Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Ghostly Eyes ❯ The Village Hidden in the Forest ( Chapter 4 )

      Despite her teammates’ protests, Kurenai ordered a return to the village. She needed to fill them in before proceeding further. They didn’t enjoy leaving Hinata behind, but they reluctantly agreed with the Jônin’s logic that they couldn’t rush in blindly or they’d never save Hianta.

     When they returned they went to the home of the doctor who had treated Shino & Kiba. The ninja and dog had some scratches Kurenai wanted to have tended to immediately, in the event of poison. Kurenai began her explanation to her team immediately after the doctor gave them a clean bill of health.

     “Those primitives were a tribe called the Nimmori. Their name is a bastardization of Mori-nin.”

     “Fores t Ninja.” Shino said.

     “These guys are shinobi?!” Kiba asked.

     “Not exactly.” Kurenai answered, “Long ago, well before the time of the country of Konoha, there existed a Hidden Village known as Morigakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Forest. Their village was located in a thick wood in a deep valley. A valley surrounded on all sides by a rock wall that, to the outside observer, would look simply as a steep mountain.”

     “The broken rock wall.” Shino said in realization. Kurenai nodded.

     “Many years ago, shortly before the founding of Konoha, the shinobi of Morigakure were cut off from the rest of the world by a great cataclysm. It was described as a powerful shaking that caved in every single one of the tunnels and paths the Mori-nin used to get through the rock.

     “The cause of that disaster is lost in legend. Some say it was simply an earthquake. Others say maybe they were trying to summon a demon and it went horribly awry. Regardless, their village was lost to the known world. The only ones who remained were those shinobi fortunate enough to be away from Morigakure at that time. Those survivors would eventually found the country of Konoha and the village of Konohagakure.”

     “If they were cut off like that, how do you know who they are?” Kiba asked.

     “In the time of Hokage the Fourth, an earthquake shook the land due east of here. A powerful shake that broke away much of the rock wall on that side of the Morigakure forest. The Mori-nin, held back so long, leapt at the chance to escape. However, time had not kind to the people Hidden in the Forest. Due to the lack of contact with the civilized world, the Mori-nin degenerated in order to survive.

     “They were no longer the noble shinobi of the woods. They had become savages. Now calling themselves the Nimorri, they ravaged nearby towns, much like they are now. They also abducted people from the towns and brought them back to their home.”

     “Why would they kidnap people?” Naruto asked.

     “New blood. The Nimmori had been trapped in their valley for over a century. In all that time, they had nobody but each other. The inevitable inbreeding resulted in a dwindling of the peoples’ numbers. They needed new blood for their tribe to grow.”

     “You mean… they took people… they took Hinata so they could…” Kiba felt sick to his stomach.

     “I’m not so sure.” Kurenai said quickly, “If that were true, they would’ve tried to kidnap all of us. They were prepared to kill us to keep Hinata only. Also, there’ve been no reports of abductions here.”

     “And no activity at all since Hinata’s abduction.” Shino reported. Kurenai nodded gravely.

     “Um… excuse me…” Naruto asked, his hand in the air, “What about the last time? Were they stopped?”

     “Yes. Hokage-sama the Fourth defeated the Nimmori by once again trapping them behind their rock wall. He caved in the one path broken open before. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to save many of the people the Nimmori had taken. Even if he could have taken them, they were lost.”

     Kurenai’s students exchanged looks of confusion.

     “The Nimmori still possessed some ancient jutsu. One of which was a powerful Genjutsu that re-made a person’s mind. Whoever that person was in the past, they were transformed into a Nimmori. That is what they‘ve done to Hinata.”

     “Why would they do something like that?” Naruto asked.

     “What better way to make sure your prisoners won’t run?” Shino asked in reply. “Not only that, but so long as they believed themselves Nimmori, they would not only remain with the tribe, but resist any attempt at rescue.”

     “Exactly.” ; Kurenai said, “Those few that were rescued needed a lot of time to become themselves again. Those who recovered most quickly were the ones who had been under the Nimmori’s thrall for a short period of time and had friends and family there with them.”

     “That’s why you wanted people who know Hinata.” Kiba stated.

     “And why you hurried us here.” Naruto pointed out.

     “Yes, the four of us are currently the best chance of freeing Hinata before it’s too-”

     Kurenai was interrupted by the village doctor bursting into the room.

     “Sensei-san!” he cried out, “Come quick! Some of… of.. them are outside!”

     “Them?” Naruto asked.

     “The raiders.”

     “The Nimmori!” Kurenai gasped.

     “There’s a girl leading them, she’s demanding to speak to the shinobi here.”

     “A girl?” Kurenai asked. She went to a window of the house which had a view of the path into the town. Fortunate in case someone was brining a wounded man or woman that way. But now, Kurenai wished to see this girl with the Nimmori. She had a horrible feeling she knew who it was.

     Sure enough, there was band of Nimmori, painted and clad in animal skins. And sure enough, at the head of that band, was Hyuga Hinata. Known to her people as Kashghyu N’Ga. She of the Ghostly Eyes.