„Bloody hell! Whose idea was it to put the butter on the highest shelf so no one could reach it?" Exasperated, I stood in front of the refrigerated shelf again, looking around for help. But this time there was no Kankuro, who also happened to be out shopping and could help me. When I thought about it, we hadn't actually heard from the Suna Nins for a long time. Last I heard, all three of them had probably been made chunin. They had it good.
A few people eyed me with strange looks. This was probably partly due to my eyes and partly due to the fact that I had gone shopping in full gear. With bow, arrows, kunai, hari and all the rest. Like half an armory, at least that's what Kiba always called it. I didn't even know when I got into the habit of always walking the streets armed. Maybe it was because I felt safer from my father that way.
Sighing, I stood on my tiptoes. In vain. Another way then. Chakra flowed through my legs before I dashed through the store in search of a suitable stool. Satisfied, I returned with the object I had snatched, skillfully ignoring the sales clerk's nagging. I'm sorry that I was such a dwarf, but unfortunately it was my genes' fault.
With a grin, I placed the stool in the surprised woman's hand and made my escape. I stood at the till, slightly impatient, hoping that the sales clerk wouldn't come over and make a ruckus. But everything went smoothly. Relieved, I was putting the shopping in my bag when I felt someone touch my shoulder. Startled, I spun around and found myself face to face with a rather rushed-looking Shikamaru. Behind him were Kiba, Ino, Naruto, Hinata, Shino and Sakura.
I stared at the seven of them in confusion. What was going on here? Why this crowd? Had something happened?
„I'm sorry, Tora. But I think you need to stop your little shopping trip here. We have an urgent mission."
Tsunade was amazed when I was dragged into the office by the others, along with my shopping. Choji was already waiting for us there, chillingly eating his chips and greeting us with a nod. Almost all the current genin from Konoha were gathered here. If that wasn't a promising mission.
„I asked Shikamaru to put together a good squad as quickly as possible and he seems to have succeeded very well. We received a message about an hour ago... from Gaara."
I looked at her in surprise. The world was crazy. I had just been thinking about the ninjas from Sunagakure while shopping and now we had been sent on a mission to meet them. And somehow I was looking forward to meeting them again, especially as everyone had changed a lot, especially Gaara. Tsunade's gaze became serious and she looked at each of us.
„One of Gaara's students has been kidnapped by ninjas who call themselves the heavenly four. Your task is to support the three of them and free the student. I am sure that this mission will be a success. You will leave immediately."
Immediately?! I still had to put my things away at home. It was warm. The meat would break and the butter would melt. I glanced frantically back and forth between the assembled people and the shopping bag before grabbing it without further ado and placing it on Tsunade's table.
„Well, if it has to be right away, then someone will bring my shopping home. I don't feel like breaking everything here," I said and stood up as best I could in front of the Hokage.
She raised her hands defensively and smiled slightly.
„I can do that," she said. Shizune looked to the side and mumbled something that sounded a lot like "shirker".
A smile crept onto my lips as Tsunade looked at the younger woman with an indignant expression. The bickering between the two of them was simply a joy to watch, just like between Naruto and the Hokage. The only difference was that sometimes a vase or a chair was involved.
My thoughts were abruptly interrupted, however, when an exasperated Shikamaru grabbed me by the arm and pulled me outside.
„You can dream some other time."
I grinned wryly.
„That's what the right guy says. How was it that you didn't feel like becoming a chunin... sooo much work," I imitated his voice and a vein began to pulsate on his forehead.
I gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and his features relaxed again before he gave his usual exasperated sigh. I shouldered my rucksack and together we walked to the gate. There, Shikamaru wanted to reveal his plan to rescue Gaara's student.
On the way there, I racked my brains as to why Gaara's student, of all people, had fallen victim to the kidnappers. Either she possibly had special abilities... or... they weren't after the girl at all, but... him. My thoughts slipped back a little to the first time I had faced Itachi Uchiha. Akatsuki's target was the nine-tailed fox...maybe this other troop was after the one-tailed one. This issue was probably about power or revenge.
But we would probably find out soon enough. For now, it was time to listen to the next step that Shikamaru had already planned.
„We'll split up. Hinata and Shino will scout the area, and when they have found the enemies, we will be informed. If there are any casualties, Sakura will take over. Then it goes like this: We split up into three groups. Each to support Gaara, Kankuro and Temari. Group Gaara will consist of Naruto, Lee and Tora. The second around Temari is Ino and me. You can guess number three."
We nodded slightly, but before Shikamaru could give the signal to leave, I stopped him.
„I was thinking something, namely that the troupe might have just taken the girl hostage to lure Gaara. So what do we do if one of the four of us splits off from the group? Maybe to get reinforcements or something similar?"
There was silence. Shikamaru grinned slightly.
„A perfectly valid question, Tora, and one I've been thinking about. And I already have the perfect solution. You, Tora. You're going to be our joker."
„Huh?" I was definitely stumped.
„Well, I think Shikamaru has a similar tactic to Shino, you know, with the insect thing."
A light literally went on in my head. I remembered it all too well.
„You want me to stay invisible and wait and see?" I asked and he shook his head vaguely. Then what?
„Of course you're allowed to fight along, out of the shadows so to speak, as a surprise, but you should mainly pursue whoever has the girl. So that you can cut him off. As soon as we've spotted him, Shino will tell you where. Besides, you're the fastest of us. So the path won't be a problem."
I nodded slightly. „Sounds great."
The trees rushed past us, alternating with gentle meadows, before we crossed dense forest areas again. A few rocks and small mountains could be seen in the distance.
Shikamaru raised his hand and we stopped running.
„Now it's time to wait," he said and I remained in my position while Naruto bobbed up and down excitedly on the branch next to me. „I have to see Gaara... really important," he mumbled quietly and I glanced at him. Of course he wanted to return the favor, every one of us did, including me. But without Hinata and Shino, we might be running around blindly without a plan.
I was also eager to help the others. Also because the Sunas were important to me and it was important to build on comradeship and friendship. This not only strengthened relations between the countries.
My fingers clutched the bark of the tree as the air began to buzz. Black bugs began to gather in the sky. Shikamaru nodded before signaling us to disperse. To the northwest, then. Well, we've done that already.
With Naruto and Lee close on my heels, I ran through the forest. Even from a distance, my ears heard a trickling sound, coupled with a dark laugh. It didn't sound like Gaara at all, I thought. Looking up, I recognized the Suna Nin on a huge sand pillar, but it seemed to be collapsing. Gaara was falling.
I clenched my teeth before gathering raiton chakra in my feet and using it to move faster. I completely ignored Naruto's shouts while I made my body invisible. Gaara seemed to need help and he would get it. The other two would follow. I reached the scene faster than I expected. A tall man with long brown hair was standing there, looking up at the sky. I was startled by the realization that Gaara was not far from the ground.
He would use up the rest of his chakra to intercept himself. Concentrating, I gathered my chakra and created an invisible shield around his body before landing right behind him. The Suna Nin seemed surprised by the sudden help, and not just him.
Our opponent frowned in confusion.
„Didn't see me coming, did you?" I grinned.
I stood diagonally in front of Gaara without making myself visible. My opponent looked around in all directions, trying to catch my shape. I grinned. He could keep trying for quite a while.
„That's enough now. Then the boy will have to suffer."
I could already see the morning star racing towards me, standing right in front of Gaara. My back tingled when I felt his gaze. He seemed to know where I was standing, but made no comment and tried to get up. I kept my eyes fixed on the oncoming iron ball, ready to use the shield again. But it never came to that.
Lee powerfully blocked the blow and the weapon was flung back towards its user. Surprised, the man looked down at the genin who had taken up position next to me. Naruto appeared out of nowhere and knocked our opponent to the ground with a blow to the back. He groaned in surprise and spat earth before getting up again and looking at us as if we were the biggest laughing stock of the day.
„It's really sad that Konoha only sends weak children. Don't you have any more jonin?"
„Weak? Children? I'll show you, for real now," Naruto hissed and raised his fist in agitation.
I immediately grabbed him by the shirt and held the Uzumaki back, which I'm sure looked pretty funny to outsiders, but I didn't care at the moment. He shouldn't always let his anger get the upper hand. Otherwise it would look bad for him in this fight.
„Oh, before I forget, Tora," Lee turned to me. „Shino said that the Fourth is heading towards the mountains with Gaara's student."
I paused and let go of Naruto, who just managed to catch himself. Why did he only tell me that now? Time was already running through our fingers like sand. Speaking of sand. Gaara had stood up, but was stopped by Sakura, who had also appeared on the scene. Just as well. He should take it easy for now and leave the whole thing to us. After all, we weren't here for fun.
I resolutely made myself visible to everyone present and was about to channel raiton chakra into my feet when a deep voice made me pause.
„Wait...I'm coming with you."
No. He wouldn't.
I turned on my heel and booted over to the redhead, setting myself up in front of him as best I could. Huh...if I had approached him like that earlier, I certainly wouldn't have gotten out of the situation alive, though...I vaguely remembered the scene at my front door where I had defended Kankuro and yelled at him. Yes...there had been something.
„You won't. They're after you. Not your pupil, that's why you're going to stay here and rest. End of debate."
Gaara's reply fell on deaf ears, as I had long since turned my thoughts back to my current mission, nodded to the others and ran off.
The trees flew past me, almost blurring. I only used a minimal amount of lightning chakra to run, as I needed it for a possible fight later on. To my horror, the enemy ninja had already entered the great plain and was heading for the mountains, straight into a dead end? Red alert. No one would be stupid enough to run in there voluntarily, unless it was... a trap.
I tried hard to calculate whether it would be possible to cut the man off before he reached the mountains, but the answer was a resounding no. Damn. I angrily rammed the kunai into the ground, forcing a quick stop, which was partly due to the person following me.
I could feel his chakra long before he appeared behind me, about to run past me, had my hand not leapt forward and grabbed his arm. He paused and withdrew from my grasp, looking at me without comment. A shiver ran down my spine at the look on his face. I'd probably be dead as a doornail if I'd done that a year ago.
„You saved my life last time, it's my turn too," I tried to explain my actions under the piercing gaze. He was almost scarier than Tsunade. I finally gave in. What was the point of us standing here all the time while the ninja we were chasing escaped.
I gritted my teeth and nodded at him. Gaara looked pleased. How he had managed to get a student was beyond me. Weren't many people in Sunagakure still afraid of him?
„Tora," his voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I cursed my constant daydreaming contritely. There was really no other time to worry about that. I followed Gaara, who seemed to have already pushed our pursuer into a corner. He had already dropped Matsuri off and faced Gaara. Ready to fight. The man hadn't noticed me yet. Very good. My body instantly disappeared from view and I channeled raiton chakra through every single pore before racing straight towards the little brown-haired girl, grabbing her or the wooden container and standing next to the redhead again within a few seconds. Now visible again.
„Sensei Gaara", was all that escaped the girl's lips and she stared at him with rosy cheeks.
What, no thank you for helping her? Well, no then. I used the kunai to free her from the wooden prison and held out my hand to her, which she returned and let me help her up.
She was a little shorter than me, had short brown hair and eyes of the same color. She gazed fixedly into my eyes and I returned her gaze until she turned it away and I stepped next to Gaara, feeling her gaze on my back. Heavens, what was wrong with her?
„We should get out while we still can," I said quietly, but he shook his head.
„No. I have to defeat him," he replied coolly.
Furious, I stepped in front of him and blocked his view of the opponent. I looked him in the eye and held his gaze. Couldn't he listen to me for once in his life?
„My goodness. Throw your pride aside for once and do it for the sake of your health. You're finished here. Your chakra is almost at the end," I replied angrily.
„Out of my way," he said emphatically, but I shook my head. Damn it, why didn't he understand?
„Almost. There's still enough for the guy who kidnapped Matsuri and..."
He didn't get any further. The air began to hiss and I turned around. Bright light shone in the ravine and when our eyes could see again, we realized that our opponent had made his friends' weapons his own. That too. Now it seemed that we would have to fight after all. Fine then.
I turned to the girl, who was standing uncertainly in place.
„Hide behind the rocks there and stay quiet," I said to her, but she didn't move. Ignored me completely. Was she deaf?
„Do as she says," Gaara intervened and Matsuri obeyed immediately. Taking one last look at Gaara, she ran to the rocks and ducked her head behind them.
What the?
But I didn't have time to wonder about the behavior, let alone get upset. The first attack hit Gaara directly on the shoulder. He hissed angrily and I immediately jumped forward to cover him, holding the kunai protectively in front of me, fending off the dragon sword's attacks before ramming my feet into the ground, pushing off and running. The individual parts of the dragon sword flew at me like sharp arrows. I nimbly dodged them, feinted a blow to my opponent's shoulder before dropping to my knees in a flash and sliding under his long legs.
A surprised gasp escaped the man as I was about to pull his legs away. At the last moment he jumped aside and I felt a violent gust of wind press me against the stone wall. Sharp pain shot up my back as the scars began to stir a little.
Something blue hurtled towards me. I couldn't do anything, not a single finger sign, but my body was pressed against the wall by the wind. Bloody hell. The next thing I heard was an orange blur that had intervened and blocked the attack. Relieved, I looked at the friend who had shown up just in time.
„If you dare do anything to Tora, I can get really uncomfortable, for real now."
Our opponent laughed derisively.
„What's a kid going to do against me? Especially a big mouth like that?"
„You'll see," Naruto replied before pouncing on him. Unfortunately, the Uzumaki seemed to have as little success as I did in hurting the man. I gritted my teeth and had to watch Naruto fly into the nearest wall the next moment. I was already gathering chakra in my feet to rush to the blond's aid when I recognized the sand shield that Gaara had built around him.
A smile crept onto my lips. What he wouldn't do for his friend. I wonder if I was something similar for him.
Gaara began to tremble and I realized that he was really starting to run out of chakra. At the same time, the sand around him began to shift and something broke through the surface. The raiton chakra had spread through my veins at breakneck speed and I ran towards the Suna Nin to push him aside.
But I was too slow. I watched helplessly as the metal prison closed around us both. Damn it. Why did I have this element if I still couldn't control it properly? I wasn't even able to save a friend.
Frustrated, I slammed my foot against the steel-hard wall and immediately hissed in pain. Damn it.
„Forget it. We're not getting out of here anytime soon."