not yet engaged them. Dread filled her body as she threw a kunai at his forehead. The kunai hit its mark, but his head simply crumbled into rock.
"A CLONE!" she desperately shouted at Shimada, who took too long to notice the enemy appearing in front of her in a blur. The shinobi had emerged from behind a previously-invisible earth wall before Shimada could get out of the way. A harsh punch to the chin caught Shimada completely unaware. She fell back a few meters away from where she previously stood.
The Iwa-nin had used genjutsu to hide his actions. Why else would both genin not notice him creating a clone and hiding behind a wall right in front of them? They'd underestimated the capabilities of their enemy, which was exactly what Orochimaru had told her never to do. Anko mentally cursed herself. This was all her fault.
Anko's dread only grew, suddenly feeling as if she took that punch and her previously formulated plans and ideas flew out of her head all at once. She blanked as she gazed at her amused enemy.
His self-satisfied grin greatly disturbed the girl - it made her sick to her stomach. "If I knew one of you was a Nara, then I would've been a little bit more careful." He said calmly, cracking his knuckles. "She won't be getting up anytime soon. You're next." He taunted, and then he broke into a sprint towards her with a kunai.
Suddenly, the air in front of Anko became hot. Burning-hot. A fireball had intercepted the Iwa-nin's path, forcing him to abandon his pursuit of Anko in favor of not getting burnt. She looked in the direction of the ninjutsu, and her eyes widened in surprise. It was Daisuke.
The feeling of relief came automatically and was quickly replaced by frustration and anger. Relief at Daisuke's appearance implied that Daisuke was her friend and had come to rescue her, and both facts were not appealing to her. "What's the situation?" he asked neutrally.
As quickly as the emotions came, she took her frustration, anger and relief and shoved them to the back of her mind as her shinobi training kicked in. Now was not the time to be distracted and killed. An ally from Konoha had come to aid her, nothing more. She glanced at Daisuke, "The enemy is likely a Chuunin, with skills in genjutsu and ninjutsu. He was grazed with my paralytic, but it won' kick in for another 90 seconds. Any chance someone's on their way?" she reported efficiently.
"Not in the short term. Momoku went to help Iruka-san and Hikaru-san, Tsume-sensei is fighting a group of Iwa-nin and Orochimaru's whereabouts are unknown." he explained with a grimace. The enemy shinobi started forming hand seals, prompting Anko to split off from Daisuke. Recognition filled his expression and he hurriedly flew in front of Shimada's unconscious form and knocked away the stone that had been fired out of the Iwa-nin's mouth with a kunai.
Anko reached into her pouch and threw two kunai at him, which he easily avoided with a flip. A barrage of small fireballs were shot towards his retreating figure, prompting their opponent's further retreat. She ran to pursue him while he had his hands full with Daisuke's jutsu.
Approaching her distracted opponent, she had her kunai ready at her side. She aimed a ruthless stab at his jugular following the Iwa-nin's sidestep of a fireball. "Kai!" Daisuke shouted out from behind her. Suddenly, her enemy's previously vulnerable position had changed into a kicking leg right in front of her body. She threw her arms up in front of her in a desperate attempt at a block.
A shout of pain turned into a squeak as she bit down on her lips. She had no time to reinforce herself with chakra or bring up a proper guard, and that coupled with the size difference between the two adversaries meant a world of pain. Anko realized very quickly that some had to have been broken, or dislocated, or both.
Trying to move her arms, Anko quickly differentiated the source of her arms' pain. Her right arm was filled with a numb, dull ache, but her left arm was practically screaming at her. With rapid prodding she felt a break in her forearm and that her shoulder was dislocated. As the glint of a kunai caught her sight, she threw herself away to dodge. Now toppled over on the ground and huddling her broken arm, she glared at the Iwa-nin looming above her.
"Get away from her!" demanded Daisuke, who was in a dash toward her while weaving hand seals. Anko couldn't help but notice the shaky sluggishness of his hand seals and his squinted eyes. Four earth clones came out of the ground next to him and split off, two running towards Anko and the other two joining Daisuke to attack him.
Anko knew it was just a panicked effort to buy time for her to get away, which had her blaming herself for the situation. She felt that this was all her fault. One Earth clone helped her up while the other stood in front to guard. Sharp fragments of rock flew by her face as the Iwa-nin destroyed one of the clones up front with a stone-reinforced punch.
The other clone launched itself blindly at the distracted man, latching on to his leg and hip, before losing its form and becoming a rock structure. Daisuke had dispelled that clone. His plan was to stop the enemy's movement. Daisuke was aiming a punch at the Iwa-nin's throat - at his windpipe.
The boy's fist was blocked by the enemy's remaining hand, producing a loud sound that echoed throughout the hall. Daisuke hissed in pain as the man's hand grabbed hold of his closed fist and squeezed hard. "You've made my hand numb with that punch. It'll be good to eliminate you before you grow up." the Iwa-nin commented coldly, reaching for a kunai. "Wait!" Daisuke yelled in panic, thrashing around to get out of his grip to no avail.
Anko's eyes narrowed and she knew what she had to do. She reached for a kunai with her good arm and threw it at the shoulder of the arm he was holding Daisuke's fist with. Moments before Daisuke was stabbed, kunai sunk into the flesh of the shoulder with a satisfying noise. The kunai she'd managed to throw was covered in the paralytic solution.
The Iwa-nin's head snapped towards Anko as he angrily threw away Daisuke to the wall, eliciting a sharp exhale from him. "You've been a fucking nuisance this whole time!" he snarled, sprinting in a B-line toward her with the kunai he was going to use to stab Daisuke.
Both clones had already crumbled when Daisuke was thrown at the wall, which left Anko little to do. He stabbed forward in a direct line, likely not expecting Anko to move. She pumped her legs full of chakra and jumped as far as she could in any direction. She needed to buy time.
He pursued her with no hesitation and before she knew it, there was a kunai being thrusted between her eyes. She closed her eyes, but nothing came. The kunai fell to the floor with a clang. "Back to save her again?!" he growled in annoyance.
Daisuke had knocked the kunai out of his hand with a kick. Something about him felt different. Anko saw his white-knuckled grip around the kunai. She gritted her teeth in frustration. Once again, she wouldn't be able to do anything to help Daisuke and just stand back to watch. "You need to run, Anko." he said in between deep breaths. She didn't respond.
The older shinobi was not only much stronger and skilled than them, but he had also previously capitalized on their lack of experience on several occasions. By all accounts he should win this battle. At each separate close-quarter encounter, he managed to injure them significantly. Anko could see Daisuke's hitching breaths as his back twitched in pain, and she was filled with dread.
In close quarters, Anko firmly believed Daisuke would just get caught again and suffer a potentially fatal injury, but as Daisuke managed to dodge three kunai strikes aimed to kill him in quick succession, she knew something had changed. He skillfully moved to dodge the kunai and instead of dying, he was simply being grazed and scratched. She was so distracted by the change that she hadn't noticed Iwa-nin switch his focus towards her the moment Daisuke made distance.
The kunai hovered in front of her neck but wouldn't inch forward. The young man's eyes widened as sweat beaded on his forehead. "I-I can't–" he stuttered in panic, his bloodshot eyes suddenly catching Daisuke's speeding figure jamming a kunai into the side of the paralyzed ninja's neck.
The Iwa-nin slowly backed away, holding his neck as he gargled on his own blood. He slumped to the ground, hacking and choking on the destroyed flesh in his throat. "Those eyes…!" he spat out, still desperately trying to plug the bleeding in his neck.
She turned to look at Daisuke who was watching their former opponent die. "Thank y-" she said before stopping herself as she noticed Daisuke's face. His expression was one that she'd never expect to see from him.
The color from Daisuke's face had been drained, leaving him as pale as a ghost. His features contorted into a look of horror and guilt, and his eyes, wider than she'd ever seen them before, were now glowing bright red, with two tomoe spinning rapidly in each eye. He raised his hands up to his face, clasping his hands up close to his eyes. "What…?" he murmured.
—-
Daisuke POV
Footsteps reverberated through the long hall the two of us were running through, both tensed up and ready for an attack from anytime. Momoku and I were given an important task by Sensei: to reunite with the rest of the squad and defend the base as a group.
Because of that, Tsume-sensei was forced to stay behind to buy us time to run, leaving her all alone to fight a group of chuunin. I was scared, not of combat or failure, but of the danger the situation posed to my team, squad and teacher. Not only was Sensei in danger, the rest of us were, too.
One misstep meant death. I was already wrapped into retreating by Momoku's forceful 'convincing', and I wouldn't leave anybody else to die. I didn't know what I would do if I lost somebody here. The whole point in my interference was to save the lives of my friends and family. If I couldn't even do that, then…
I shook my head to rid myself of that train of thought. All we need to do is grab everyone and return to Sensei, and everyone will leave this place safely, that's all that matters. In front of me, Momoku suddenly came to a stop with a harsh breath.
"Uchiha-san, there's no time. We have to split up." he said shortly, his expression conflicted. "What do you…?" I started. He said that there's no time, "What's happening?" I asked. "Our squad members are being engaged by Iwa-nin. I'm watching with my Byakugan. Everyone barring Orochimaru-sensei is being engaged." he informed me efficiently. "Where should I go?" I asked without hesitation.
He pointed down the other end of the hall. "You are the fastest of us two and the girls are currently at greater risk of death. Follow that path and take the second right and aid them." He glanced at a diverging path. "I am heading that way to aid Kamiki-san and Umino, who are in a marginally better situation." he ordered, and without pause ran off to our right.
He said the girls were at greater risk. Anko and Shimada, at greater risk. I shouted in frustration as I rushed at full speed with the directions Momoku gave me. The asshole couldn't specify their condition?!
I need to get there. I need to get there. I need to get there. I need to get there. I need to get there. I need to…
… (nearing the end of the fight)
My back hit the wall harshly, and my whole body screamed at me in pain. The air was pushed out of my lungs as my limbs spasmed in pain. I felt my heart beating in my head even louder than it had been throughout this whole fight. Our lives had been threatened enough to keep my body brimming with fear and adrenaline. I knew that I couldn't stay here for long, Anko was still fighting.
I flared chakra through my body and drew it through all my limbs, feeling the rush of energy burn up my finger tips. The screaming pain in my back and chest was being overwritten with overwhelming heat. My eyes opened as I shakily stood up. Through my shaky and foggy vision (was it this foggy earlier?) I saw it. The Iwa-nin was about to stab Anko with a kunai.
Suddenly, the dizziness disappeared and the fog cleared, my vision sharpening rather than worsening. Before I knew it, my opponent's kunai had clanged to the floor and I was glaring holes at the shinobi before me. The man had said something, but I couldn't hear it over the ringing in my ears.
I said something to Anko, but I didn't even know what I told her. My focus was on the enemy in front of me. It was hard to breath and my body still hurt, but for some reason everything was just so slow. So clear.
When the Iwa-nin charged at me angrily, kunai in hand, his movements were obvious to me. A jab to the throat, a jab to the stomach, a slash at my side. It was so obvious to me. My aching body couldn't keep up. I felt three new cuts open, but it was nothing fatal.
Each time he was about to move, some kind of intuition told me what he would do. I could see his muscles contracting and bulging in his uniform before each movement. His last swing left his body open and I aimed a kick at his thigh, causing his knee to buckle, if only slightly. I jumped away from the counter punch aimed at my face just in time.
In slow motion, I saw it. He smirked at me, before his eyes panned over to my unprepared squad member. I could tell. In the same way I could see Iwa-nin's movements, I could tell that she wouldn't move out of the way. She was going to die. She was going to be stabbed. She was going to be gone.
"No matter how selfish it sounds, I would rather change their fates and let the world change than let them die."
My focus sharpened to a razor's edge and my body moved before I could process what to do. Before I knew it, my hands were wrapped tightly around a kunai that was jammed inside of the shinobi's neck. For a moment, everything was silent. I could only hear my quickening breaths and the sound of blood spraying out of his wound.
My kunai dropped to the ground and my breathing sped up further. I looked down at my shaky hands, turned palm-side up. They were covered in blood, thick, warm blood. A human being's blood. The human being that I'd just killed. I just killed someone, I took his life with my hands. Somehow, I felt like I would never forget the shade of red my palms had become.
I… What? did I…just…? Is he…dead? How…?
Choking and gurgling sounds brought me out of my thoughts as I looked at the man that was about to die at my hands. His expression as he stared at me showed no emotion other than fear and horror. I could see blood flowing unforgivingly out of the creases of his closed hands and chunks of flesh he kept coughing up.
"Those eyes…!" he finally choked out as he slumped to the floor. My breath hitched as I processed his words. I raised my hands up to my eyes and grabbed my face. The Sharingan? That's why I could see so well, why I could fend him off? But, doesn't that mean…?
An ache shot through my eyes as I looked back down at the writhing man in front of me. His struggling was slowing down, and his coughing was growing weaker.
"What…?" my voice echoed in the room, in the same way the nameless man's dying moments echoed in my mind.
Suddenly, a blur racing for me caught my attention. Another enemy was here to kill us. I needed to avoid the attack but I couldn't move. I was pinned down with exhaustion and shock. I watched as a blade descended on me until a tall figure appeared in front of me, grabbing the blade with his bare, pale hands.
"Attacking a weary child, how dishonorable of you." the familiar voice cooed as it turned sinister, "Surely you wouldn't mind dying for such a thing?" they said as a horde of snakes shot out from their hands and bit down on the enemy's neck.
The man fell forward without a noise, instantly incapacitated by the snakes. The perpetrator was, no, had to be Orochimaru. He looked calmly between me and Anko, before Anko tackled his waist in a hug. "Orochimaru-sensei, yer here! What took'ya so long?!" she screamed into his vest, voice breaking mid-sentence. He was holding the unconscious Shimada in his left arm.
His voice came out calm and composed, "Now, now, Anko-chan, it's okay now. You'll all be fine. It seems the three of you have had quite the eventful battle. You will have to tell me all about it later." his yellow eyes snapped over to me as my red eyes widened in alarm. "Awakening the Sharingan at such a young age, how…" his voice held an unsettling serenity as he narrowed his eyes at me, "Magnificent."
Oh. Oh no. Magnificent. He thinks it's magnificent. Orochimaru has taken an interest in me. Why's everything so messed up? Couldn't this mission go smoother? Why did all of this happen? I just wanna grab a bite, something sweet. And maybe, I don't know, run, hide, or just crash for a bit.
I just want to go home.
Suddenly, all of the accumulated emotions in my mind hit a breaking point alongside my body's exhaustion, and the world became black.
—-
Hello everyone, thank you all for reading this long and very late chapter! Not too sure how many of you will actually read this due to the lack of updates, but… \
I've written a lot of things for the first time in this chapter so please bear with me! A real fight scene, panicked emotions, the Sharingan, new POVs, a tiny skip, blah blah blah… The original plan was for this chapter to end a little but after everyone got home but considering the current word count, it made no sense to make it so long. I wanted to make the mission a single chapter, but I now realize it would have been smarter to split it up into two parts. I'll keep that in mind for future chapters with big events.
Please tell me how you liked the fights and if you thought they made sense. If they felt weird please let me know as well! I had the impression while I was writing that I made Anko into a bit of a damsel in distress (which was unintentional), but I figured that I could use this to develop Anko's character and to use it beneficially in future interactions between Anko and Daisuke. You also may have noticed Shimada did very little during the fight, and that was done on purpose. Shimada is a very naive character and I wanted to contribute to a future character arc.
Momoku's interference with Hikaru and Iruka's fights will not be shown on screen. The three were not at big risk and I will expand upon their circumstances in the next chapter.
So, did you guys like the pacing? I thought it was alright but who knows. I would also like to know your opinions on the dialogue between characters and if it feels natural.
As if I don't stress this enough, if you found something weird or bad, please write a message and tell me your thoughts. I'm trying to keep everything as natural as possible.
Anyway, I literally have no clue when the next chapter will be released. I am moving (again) two days after this chapter is uploaded so I will probably not get much done during that time, and I don't really wanna promise a date just in case I lose motivation or get stuck again. Next chapter WILL be a smaller chapter, because the chapter after that is Kannabi.
Thank you for reading and see you next time.
