Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Ghostly Eyes ❯ Divide and Conquer ( Chapter 17 )

      The eight Konoha-nin made their way through the village. The Hyuga with their Byakugan kept them alert to any dangers that might stop them or slow them down. Infiltration was more difficult this time around. Now there were guards stationed at strategic points throughout the village. Kurenai could tell immediately that these were not the kids and rookies they’d fought to date. But fighters closer to the caliber of the man she had fought the day before. She instructed everyone to be on their guard as they leapt through the treetops.

     When they reached a point where evading guards was not an option, Shino handled matters by using some of his more venomous insects to incapacitate the enemies before them. However, some wore the Nimmori’s powerful insect repellent, keeping Shino’s bugs at bay. Kurenai, in these cases, would perform a Genjutsu; creating a distraction that would allow one of the Hyuga to get close enough to silence their enemy.

     Though they knew they were on the right path, Kiba and Akamaru stayed on point kept their noses alert. They were tracking Hinata’s scent, which would undoubtedly lead them to the stump or close to it. Hyuga Kodomairu stayed close to Kiba, his Byakugan on full alert to protect the boy and dog from any sudden danger Kiba or Akamaru might be too focused to miss.

     On her orders, Naruto remained close to Kurenai. He tried to keep himself aware of his surroundings. But he kept finding himself distracted. He and Kiba had informed her of Naruto’s plan and, though risky, approved it. If, or rather, when a fight started, Kurenai would make sure Naruto reached his place while the other six would create as big a ruckus as possible to lure as many enemies as possible to them. Kurenai worried now, as that was especially dangerous, considering the discovery of their enemies’ new formidability.

     The hope, however, was that the Konoha-nin could reach their destination without a battle, and thus set up the inevitable battle on their terms. Giving them what advantage they could. To everyone’s surprise, and relief, luck seemed to be working in their favor. They reached a tree from which they could all see the tree stump clearly while remaining hidden. The presence of guards here was heavy, however, so the group had been forced to split up.

     Kiba, Shino, and Kodomairu stayed together. They three were all Genin and would have better odds in battle if they stuck together. Kiba made a point of describing various team maneuvers he and Shino often used with Hinata, so that Kodomairu could, to some extent, fill in the gap she left during combat.

     Tomoko and Uaishi took off another way. Kurenai had been told by Riisen that the two were siblings, and worked very well together. Both of them, as well as Riisen, were of the Chunin rank, giving them better odds against the enemy than the Genin with them did. Kurenai’s worry was Riisen, who had insisted on going off alone. He assured her she would be fine. But a single Chuunin, even a talented one, against a group of strong enemies would have a difficult battle ahead of him. She had allowed it, only on the insistence that three separate disturbances would help thin the enemies ranks a bit, giving each group fewer opponents.

     That left Kurenai and Naruto. When the others began their distractions, Kurenai and Naruto would use any big gaps in the enemy ranks and make a run for the stump. Fortunately, the guard was actually very light near it. Kurenai theorized this was due to the heavy amount of chakra that was to be channeled in the area. It would make it dangerous to have all but those who had to be there nearby. They could serve as a distraction to those performing the ceremony, or inadvertently cause a problem that might disrupt things too greatly.

     She looked up to the sky. Despite the canopy of trees above them, Kurenai could see that dawn was approaching. They had left hours before, the pre-dawn gloom giving the large group enough darkness to move without being seen. When sunlight began to seep through the holes in the ceiling of branches and leaves above them, that would be when the others made their move. When their final attempt to salvage their lost ninja would come.

     The Ki’ge’s chanting had begun to increase in speed. To Kashghyu N’ga it almost seemed as if the old man were being possessed by something. Though it could be just a matter of prudence. The time was fast approaching. Kashghyu knew that the channeling of the Life’s Flame into the Ley Lines would begin as soon as dawn’s light began peeking through the forest’s cover above them. So far, there seemed to be no disturbance from the shee’nobie trying to disrupt the summoning.

     That calm didn’t last long, however. No sooner than the channelers begin their work than a loud horn was heard over the sounds of the forest village. It was an alarm. The shee’nobie had indeed attacked.

     A fair distance east of the Plaza, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuga Kodomairu had made the appearance of accidentally being seen. A Nimmori, believing them caught unaware, blew a horn for an alarm and immediately leapt at the three boys, only to take a well-aimed kunai, courtesy of Kiba, into the gut and fall. Others would come to the source of the sounds and a fight would start.

     North of the Plaza, Hyugas Tomoko and Uaishi set themselves up on what appeared to be a well traveled route to intercept as many enemies from this direction as possible. Uaishi placed himself close to a bridge, in plain sight of any who would pass by. Tomoko laid in wait in the trees directly above. Waiting to help pick off any who would attack her elder brother.

     To the west, Hyuga Riisen was ready as well. Despite the lack of time, he had managed a few simple yet effective traps, including garroting wires and exploding seals that would catch unawares those unlucky enough to stumble into them. Close to himself, he placed incomplete or obvious traps. Things that would catch his foes’ attention, distracting them enough for his attacks to take them out.

     South, most of the Nimmori began heading towards the sounds of the alarm. Some had also noticed the noise of fighting on other directions, and headed there instead. This left a much more sparse, and easy to break through, group of enemies below Kurenai and Naruto. Kurenai closed her eyes and focused. She sensed only two charkas above them on the stump. One was Hinata’s without a doubt. The other, she couldn’t tell. It was strong, though. She thought that it was likely the one conducting the summoning. He or she would be too focused on that, hopefully, to interfere with Naruto. Those below however, were another story.

     “Naruto.” she said, “I’m going down there. You wait here. Do not move until you are positive that everyone is focused on me. We can’t risk someone following you and getting in the way.”

     No sooner did Naruto nod his understanding did Kurenai leap from their hiding place and right into the middle of the surprised Nimmori. Naruto watched. As strong as the men and women below were, they weren’t a match for a Jonin of Konohagakure. Many fell quickly due to their surprise and slow response to Kurenai’s appearance. The rest put up a better fight, but Kurenai was still moving easily around them and fighting back. Their numbers, less than they had been just moments ago, not enough of an advantage over the kuno’ichi.

     Naruto watched and waited. After a few moments, it seemed all eyes were on Kurenai. Every enemy had their focus on her. It was his chance. Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself, and leapt from the tree trunk he had been clinging to. He stayed on higher, hoping to stay out of an enemy’s line of vision and also giving him the height necessary to reach the stump where Hinata was easily. The thought of his objective in his mind, he leapt with as much speed an strength as he could muster.

     As soon as the horns trumpeted the arrival of intruders, Da Iri’ga began to scan the surroundings. He was well attuned the sounds of the woods, and from his vantage point upon the plaza he could scan visually any area he below he needed to see quickly. When he realized that sounds of fighting seemed to be coming in all but one general direction, he looked down and saw the shee’nobie woman, whom Kashghyu N’ga had told him was named Yuhi Kurenai, fighting a much smaller squad of warriors then he remembered leaving there. Doubtless they were called away by the other fights, leaving this path open. With that done, Kurenai seemed intent on keeping as much focus on her as possible.

     If that is your wish, Yuhi Kurenai, he thought, then I shall indulge you. After his first fight with the woman, the warrior’s pride within him ached for a rematch. He looked to Kashghyu N’ga, who stood in silence on the center of the Plaza. Sensing his gaze, she turned away from the Ki’ge to look at him. He gave her a reassuring smile before he leapt from the plaza to enter the battle.

     As he descended, he caught sight of something orange. The shee’nobie boy that he knew occupied many of Kashghyu’s thoughts was above him, making his way to the plaza. He momentarily wondered whether or not he should abort his mission and chase the boy. However, he knew that Kashghyu had battled him successfully already, she should be able to handle him now.

     So he continued his descent, the fall affecting him little. He landed just as Yuhi had begun to finish incapacitating the last of the Nimmori she fought.