Fan Fiction: Leaf and the clouds chapter 2 the gathering storm
Leaf and the clouds chapter 2 the gathering storm
"I don't get it, Kurenai sensei. All this ruckus about this being a big mission and all it is dealing with some stupid ghosts." Kiba said before taking another bite of his lunch.
"While the client says it's ghosts we are dealing with, the truth of the matter is that these ghosts are probably ninja. Shino said.
"You are correct Shino." Kurenai said. "The mines in Kinkawa village have been repeatedly attacked by unknown assailants and it is our mission to stop them."
"Now that sounds like a mission for me." Kiba said setting down his empty bento box.
"You mean a mission for us." Shino said.
"Yeah I know, you and Hinata missed out on that big mission I went on nine months ago and know you guys are spoiling to show everybody what you can do." Kiba's face had dark expression as he continued to speak. "You better be careful because if you aren't you are likely to get killed on this mission."
Everyone was shocked by Kiba's serious attitude. Kurenai said "While I do have complete faith in our ability to complete this mission, you should all take what Kiba said to heart. That being said we should pack up immediately if we want to make it to the village by sunset." All three students nodded and began packing up their things.
"You usually don't speak so seriously Kiba, It was a bit scary." Hinata said.
"It was just that me and a couple of other guys nearly bit it on the last big mission I was on." Kiba said.
"And you don't want the same thing to happen to us." Shino said.
"Yeah and it was just get back that stupid jerk Sasuke too, I don't know what women saw in him." Kiba said.
"Do I sense a hint of jealousy?" Shino said.
"No that's not it. It's just that he betrayed Kohona and didn't think of what would happen to other people." Kiba said. "A lot of people got hurt really bad, including Akamaru."
"I have been training really hard with My father and Neji and I am sure Shino has been training hard as well so I am sure we will be fine." Hinata said.
"If I remember right Neji was one of the people that nearly died on that mission." Kiba said.
"Gee Kiba you sure got pessimistic all of a sudden." Shino said. "For all we know these ghost ninjas could be a lot weaker than the ones you faced."
"It is good to be cautious but at the same time you must not underestimate your skills." Kurenai said. "Otherwise you will be defeated mentally before a battle begins."
"You're right Kurenai sensei. Those ghost ninjas better watch out because I am coming to kick their asses." Kiba said.
Kurenai smiled as her students finished packing up and started walking towards Kinkawa village.
It was nearly nightfall when the group arrived at their destination. "Oh great. We are dead tired from hiking all this way and now we have to stay up all night on guard duty." Kiba said. While Shino and Hinata had the sense of mind not to voice their opinion's, they shared Kiba's sentiments.
"Now Kiba you that a job is a job and we came here to complete an important mission." Kurenai said. "Try to act professionally."
Their talking was noticed by one of the men of the village. "Are you the ninjas we hired to save our village?" He said.
"Yes, we are the ninjas from Kohona that were sent to deal with your attackers." Kurenai said.
The man's eye's brightened. "This way to our village's headman. And yeah by the way me name's Shiro" He said.
As the man led team eight through the village the ninja's couldn't help but notice that the building had sturdier construction and more amenities than most villages they have been to. "Man these people are loaded." Kiba said.
"It would make sense, after all Kinkawa does mean gold river. They probably mine gold here." Shino said.
"You got that right. " The Shiro said. "Well there's the headman's place."
"Thank you for your trouble." Kurenai said. The man waved and team eight went inside.
Inside there was an elderly couple siting at a table. They turned toward the ninja's and the man spoke. "So you are the ninja's that we have hired?"
"Correct. I am Kurenai Yuuhi and these are my three students, Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuuga."
"I am Takemaru and this is my wife Shizuka. We are very glad you could come so quickly."
"So I take it that we are to begin guard duty immediately?" Kurenai asked, glancing at Kiba in order to remind him to hold his tongue.
"Yes that would be best. there are four of you and two locations that the ghosts have been attacking, the mine entrance and the mill." Takemaru said.
"We will split into two groups and begin immediately." Kurenai said.
"Good idea." Takemaru said. "One word of precaution, it seems that the ghosts have some sort of power that interrupts radios." Shino thought a minute and then smirked.
"Before you go please take these before you go." Shizuka said. She stood up from her seat and grabbed two bundles from a shelf and gave them to Kurenai. "These are so you don't get hungry while you are sitting out in the cold."
Kurenai and her students bowed. "Any of the villagers and tell you where the mine and mill are." Takemaru said.
After walking out the door Kurenai turned to her students and said "Hinata and Shino will watch the mill. Kiba and I will take the mine shaft." Kurenai handed one of the bundles to Hinata.
"Kurenai sensei I was thinking about what the village elder said and I think this would come in handy." Shino said, holding out his hand with a bug on his palm. "With this we can communicate over long distances."
"How can we communicate with a bug?" Kiba asked.
"It's called Hotaru no Jutsu. I use this insect to send signals via morse code." Shino said The abdomen of the insect flickered on and off.
Kurenai took the insect into her hand. "Good thinking Shino. One more thing, remember to sleep in split shifts. I will take the first watch." Kiba's mood lightened hearing her words.
Hinata was awoken from her slumber by a hand rocking her back and forth. "What is?" She said in groggy voice but was interrupted by a finger placed across her mouth.
Shino was standing over her. "I heard a disturbance. It could the be the intruder we were sent to deal with." Shino said in sign language.
Hinata nodded and stood up. Her vision widened to see all of the forest around the mill. It was dark but illuminated by a nearly full moon and the late autumn leaves did little to obscure the sky. The sound of crunching leaves was obvious. If it was a ninja it was a very sloppy ninja.
Shino and Hinata hid behind tree trunks in an attempt to ambush the person. Soon the vague shape of the disturbance could be seen. It was roughly five feet tall. As it walked a metallic glint of it's forehead confirmed that it had to be a ninja of some sort.
Shino threw a shuriken to dispatch this mystery ninja. It noticed the projectile and twisted it's body to avoid it. The figure jumped and threw something at the source of the attack. It was a flare note, a variant of an exploding note that could momentarily blind someone who wasn't expecting it. Hinata shielded her eyes and the byakugan veins receded to their dormant position.
Wearing his sunglasses Shino fared better than Hinata. The figure raced to his position as he drew a Kunai for hand to hand fighting. When he raised it to parry a blow it screeched, the mystery ninja had to have some sort of weapon.
The light that the flare note gave off had dimmed enough that it was no longer distracting but still would point out a target near it to a far off attacker. It was also enough to show the mystery ninja clearly to Shino and Hinata. She was a woman in her early teens with a distinctive cap that suggested cat ears . Strapped to her wrists her metal claws that made her Taijutsu attacks dangerous to anyone, especially anyone who tried to fight her barehanded. She also had the forehead protector which marked her as a ninja from the village hidden in the clouds.
Hinata recovered from the flare attack to strike at the girl with her palm. The girl raised one of her claws to block the blow causing Hinata to pull her blow to keep her hand from being shredded by the claw. The moment of hesitation was all the girl needed to launch her own attack. A claw thrust at Hinata's face causing her to bend backwards to avoid the blow.
The girl threw another flare note at the ground and fled. Shino attempted to chase after her but was held back by Hinata. "She could be attempting to lure us into a trap." she said.
"You're right." Shino said. "I was a bit too eager for glory and wasn't thinking. Anyway I will report this incident to Kurenai."
"That is good to hear. Would you like to switch off now?" Hinata asked.
"I don't know if I can sleep now." Shino said.
At a campsite sat two teenagers and an adult. The cloud ninja entered the campsite and fell to her knees panting.
"It's odd to have you return out of breath Tamaki." The man said.
"I encounter resistance when I made the attack on the mill, Yukio Sensei. The villager hired ninjas. If you had let me take Uogumaru with me I might have been able to defeat them." Tamaki said.
"Ninjas you say. Tell me more." Yukio said.
"Two leaf ninjas about my age. They were probably genin. One of them had solid while eyes." Tamaki said. The other girl at the campsite frowned in anger.
"White eyes you say? It's probably the byakugan." Yukio said. Seeing his student's perplexed expressions he explained "The byakugan is a bloodline passed down in the leaf village by a certain family. It allows the possessors of this bloodline to see in all directions at once as well as some other attacks. Unfortunately most of the people that posses the byakugan have curse seals on their foreheads that make harvesting the eyes impossible."
"The one I encountered didn't. When she dodged one of my attacks I saw her forehead and it was bare." Tamaki said.
"The girl's name is Hyuga. And I request permission to attack the mill immediately ." The girl said.
"Now now Fumi. The leaf ninjas have been tipped off to our presence and so we need to prepare in order to make this a successful mission. But I assure you that you will get a piece of that girl." Yukio said. End of chapter 2