You decide to pull out your own kunai to intercept the attack.

"Hinata! Watch out!" you managed, hoping that you would be strong enough to hold out against the Kumogakure ninja's strength. Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but you had already reached towards the incoming assault with your kunai.

Instead of a resounding clash of steel as you expected, your jab sent the blade flying into another tree, narrowly missing Shino's head by inches.

"G-gomenasai…!" you squeaked, terrified at what you had just done. Shino shrugged it off, looking completely indifferent towards the near-death-experience.

The man was still floating beside Hinata, and to your horror, had already stabbed her in the chest with is knife. You cried out, until you realized that Hinata was unhurt.

"H-how…?" Kiba growled, his own kunai at the ready.

"It's a genjutsu again," Shino explained, plucking your kunai out of his tree and handing it to you. "I heard Kurenai-sensei was excellent in illusion-based attacks. This must be it."

You blushed at your mistake and quickly took the kunai, thanking him profusely. "I see. I acted foolishly."

"No, it was the right thing to do," Kiba said fervently, looking awed. "You didn't know, and if it had been real…"

You shuddered at the mental image, but Hinata piped up. "It couldn't have been. T-that man was the head ninja of the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Ano… he died nine years ago."

"Who was that? How did you know him?" you asked curiously. You felt as if you should know, but somehow couldn't figure out why. He looked familiar, and somehow, you should have remembered that Hinata had some connection with that man if you had watched it on TV before.

"He abducted me when I was three," Hinata said quietly. Her words were met with a short silence. Were you supposed to know that? You couldn't quite remember anymore.

"So Kurenai-sensei sent this…this projection," Kiba muttered. "No wonder Akamaru was saying that something was weird about this guy. Sorry buddy, I should've listened to you."

The man was still floating next to Hinata, his phantom kunai still in her chest.

"I guess there's no need to dispel this genjutsu," you said, not really wanting to fall off the tree a second time. "It's not truly affecting us in any way."

Your teammates murmured in shared agreement, and continued to ascend the tree.

Go to Chapter 33.