"Hinata!" you yelled, echoing Kiba's cry. Without thinking about the consequential effects of your actions, you pushed Hinata aside. She let out a small squeak in protest, but it was too late. The man's forceful stab missed, going through Hinata's tree instead. Shocked, you saw that the kunai went through the branch as if it were a ghost with no substance. You examined the undamaged wood, stupefied.
Hinata gave a startled yelp and one of her feet slipped, severing her chakra flow and interrupting her concentration. She fell off the tree, and every one else, being tied to her by ropes, went down with her. Your team collapsed to the ground with a resounding crash, toppling onto one another.
"G-gomenasai!" Hinata gasped, looking mortified.
"It's not your fault, Hinata," you said miserably. "It was me, I shouldn't have knocked you over. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Kiba interrupted. His eyes were blazing with determination. "We're getting those shuriken no matter what, and no matter how many times we fall down, we'll just climb back up, right guys?"
You blinked gratefully at him and quickly formed half the ram hand seal, ready to try again.
-:-
When you were halfway up the tree, a kunai whizzed by and impaled itself merely inches above Kiba's head.
"Is that a genjutsu?" he asked uneasily, glancing at the very real looking hole it made in the wood.
"No," said Shino, his voice stiff. Hinata turned to look at him, her eyes widening in fear.
"Kurenai-sensei is using real weapons on us too?" you asked, your voice an octave higher than usual. You cleared your throat, and gave an involuntary gasp when another kunai flew at you and embedded itself uncomfortably close to your ear.
"She might be trying to intimidate us," Kiba said hopefully, but he didn't look convinced. "But she won't actually hurt us, right?"
A third kunai came flying towards your team, and this time, it hit its target.
Hinata gave a small moan of pain when the knife tore into the flesh of her forearm. Her pale lavender eyes became as round as saucers and she tugged the kunai out of her arm, as if she couldn't quite understand what she was seeing.
Would Kurenai-sensei really…?!
Kurenai suddenly materialized on a branch of your tree, looking extremely troubled.
"Sensei…!" you and Kiba cried at the same time, relieved.
"Something's wrong. We seem to be under attack…I'm calling off this mission temporarily." She yanked the kunai above Kiba's head out of the wood and slashed at the ropes that bound all four of you. "I presume it's rogue ninja – two at the most. Get going. I may need you to get some reinforcements."
"We want to stay and help!" Kiba protested, clenching his fists. You nodded in agreement.
"No," Kurenai said firmly, but a fourth incoming kunai forced her to dodge and stop talking momentarily.
"S-sensei, please let us…" Hinata stuttered, glancing at her beseechingly. "I promise we'll be able to be of some use."
Kurenai looked conflicted for a moment. She then looked ready to refuse, but the rogue ninja finally made their appearance, leaving her no choice.
"Fine," she said brusquely, jumping down the tree to meet the two rogues and gesturing for you and the rest of the team to follow her lead.
"Yahoo…!" Kiba said jubilantly, ricocheting off his tree with Akamaru clinging to his shoulder for dear life. You, Shino, and Hinata also jumped off your respective tree trunks and stood a little behind your sensei, facing the two potentially dangerous shinobi before you. You gasped.
Those black robes…the distinctive scarlet cloud-patterned fabric…those bell-tasselled straw hats…
You felt as if they were important, that you should recognize them on sight. You felt as if you should know exactly who these people were and why they were here. The inability to remember was driving you crazy.
"It's been a while…Kurenai."
Your sensei stiffened when one of the rogue ninja suddenly spoke. He pushed his wide-brimmed hat up a fraction of an inch to reveal dark red eyes not unlike Kurenai-sensei's. You wondered if he was related to her in some way. No…the prominent cheekbones, the haughty expression, the well-hidden sadness behind the crimson orbs…somehow, it reminded you of Sasuke. You must be out of your mind to make this comparison. Sasuke didn't have red eyes, you scoffed at yourself, trying not to laugh out loud.
"Uchiha Itachi," Kurenai's voice was calm, but there was an almost undetectable undertone of fear. Itachi…why did that name sound so familiar…?
"Are these friends of yours, Itachi?" the second, taller man asked, turning slightly to face his comrade. Itachi lifted the rim of his hat, exposing the rest of his face. Your eyes were drawn to the deep gouge in the metal plate of his Konohagakure forehead protector. He's a Leaf shinobi?!
"An acquaintance from my time here in Konoha, nothing more," Itachi told the man smoothly. His penetrating gaze raked over your team and Hinata gave an involuntary shudder. "This is your genin team…Kurenai?"
Her eyes darkened. "That is none of your concern. You're a rogue ninja, a missing-nin wanted by every nation. State your business, Uchiha. We will not hesitate to annihilate you."
"Is that any way to greet an old comrade?" Itachi chided, sounding politely amused.
"Your return to the village can mean nothing good," Kurenai replied, bristling. "So tell me. Why are you here?"
"We are simply…passing by," he said thoughtfully.
"I don't believe you."
"Can we just kill them now?" the other man interrupted, sounding sickeningly enthusiastic about the prospect. The colour drained from your face and he chuckled darkly when he noticed.
"We'll just attract attention," Itachi said warningly. "That would be…imprudent." He turned back to face Kurenai. "We are leaving now, but we will be back, mark my words."
To your surprise, she nodded.
"Hey!" you blurted out without thinking. "But those kunai. How could it be just an…accident? If you were just passing by –"
"Clever," the unidentified man said with grudging admiration. "Young genin are always entertaining to use as target practise. Especially if they have…verve."
Your eyes widened in horror as his words sank in.
"You're frightening her, Kisame," Itachi reproached his comrade. The man you supposed was named Kisame lifted his hat slightly and gave you a terrifying, toothy grin. "Let's go."
Kisame reluctantly nodded in agreement. So they were leaving, just like that? When they were using Hinata as target practise?! You glared at their retreating backs, feeling angrier than you had ever been in a long time.
"[Name], whatever you're thinking, don't," Kiba whispered, putting a hand on your arm. "I can sense your killer intent."
That brought you up short. You didn't realize exactly how furious you were until he said that.
You shake him off, preparing to give Itachi and Kisame a piece of your mind! No one messed with you, not even dangerous criminals! Wait, how did you know they were criminals…? Go to Chapter 55.
You're grateful he intervened. It would be irrational, if not downright suicidal to pursue the potentially dangerous missing-nin. Go to Chapter 56.