32 Secret Base 1 (1/2)
In front of their eyes, the man they'd known as Tendai for the past two days began to peel off the skin off his face, revealing a completely foreign person. His figure also changed as the chakra surrounding his body dissipated in an instant.
”Transformation Technique, a skin mask, and a light touch of genjutsu... you're quite adept at blending in. Sadly, your acting skill isn't up to par.”
”Tch-!”
The man pulled out a kunai, and then rushed toward Kurenai. The woman was about to parry when he suddenly made a somersault above her head, arriving right behind Hinata in the blink of an eye. The tip of the cold blade was pressed onto her skin.
”Don't you dare get any closer, or this girl will die!”
”Hmm... what a classic development.”
Kurenai didn't seem to be fazed at all. She leisurely strolled over toward the man, who grew more panicked when he saw that his threat had no effect to the Jonin.
”W-what are you doing?! I'll really kill the kid!”
”Go ahead.”
Her steps turned faster instead.
”Damn you! 'm not messing around!”
In his panic, the kunai pierced deep through the girl skin, drenching the dirt ground with fresh blood. Even so, the other kids merely stared at him, while a sly smirk appeared on Kurenai's face.
”As long as it's for the completion of the mission, we will give up everything. Even our life. Isn't that the way of a shinobi?”
”G-guaah!”
The man fell to the ground, cowering at the approaching woman.
---
”So that's Miss Kurenai's genjutsu... was that how we looked like when we got caught in it?” Kiba murmured.
”...Possible.”
The kids were still perched up on the trees as per Kurenai's order. She had simply told them to watch from above. At the moment, Kurenai was facing the man alone while the latter was sprawled on the ground after making some pointless gestures as if he had sliced someone with his kunai.
Soon, several shadows flickered in from the direction of the town. Atsushi had arrived with Hyoumaru, Seki, and three other Chuunin in tow.
Upon seeing the man's dazed look, Atsushi let out a deafening laugh.
”As expected of miss Kurenai! I'm impressed.”
”You're finally here. I thought you're addicted to acting like a drunkard. The Third's definitely going to be interested to hear that you drink during a mission.”
”S-spare us, please... we need to do that to confirm our suspicion...”
He made a wry smile as his team surrounded the trembling man.
”So? Any info about his identity?”
”Nothing much. Either he's a missing-nin, or just a mercenary shinobi from an obscure village,” Atsushi replied. ”Yoshifumi's coming in a few hours. His team is more suited for interrogation. We'll just leave it to them.”
While the two were talking, Hyoumaru and his team was about to apprehend the man when suddenly he stabbed the kunai in his hand onto his own shoulder. The dazed look in his eyes disappeared at once.
”Drat-!”
”Kuh... don't think I'll go down that easily!”
He pulled out two wooden blocks from his robe, the 'wind' and the 'moon' pieces. With a poof, the paintings turned into a pair of doves, which quickly flew away to different directions.
Using the momentary confusion, the man slipped out from the encirclement, and then blasted off as if his life depended on it.
”Goddamnit! What are you guys doing?!”
”Apologies, Sir. We'll chase him at once!” Hyoumaru bitterly glanced at the fleeing doves. ”What should we do about the paintings?”
”Tch! Split into two teams, then retrieve those paintings back! Seki, you're coming with me. We're the fastest ones in the unit, so we'll chase that man!”
”...Yes, Sir...!”
”Wait! I'm coming too!”
As the two was about to take off, Kiba suddenly called out to them. Before he could move any further, however, Kurenai had grabbed him by the shoulder.
”Kiba, stop messing around. Giving chase to an active ninja is a dangerous task. You guys are not ready yet!”
”Teacher, I've memorized his scent just now. I'm currently the best choice for tracking him, right? Let me go with them!”
Woof!
Akamaru chimed in as well.
”This...”
Even if he was just a young kid, as an Inuzuka, he was extremely gifted in the field of tracking. That was an undeniable fact. Kurenai didn't doubt his abilities, but still...
”Let him come, miss Kurenai,” Atsushi commented. ”He's already a Genin. Excessive coddling will only hinder his potential. Besides, we're there to protect him in case something happened.”
Faced with the boy's determined gaze, Kurenai's resistance finally crumbled.
”...Fine. Shino.”
”Understood.”
One of Shino's kikaichu leaped off his finger, landing on Kiba's coat.
”Don't push yourself. If you really have to fight, leave it to Atsushi and Seki. Contact us through Shino's insect if you need help.”
”I know, I know! Jeez, Miss Kurenai, you're even more of a worrywart than my sis!”
The Chuunin's face contorted as they tried their best to stiffle their laughter. Of course, Kurenai didn't fail to notice that. When they caught a glimpse of her worsening expression, they quickly leaped away, unwilling to suffer under her fearsome illusion.
”Alright, kid! It's up to you now!”
”Ou! Follow me!”
<Imitation Beast Ninja Art: Four Legs Technique>
With his speed greatly enhanced by chakra, Kiba darted off toward the direction of the man's scent, followed closely by Atsushi and Seki.
---
”Damn! That guy really can run!”
The three had caught up with the man halfway through, but he somehow had managed to run even faster than before. They could tell that he was already on his last legs, though.
”Seki! We'll go around and try to catch him by surprise!” Atsushi commanded.
”...Understood!”
Atsushi and Seki split off from Kiba, leaving the boy to keep pressuring the fugitive. It didn't take long before the two showed up on both sides, forming hand seals in blinding speed.
arth Release: Earth-Style Wall>
The earth rose to form a high wall right in front of the escaping man. Unable to control his movement due to his excessive fatigue, the man rammed straight at it, breaking his nose.
”...Got him!”
Seki quickly swooped in to tackle down the man, finally ending the long chase.
”Phew, I haven't run that far since my academy days!” Atsushi wiped the sweat off his neck. He then grinned widely at Kiba. ”You're not bad, kid! How about doing missions with us later when you've become a Chuunin?”
”Well... I'll think about it,” Kiba laughed wryly. ”By the way, where are we now?”
They didn't pay much attention to their surrounding during that frenzy chase, but it seemed that they had crossed over the entire northern region of the Land of Fire.
”It's all thanks to this bastard!” Atsushi gave the writhing man a kick to the face, making him faint.
”Oh, great! Now we have to carry him back!” He gave him another kick.
”...Captain, you're the one who knocked him out...”
”Meh, who cares! You carry him back!”
”...I knew it...”
Defeated, Seki could only let out a sigh. Nevertheless, he still followed the order and halfheartedly carried the man like a sack of potato.
”Say, Inuzuka boy, how far d'you think we're from the town?”
”Not sure. Think we've gone pretty far.”
He had long since lost track of his team's scent. That means the distance wasn't anything to scoff at.
Atsushi shrugged.
”Nothing we can do about it. Let's go. Can only hope we can return before dawn.”
”...Agreed...”
As they were about to move out, an explosion occurred right behind the earth wall that they had raised. What followed was a cacophony of battle noises with steel clashing and jutsu firing one after another.
A figure was abruptly thrown over the wall. For a moment, they seemed to be unconscious, but then they suddenly turned around in mid-air and landed right in front of Atsushi and the group.
”Eh?”
Kiba touched his hood. There was a trace of red splattered on top of it.