Of Evacuations, Regrouping, and Loss
-Of Evacuations, Regrouping, and Loss-
“I think that’s the last of ‘em.” Hikari informs as she nears, ushering a mother and her daughter through the well hidden doorway of the shelter. “Most of the homes appeared empty though.”
Amaya looks around, scouring the area in case they were followed. “Most of the residents have probably evacuated themselves to the nearest shelter. The last street we checked is closest to the Monument, so they’ve had plenty of time.”
Hikari’s eye’s narrow slightly. “Still, it was too quiet for a place so close to the actual fighting. We haven’t seen a single trace of enemy ninja...” She murmurs lowly, not wanting to cause a panic amongst the already frightened villagers.
Amaya hums in agreement. “I know... But all we can do is keep an eye out for trouble.”
Hikari sighs but says no more on the subject. She then turns her attention to the group before them and claps her hands lightly, immediately gaining their attention. “Okay, everyone, we will now head deeper inside the shelter. Stay in single file and please try to remain calm and quiet.” She informs before motioning to the two male Genin of her team as they step forward. “Kazuki and Tetsuya will escort you from here on out. If you have any questions or need something, please let them know.”
“Wait! Wait, please!” A woman exclaims suddenly as she takes a few steps forward. “My children... Please, you need to find them! They went out to the market to do some errands for me and never came back— And then the attack happened...!”
Hikari turns to Amaya, her expression thoughtful. “There’s a small chance they got swept up in the confusion, they may have already been evacuated...”
Amaya nods, “It still wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye out for them, we were going to recheck the area anyway.” She replies before turning to the teary-eyed mother in front of her. “How old are they?”
The older woman’s eyes brighten, her expression hopeful as she grabs ahold of the brunette’s hand. “M-My boy is the oldest, he’s nine, and my daughter is six... Ena and Chizu are their names.”
“Ena and Chizu...” Amaya murmurs to herself, sending the older woman a reassuring smile as she gave her hand a gentle squeeze before pulling away. “Saa…~ We’ll look for them... When you reach the other evacuees, make sure to ask around. Someone may have already brought them there.”
“Oh, thank you...! Thank you both!” The woman whimpers in response, complying when the Minamoto motions for her to rejoin the other villagers in line.
Amaya watches her for a moment longer before pivoting on her heel to follow after Hikari - who had already turned and began making her way out of the shelter. On their way out of the entrance, the brunette turns to Tetsuya, speaking lowly. “When we leave, make sure this door is shut tight behind us.”
“Will we be meeting up with you once we get things settled here?” The bespectacled boy asks curiously.
Amaya shakes her head. “No. Once you’re out of the tunnels, you’ll likely run into another group with higher-ranking ninja as escorts. They’ll probably take charge and order you two to stay with the villagers until the fighting is done... Hikari and I will be back once we’re through.”
Tetsuya nods and looks back, motioning for Kazuki to start leading the civilians away. He then turns back to the two girls, his expression concerned. “You two be careful out there.”
Both girls nod. “Right!”
-Thirty Minutes Later-
Wiping a bead of sweat from her chin, Amaya looks across the street and to the adjacent stall, meeting Hikari’s intense gaze, the blonde’s expression conveying exactly how she felt.
What do we do now?
Behind them, gruff laughter is heard followed by the smashing of wood, the sound making both girls and the two children with them flinch.
‘Think...! Think!’ Amaya thought to herself, gritting her teeth as she pressed her head against the panel of wood behind her. However, her mind continued to stray elsewhere as she cursed herself for allowing them to end up in this situation.
The duo had searched every possible nook and cranny that may have been missed during their earlier evacuation, turning up empty handed every time. However, just as they were about to give up and return to the shelter, they stumbled upon the two missing children - Ena and Chizu - taking refuge behind a dumpster.
After the discovery, both girls knew they should’ve returned to the evacuation center but the thought of more separated children gave them pause, forcing them to make a hard decision. Eventually, they decided to split up, with Hikari returning the children to their mother while Amaya continued to search the last two streets on her own.
In the end, however, it didn’t matter what they chose as they were forced to separate and take shelter behind two market stalls when three Sound Ninja made their appearance at the end of the street.
Another crash brings the Minamoto from her musings. Opening her eyes, Amaya turns and peers out over the edge of the fruit stall she currently sat behind, watching with gritted teeth as the three nins continued to destroy other abandoned stands of fresh produce.
‘Saa…~ We need a distraction...’ The brunette thought to herself, though it isn’t long before the fruit in front of her inspires an idea.
With one last look to the trio, Amaya swipes one of the empty baskets the stall offered to customers and begins piling it full of the closest fruit she could reach - which happened to be pomegranates.
Ducking low once more, the brunette reaches into the weapons pouch resting on her hip and pulls out some paper-bombs, attaching them to a few pomegranates inside the basket. Once she was satisfied, Amaya slides the basket out and slightly onto the street, sending a glance Hikari’s way as she does so.
The Takahashi scowls with the shake of her head, sending the brunette a warning glare and Amaya knew exactly what she was thinking at the moment. ‘Don’t you DARE.’
Amaya takes a deep breath, almost reconsidering her plan altogether until she locks eyes with Chizu. The little girl, nestled between her brother and Hikari, was watching her closely through teary eyes as she clutched onto the older blonde’s shirt. Her presence and need for safety preventing the the Minamoto from backtracking any further.
Gritting her teeth, Amaya immediately makes her decision as she turns her attention back to her childhood friend, determined as she mouths back a response. “Get ready.”
With that, Amaya sends the fruit-filled basket down the street with a swift and sharp kick. It topples over and the pomegranates inside spill out onto the road, rolling across the ground and gaining the three nin’s attention.
“What the—?” The female of the trio grunts, her gaze flicking between the fruit and the direction they came from suspiciously.
“Relax, a stray probably knocked it over.” A second reassures with a deep laugh, his eyes watching the third member of their group as they bend over to pluck a pomegranate from the ground.
As the third stands to his full height, his brow raises as he catches sight of a slip of paper. Curious, he turns the fruit over, his eyes widening as the paper-bomb activates with a faint sizzle.
“PAPER-BOMB!”
As soon as the first explosion went off, the other paper-bombs followed suit in a domino effect.
Amaya shoots up from her crouched position, using the large plume of dust and smoke for cover as she sprints across the street. As she nears Hikari and the two children, she barely slows down in her run as she hastily sweeps Ena off the ground and into her arms.
Hikari immediately follows suit, making sure to keep Chizu pressed tightly to her chest as they weave around the market stalls and cut through one of the connecting alleyways.
***
The two don’t stop running until they reach another alley a few blocks over and duck behind a rather large dumpster for a quick breather.
Exasperated, Hikari rounds on the brunette crouching next to her. “Are you insane?!” She hisses, sending a sharp punch to the girl’s bicep. “What happened to laying low?! Now they know we’re in the area, they’ll be looking for us!”
Amaya grunts at the faint throb pulsing from her arm but accepts the punishment graciously. “And sit there all day until they eventually found us? After they kill us what do you think they’d do to these two?” She asks, motioning to the two children in front of them. “I’m not about to sit back and find out, so I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
“Well, genius, what do you suppose we do now?” Hikari questions, roughly running her fingers through her fringe out of frustration.
“We’ll use your tunneling jutsu to get back to the shelter.” Amaya elaborates as if the answer were obvious before grimacing. “Or at least until we’re far enough away from here.”
“That’s a start, but I’m not sure of how long I can hold the jutsu. It’s not something that I’ve focused my training around.” Hikari replies, mentally cursing herself for only practicing hard-hitting techniques up until now.
Amaya allows herself to show her amusement. “Well, I guess you’ll have to do it as long as it takes.”
Hikari rolls her eyes but says no more as she nudges Ena and Chizu closer to the wall. She then brings her hands together to form the necessary signs. “Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu!”
Not long after, the ground opens up at their feet, forming a moderately-sized hole. Hikari then turns and picks Chizu up, balancing her on her hip as she steps into the newly made escape route.
Amaya helps Ena in afterwards, freezing when she hears approaching footsteps followed by angered voices.
“It was probably some of those Genin brats— The ones we were sent out to look for.”
“If that’s the case, then they couldn’t have gotten far... We’ll find them soon enough.”
The third voice chuckles, its sinister sound sending a chill down Amaya and Hikari’s spines. “When we do, lets play with them for a bit. I wanna pay ‘em back for that little surprise they gave us back there.”
Amaya meets Hikari’s gaze and takes a small step back. “Get going. I’ll lead ‘em away.”
Hikari’s eye’s widen as she shakes her head. “No! No way, I won’t leave you here alone.”
“Hikari there’s no time, if they catch us, that’s it. We don’t need them following us back to the shelter.” Amaya hisses quietly before making two clones, sending them on ahead. “I have a plan, trust me... We still have the home-field advantage, right? Just don’t forget to send me some backup.”
Despite the Minamoto’s joking tone, Hikari’s eye’s water. “Ama—“ She begins, pausing when the brunette shakes her head.
“I’ll be fine.” Amaya reassures, giving the girl a small smile before turning to scale the side of the building, forcing the blonde to comply to her plan.
Hikari watches her go, tightening her grip on Ena’s hand as she began cursing under her breath. “Damn it!”
Not bothering to hide herself as she stands on the building’s roof, Amaya reaches into her weapons pouch and pulls out a few kunai and shuriken, throwing them at the trio below.
The sudden onslaught forces the three nins to retreat backwards and makes them look up, immediately catching sight of the brunette.
Amaya brings her leg up, resting her foot on the business’ sign, schooling her expression in hopes of appearing nonchalant as she spoke. “I hear you guys didn’t like my gift? What’s wrong, don’t you like pomegranates? It’s a shame really, those were the best in the whole village, you could say their flavor is...explosive.”
“It’s that brat from the arena. The one Kabuto mentioned.” The female of the group mutters under her breath, sending a stern look to her teammate. “If she’s really from the Minamoto Clan, we can’t kill her. It’d be a wasted chance to get intel for Orochimaru-sama.”
Her teammate ignores her and licks his bottom lip, feeling his adrenaline spike at the thought of a new hunt. “So what? Even if we can’t kill the brat, it doesn’t mean we can’t teach her a lesson.”
The woman huffs and rolls her eyes in response. “Whatever, do what you want. It’s not my neck on the line if things turn sour.”
The third member of the group chuckles. “I’d almost say you’ve gone soft... Nonetheless, lets have some fun.”
Amaya, having already molded her chakra in the soles of her feet, pivots on her heel and takes off in the opposite direction when the three surge forward. ‘They’re gonna try to outflank me...’ She thought to herself as the trio moved into a v-shaped formation behind her, with two running adjacent to her on both sides while the third pulled up the rear. At that thought, her expression becomes one of determination. ‘Let them try!’
Jumping onto the next roof, Amaya slides off its edge and onto the street below, blocking the onslaught of weapons the three send her way before turning and cutting a sharp left into a nearby alleyway. ‘I know this village like the back of my hand... I’ve just gotta avoid a full on fight with these goons and give Hikari enough time to get help!’
***
The cat and mouse game continued for a few more minutes, leaving all four anxious to finish the whole ordeal.
‘C’mon, c’mon!’ Amaya thought to herself as she scaled up the side of another building, dodging left and right as various weapons and jutsu were sent her way.
Suddenly, a wave of information filters into her mind from the clones she sent out previously, allowing her to decide her next move. ‘Just in time...’ She thought as a certain alleyway came into view.
Dropping down into the darkened path, she avoids the tripwires the clones set up moments prior as she makes her way through and onto another connecting street.
The three nins directly behind her do the same, however, the third wasn’t as lucky as she snapped one of the wires, setting off a chain reaction of explosions. The blasts alone sending the remaining two nins and Amaya flying from the alley.
Tumbling across the ground, Amaya winces as she lands wrong on her side. She lays there for a moment in hopes of catching her breath until finally, with a small cough, she slowly pushes herself up onto all fours as her eyes flick over to the carnage left behind from the explosion. The sight alone making her feel nauseous as she realizes there were only two nins left.
With another grunt, Amaya begins to stand to her full height. However, just before she could fully recover and flee, a sandaled foot makes contact with her stomach, sending her back to the ground with a yelp of pain.
“You little runt!” The nin snarls as he strides closer, roughly rolling the brunette over with his heel. “That’s it, I’m tired of the games. Intel be damned!” He yells, lifting up his tanto blade for the killing blow.
Almost on auto pilot, Amaya whips out a kunai and slashes the male’s ankle, making him jolt back with a hiss. She then promptly slams her foot into the side of his knee, knowing full and well that it was now dislocated - even if she couldn’t hear the sickening snap due to his howl of pain.
As the nin stumbles forward, Amaya twists her body around to where she was facing the ground and balances herself on her hands. She then kicks, clipping him in both the chest and chin.
He was out before he hit the ground.
Cartwheeling, Amaya stumbles back slightly when her feet make contact with the ground once more. However, just as she catches her balance, it’s lost again as she’s promptly choke-slammed into the wall behind her.
“You’re gonna regret that!” The remaining nin of the group roars, his eyes filled with rage.
Amaya gasps when he tightens his hold around her throat, white spots clouding her vision as he quickly begins to cut off her air supply. She claws at his gloved hand, her nails digging weakly into the fabric, earning an amused chuckle at her failed attempts to break free.
Feeling a surge of panic bubbling in her stomach, Amaya then begins to blindly pat at her side with her free hand, eventually coming in contact with her weapons pouch. Reaching in, her fingers frantically wrap around something thin and cylindrical - a senbon needle most likely - though that doesn’t deter her from grabbing it and making a blind slash at the males face.
He yelps and immediately releases his hold on her, leaving the brunette to drop unceremoniously to the ground as his hand flies up to his now bleeding face.
Amaya coughs and pushes herself up onto her knees, her breathing coming out in harsh rasps as she tries to catch her bearings. Her wild blue eyes snap up, watching as the older male quickly recovers and turns to her, revealing a newly scarred eye.
Feeling her panic return tenfold, the brunette fumbles blindly with her hands, searching for her weapon as he charges forward with an enraged yell.
It’s only then, by some sort of miracle, that her hands find purchase on the forgotten tanto blade. Gritting her teeth, Amaya grips it with both hands and quickly stands, closing her eyes tightly as she met the male head-on once he was within range.
***
For a few seconds, everything is silent. The only exception being that of the distant fighting taking place elsewhere in the village. That is, until a choked and watery cough is heard.
Opening her eyes, Amaya slowly looks up, meeting the dazed eyes of the nin who meant to cause her harm moments prior. Blood slowly dribbles from the corner of his mouth as he lets out another cough and the brunette can’t help but flinch as it speckles onto her cheeks.
At that moment he slumps forward, sending the tanto blade deeper into his chest. Thick rivulets of blood exit from the wound, running down the blades handle and coating the brunette’s hands, staining them a deep red.
Amaya freezes as realization washes over her. Tears spring to her widened eyes as a broken, choked sob claws its way up from her chest and out of her throat. She looks up at the male’s face a second time, now seeing no semblance of life left in his dull green orbs.
Jerking back as if she were burned, the brunette immediately releases her hold on the blade, allowing the nin to slump to the side and fall to the ground. Amaya then looks down to her hands, her heart thudding painfully in her chest as she found it harder and harder to breathe.
It’s then a large hand lands on her shoulder, making her jolt and sending her back into fight-or-flight mode. Spinning on her heel, the brunette throws a well aimed punch, only for her wrist to be caught in a firm grip. Amaya glances up, relaxing only slightly when she locks eyes with familiar, deep brown orbs before quickly looking away.
Asuma loosens his grip on the girl’s wrist, allowing her to pull away as he observes the scene before him. Taking a few drags from the cigarette hanging loosely between his lips, he turns his thoughtful gaze back to the brunette.
If Amaya felt his gaze, she didn’t acknowledge it as she was too busy staring down at the nin lying at her feet.
Asuma follows her gaze, mentally noting the gaping wound in the deceased nins chest along with the girl’s bloody hands, immediately putting two-and-two together. ‘You can never be prepared for it...’ He muses with a sigh. Solemnly, he brings his hand up and rests of on her shoulder, startling her from her thoughts and making her look up at him once more.
“S-Sensei...” Amaya stammers, trembling slightly. “I— I didn’t want t-to do it...! B-but...”
“He gave you no choice, sweetheart. It was either you or him, and if it wasn’t him, more people would’ve gotten hurt or worse... You did what you had to do.” Asuma stresses, tightening his grip on her shoulder.
Amaya stares up at him, unsure of his words. However, the look on his face has her nodding along hesitantly.
Asuma stares at her for a moment longer before looking up to a nearby rooftop. “Shiori, go on ahead with your sister and report back to the others, I’ll take it from here.”
Amaya jolts at the familiar name and looks up to see the two Takahashi sisters gazing back at her worriedly.
Shiori takes a step forward. “Are you sure, Asuma?“
Asuma nods and the two reluctantly go on their way, but not before looking back at the duo one last time. Once they’re out of sight, Asuma sighs and turns his attention back to Amaya. “Listen, Kid, this is gonna make me sound like a huge asshole, but it’ll be better in the long run if you do as I say, alright?” He informs, and when Amaya nods, he continues. “Don’t dwell on this right now, put it aside until the fighting is over... I need you alert. Remember the twenty-fifth principle.”
Amaya fidgets in place and her eyes briefly flick over to the deceased Sound Ninja, though her view is immediately obscured as Asuma steps in front of her.
“Amaya.” Asuma calls, his tone becoming more stern. “Are you with me?”
Flinching, Amaya nods and takes a deep breath, swallowing the bile that threatened to rise up her throat. “R-right... Okay. I’m okay...” she then meets his gaze, “I can do that.” The brunette then attempts to wipe her hands on her pants, cringing internally as the quickly drying blood made her fingers sticky.
Asuma watches the girl, feeling guilt gnaw at his insides. Knowing full and well that the brunette was going to have a lot of things to come to terms with when everything was said and done.
When Amaya looks back up at him, Asuma nods and jumps up onto a rooftop. “Lets go, you’re coming with me.”
Amaya follows closely behind, staying quiet for a few minutes before her curiosity got the better of her. “W-What are we gonna do, Sensei?”
Asuma looks back at her as they run. “We’re going after your team and Shikamaru.”
-Meanwhile; A Few Minutes Later-
Shikamaru looks around at the group of Sound Ninja standing in front of him, panting. ‘My chakra’s still depleted...’ He thought to himself as his match against Temari came to mind. ‘I used too much chakra then, and now I can’t hang on much longer.’
Sighing, the Nara then reaches into his weapons pouch as he begins counting. ‘One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight— Wait a minute. Eight?’
It’s then Pakkun’s earlier words rang through his head. ‘“No, there’s one more! That’s nine ninja following us...”’
‘Of course!’ Shikamaru thought in realization. ‘The ninth one’s roll is to protect against an ambush. That person stays a distance behind the others, a reserve in case of an enemy attack.’ At that, he pulls out eight shuriken brings his arms up into an x. ‘But I know what to do. This will draw out that ninth ninja and reveal where he’s hiding.’
Shikamaru then throws his shuriken at the eight nin, however, they don’t get far as a few kunai rain down from a nearby tree, deflecting the attack effortlessly.
***
The hidden Sound nin smirks to himself as he hears his companions chuckle at the boy’s failed attempt, though his attention is soon moved away from the group below and to his own surroundings as he hears the rustle of leaves.
Then, suddenly out of nowhere, a whip of water appears and wraps around his midsection, pulling him from his perch roughly. The nin goes to cry out but is halted as he then receives a sharp jab to the pressure point in his neck, knocking him unconscious.
Amaya looks up to Asuma with a raised brow, making him smirk. He then tightens his grip around the nins waist and brings a finger to his lips, shushing her silently, before pointing down to the oblivious group below.
***
‘There he is.’ Shikamaru thought to himself as he sends a portion of his shadow towards the tree. However, due to being low of both chakra and stamina, his shadow stops halfway and recedes.
“It’s futile, Kid. I see through your technique.” The apparent leader of the Sound group informs as he watched this happen.
Shikamaru clicks his tongue, annoyed. ‘Tch. So, this is it.’
“It looks like your at your limit. This Shadow Possession Jutsu of yours is going to fail soon. So, prepare yourself.” The nin warns almost tauntingly as the shadows holding them all in place begins to waver.
“Heh...” Shikamaru grunts, looking up to the sky. ‘All I really wanted was to be just an average Shinobi, making an average living... I’d marry a regular girl who’s not super pretty or super ugly, have two kids - a girl then a boy, retire when my daughter got married and when my son became a successful ninja, and then spend the rest of my days playing Shogi or Go... A nice, carefree and leisurely retirement. Then I’d die of old age before my wife. Yep, that’s the life I wanted, and yet I ended up exerting myself... It’s so unlike me. Even though I wanted to finish as just a regular guy, I had to go and get myself into this sticky situation.’
Shikamaru chuckles humorlessly to himself and turns back to the group. “Well, as you say, it appears I’m at my limit.” He concedes as his shadow disconnects from theirs and recedes completely.
The leader stares at him for a moment, humming to himself. He then looks up to the tree where the ninth member was hidden. “Hey, come on out! And when you do, cut off his head!”
Almost immediately after, a large and broad-shouldered nin jumps down from the tree, his entrance kicking up a plume of dust.
Shikamaru goes wide-eyed and prepares for the worst until he smells the familiar scent of cigarette smoke.
“Well, we finally caught up with you guys.” Asuma hums, thoroughly amused at the expressions of those around him as they took notice of the unconscious nin under his arm.
Shikamaru turns his head, looking up at his teacher in surprise. “Asuma-sensei! How did you...?”
Asuma grins and nods towards the tree he jumped out of. “Turns out, Amaya’s a pretty good tracker... Fast, too.”
“Amaya...?” Shikamaru mumbles curiously, looking past the older males shoulder as the brunette appears through the thick foliage.
‘It’s that girl!’ The leading Sound Ninja thought to himself with a scowl as he recognized the brunette from the arena. ‘Looks like those idiots back in the Village failed to do their job...’
“Sensei...?“ Amaya calls, almost impatiently.
Asuma’s grin grows wider. “Yeah, keep going. I’ve got it handled here.” He replies, not bothering to look in the girls direction.
“Right.” Amaya replies, sending Shikamaru an acknowledging nod before taking off deeper into the forest.
“I don’t think so!” The Sound nin snarls, motioning for a few other members of the group to move. “Go after her!”
Asuma chuckles and sends Shikamaru a knowing glance before he suddenly turns serious. He then throws the unconscious nin under his arm across the clearing and charges forward.
As his teacher quickly takes out the group - leaving none standing - Shikamaru, still baffled, drops to the ground with a tired groan, shaking his head.
As she tore through the trees, jumping branch to branch, Amaya continued to pick up speed. That is until she heard someone call out to her from below.
“Amaya...!”
Stumbling to a stop on a large, thick branch, Amaya steadies herself with one hand as she looks around.
“Down here...”
Following the voice, Amaya drops down onto a lower branch and immediately spots a hunched over Shino. Worried, the brunette rushes to his side and attempts to help him sit up, placing a hand on his back for support. “Shino!... What are you doing out here?!”
“I heard Kakashi-sensei’s mission for the others and wanted a second crack at that Kankuro guy...” Shino replies. “I caught up with Sasuke and he went on after Gaara and Temari while I took care of things here. It ended up in a draw, we downed one another with our jutsu... My beetles ate away at his chakra and his puppet, Crow, poisoned me.”
“Shino...” Amaya sighs, using her free hand to rub her forehead tiredly. “I swear, you Konoha boys and your pride... You’re all too hot-blooded!”
Shino huffs. “You’re one to talk... Besides, I think that’s something all of us Rookies have in common.”
Amaya laughs softly at his sass and looks around. “Where’s Kankuro now?”
“Temari came back sometime after and they took off, probably back to wherever Gaara and Sasuke are.” Shino replies.
It’s then a large eruption of chakra was felt from a few miles away followed by a large gale of wind.
Amaya pulls out a kunai and leans over Shino, stabbing the bark to keep herself and the boy in place as the wind’s pressure hits them head on. Once it’s fades, she raises up and looks off into the direction it came from.
“You should go.“ Shino advises, making her look at him hesitantly. “No doubt they’re fighting right now, and the last thing they need is for Kankuro and Temari to interfere.”
“I can’t just leave you out here.” Amaya shakes her head, “Not in the state you’re in.”
“I’ll be fine. You know as well as I do that, that Gaara kid isn’t to be messed with. They could use your help if they really are fighting.” Shino replies.
Amaya clicks her tongue and looks around thoughtfully. ‘He’s not wrong... Kankuro and Temari could cause some trouble for the others if they team up with Gaara. It would practically be two versus three. Naruto’s a tenacious little shit and Sasuke can take care of himself, but Sakura on the other hand, isn’t equipped to fight against those who excel in long-range attacks... I’m supposed to be there to cover things she can’t... They need me there.’ Her gaze then moves down to the boy beside her. ‘But I can’t just leave Shino here alone when he’s poisoned. Not when enemy ninja can show up at any time and take advantage of that vulnerability.’
“Amaya, go.” Shino presses, understanding the girl’s reluctance to leave.
Amaya shakes her head. ‘It’s gonna take some more of my chakra, but it’s what I have to do.’ She thought to herself, making a hand-sign.
Shino watches as two clones appear next to the girl, realizing what her plan was immediately.
“My clones will help you get back to the Village. If something happens and they disperse, I’ll know about it and come back for you once I settle things with the others.” Amaya informs, and once Shino concedes to her plan, she takes off and heads towards the large chakra signatures in the distance.
Naruto punches Gaara one final time and both boys are sent falling to the ground, barely able to move when they land due to exhaustion.
Sasuke looks away from where the two once were and over to Sakura, watching as the sand holding her in place begins to crumble away. Eventually, the pinkette begins to fall, prompting the Uchiha to jump forward and catch her.
Once he has a stable grip on her, Sasuke then moves to the branch Pakkun rested on. “I’ll leave her with you.” He informs.
Pakkun looks up at the boy, unsure. “Wait, what do I—!” He begins, however, Sasuke gives him not time to finish his question as he runs off to look for Naruto. “Oh...”
***
Panting, Naruto looks up at Gaara for a moment, meeting the redhead’s gaze before he begins to inch his way across the ground - almost like a worm.
Gaara lets out a gasp, fearing the blond’s tenacity for once. “No, stay away!”
“It’s almost unbearable, isn’t it? The feeling of being all alone.” Naruto suddenly asks as he stops crawling to look up at the Sand nin. “I know that feeling. I’ve been there, in that dark and lonely place, but now there are others— Other people who mean a lot to me... I care more about them than I do myself, and I won’t let anyone hurt them! That’s why I won’t ever give up. I willstop you, even if I have to killyou!”
Gaara stares at the blond, perturbed. “Why? Why would you do this for anyone but yourself?”
Naruto’s expression softens as his teammates, Iruka, and Lord Third come to mind. “Because they saved me from myself. They rescued me from my loneliness. They were the first to accept me for who I am. They are my friends.” He then thinks of Amaya and her family. “They’re my family.”
Stumped at the boy’s response, Gaara thinks back to what his uncle, Yashamaru, once told him. ‘“Well, love is the hearts desire to serve someone who’s precious to you, to watch over them, like my sister did for you, Gaara.”’ At that, he closes his eyes thoughtfully. ‘Love, is that the thing that makes him so strong?’
Naruto moves to start crawling again, however, he stops when Sasuke suddenly speaks up on his right.
“Naruto, that’s enough.”
As the blond meets his gaze, Sasuke speaks again. “Look, Sakura’s going to be all right. The sand crumbled away. She’s free.” He informs before glancing Gaara’s way. “This guy’s chakra is all used up.”
“That’s a relief...” Naruto sighs, allowing himself to relax and finally fall unconscious.
It’s then Temari and Kankuro drop down from the canopy above and move to stand in front of Gaara protectively, not once taking their eyes off Sasuke.
The three remain tense as they stare at one another, each one preparing for a fight. However, before anything could transpire, Amaya also makes her appearance from above as she comes to a halt on a low hanging branch.
“Amaya...” Sasuke murmurs, not expecting to see the brunette anytime soon.
The Minamoto doesn’t reply as she jumps down, landing into a crouch on Naruto’s left. She silently takes in the blond’s unconscious form before allowing her eyes to trail up to Sasuke, taking note of the slowly receding curse mark on his neck.
“Where’s Sakura?” She finally asks, her voice low.
Sasuke stares at his teammate for a moment before nodding his head in the direction he came from. “Up there with the dog... She’s unconscious, but she’ll be alright.”
Amaya’s lips purse into a thin line, her jaw clenching tightly as a deep glower forms on her face. She then stands and turns to the three siblings a few feet away.
If the brunette’s bloody and frazzled appearance failed to set the tone and show the girl’s current state of mind, her eyes certainly did. They glowed a brilliant blue, as if they were lit up by the purest form of chakra.
As she pulls out a kunai and takes a step forward, Temari and Kankuro tense, a small tinge of fear running through them as a sudden surge of power filled the air. They then ready themselves for her attack, knowing that the girl’s initial onslaught would be brutal and unforgiving.
Sasuke, not expecting this reaction from his usually carefree teammate, stares up at the girl in surprise. He jolts forward and grabs the girl’s arm, keeping a firm grip around her elbow. “Amaya, wai—!”
“That’s enough. It’s over.” Gaara suddenly speaks up, interrupting Sasuke and making everyone freeze in place. He then locks eyes with Amaya, understanding a little more of what Naruto meant. Realizing that the girl had a larger part to play in the blond’s strength than even she knew. ‘Is this what he meant by it...? Love...?’
Kankuro turns to his brother, unsure. “But, Gaara—!” He begins, only to stop himself at the look on the redhead’s face. ‘I never thought I’d see this... He’s had it.’ He thought to himself after a moment of silence. He then sighs and moves to pick the younger male up. “All right, Gaara.”
Sasuke and Amaya watch the three closely as they stand, neither one looking away until the trio was out of sight and on their way back to their own village.
Once she didn’t feel their chakra signatures anymore, Amaya puts her kunai knife away, sighing as she brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose in hopes of fighting off the sudden headache forming behind her eyes.
Sasuke stares at the girl for a moment, and once he was sure she wouldn’t chase after the three, he releases his grip and relaxes in his spot. “What was that about?”
Amaya turns and sends the boy a look as she kneels next to Naruto, rolling the blond over onto his back. “In case you haven’t noticed, they attacked our Village.” She snaps sarcastically before sighing a second time, her expression turning apologetic. “I’m sorry, Sasuke... It’s... It’s been a long day.”
Sasuke doesn’t reply to her apology, opting to instead watch silently as she sends a clone to retrieve Sakura and the mutt Kakashi sent with them before checking Naruto’s injuries. “How did you find us?” He finally asks.
Amaya looks away from the blond and meets the Uchiha’s gaze. “The fight wasn’t all that subtle... A toddler could find you, what with all of the chakra this knucklehead and Gaara were spewing out.” She then allows her gaze to trail over his form. “Luckily, Naruto got away with a few scrapes and bruises, he’ll be out for a while before bouncing back again... But enough about that, what about you? Are you hurt?”
Sasuke shakes his head and brings a hand up to rub his neck where the curse mark resided. “No, I’m fine.”
At the action, Amaya’s eyes narrow and zero in on his hand. “You pushed your limit again, didn’t you?” She asks, frowning slightly when he looks away from her. “Sasuke, you know you can’t do that... You have to be careful...! That mark causes more trouble than it’s worth—“
“So what? I should’ve just let him pummel me into the ground? Let him finish transforming, is that it?” Sasuke sneers, interrupting her mid-scold.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it! Don’t start putting words into my mouth, Sasuke.” Amaya snaps in response with a glare of her own. “You put yourself in more danger by inserting yourself into the situation. Hell, you shouldn’t even be out here on your own in the first place! Genma had no business sending you after them, especially after what happened during the Prelims. If anything, you should’ve regrouped with Kakashi and took orders then, just like the rest of us.”
“I. Had. It. Handled.” Sasuke stresses through gritted teeth.
Amaya lets out a sharp laugh and brushes her bangs back from her face, frustrated. “Handled? Youhad it handled? Obviously not, considering the situation we’re in now!” She retorts, shaking her head. “Man, I knew you had an ego but this really takes the cake!... The Village is under attack, we don’t have timefor cat-and-mouse games caused by your superiority complex!”
Sasuke glowers. “Don’t speak about things you know nothing about. I never asked for you guys to come after me—“
“We could’ve used your help— I neededyour help in the Village!” Amaya exclaims, cutting him off, her voice cracking at the end as her eyes began watering. The brunette then curses under her breath and looks to the side, willing the tears away as she looks up to the sky.
Sasuke stays silent at that, her words taking him aback and it’s only then that he truly allows himself to take in her appearance.
Amaya’s clothes were now in total disarray. Her skin was flushed and almost completely covered in both scrapes and bruises - those on her cheekbone and neck in particular, stood out as they were slowly turning a nasty purple. However, in despite of all of this, it was her eyes that startled him the most as they held a wild and almost feral gleam.
It’s then Pakkun, Sakura, and the brunette’s clone appear as they made their way through the trees.
As soon as they’re close enough, the clone slows to a stop and lays an unconscious Sakura onto the ground before dispersing.
Pakkun, having heard the argument and after sensing the lingering tension in the air, decides to speak up. “Jeez, Kid. You look rough, I take it things on your end haven’t been a walk in the park either.”
Amaya sniffs and looks down at him with a small smile. “Nearly all of the civilians were evacuated when I left. No doubt they’ll be starting their counterattack soon enough.” She replies before standing. “We’ll wait here for a few minutes to see if Sakura will wake up and give Sasuke time to recover some of his chakra, then we’ll leave. We don’t wanna get caught up in a crossfire... You mind sticking around until we get back?”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Pakkun replies and moves to sit on Naruto’s stomach. However, he keeps his gaze on the brunette, knowing from the look in her eyes that more went down on her end than she let on.
Amaya nods and turns away, choosing to ignore Sasuke’s presence completely until it was time for them to leave.
-A Few Minutes Later-
“Naruto... Sasuke...”
Pakkun, Amaya, and Sasuke turn as Sakura slowly came to.
Amaya walks over and kneels next to the pinkette, holding her hand on the girl’s chest to keep her still. “Hey, take it easy, Sakura.” She murmurs as the Haruno looks up at her. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
Sakura stares at the girl curiously. “Three... What are you doing here, Amaya?”
Amaya nods at her answer before replying. “I came after you guys... Anyways, are you hurt anywhere? Feel any pain? Pakkun told me that you were pinned to a tree during Naruto’s fight with Gaara.”
Sakura shakes her head. “Only a little sore, but I’m fine.” She then moves to sit up, and this time Amaya lets her. “What happened...?” She asks before her eyes widen. “Where’s Sasuke and Naruto?!”
“Over here, Sakura.” Sasuke replies from his place next to the blond, his voice making her head snap over in his direction.
“Sasuke!” She calls out happily before her eyes land on Naruto’s unconscious form. “Naruto... Is he okay?”
Amaya stands to her full height and stretches, relieving some of the tension built up in her left shoulder. “He’s fine. Apparently gave Gaara a good beating before I got here... Temari and Kankuro showed up after that and all three of ‘em fled back to their Village... We’ve been waiting to see if you’d wake up before heading home.” She then looks around the small clearing. “Pakkun, do you smell anything? Are we good to go?” She asks as the small pug moves away from Naruto to stand by her feet.
“There’s nobody in the area... That I can smell anyway.” The canine drawls.
Amaya hums to herself and turns back to her two teammates as they push themselves off the ground. “You guys think you can move? If we’re lucky and leave now, we may make it back by late afternoon.”
“Yeah.”
“Hn.”
At Sasuke’s grunt, Amaya rolls her eyes and makes a hand-sign. “Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.” Two clones then appear with a small poofbefore moving over to lift Naruto off the ground.
Watching this unfold, Sakura notices something off about the brunette’s appearance. “Amaya, are you injured?” She asks and everyone but the clones halt in their movements.
Amaya turns to the pinkette. “No?” She replies and then realization washes over her, making her expression turn grim. “Don’t worry about it, Sakura. I’m fine.” She then turns away. “Lets get going.”
Sakura frowns. “You’re covered in blood, Amaya. If you’re hurt I can—“
“Sakura.” Amaya interrupts, not turning to face her teammates. “I said don’t worry about it... It’s not mine.”
Sakura’s breath hitches at the insinuation and glances Sasuke - who looked just as unsettled.
“Lets go.” Amaya orders again before jumping up into a tree, prompting the others to follow quietly behind.
Sometime throughout their journey back to the village, Naruto had woke up, lightening the groups load as Amaya was able to disperse the clones carrying him, therefore allowing them to travel faster.
Eventually, the village gates were in sight, forcing the group’s run to slow to a stop. As they walked through, they spot Kakashi waiting for them.
Pakkun greets his master and disappears immediately afterwards with a small pop.
Amaya looks up at the silver-haired Jounin. “Did everyone...?” She begins, trailing off when he nods, making her sigh out of relief. However, Kakashi continued to stare at her. “What is it, Sensei?”
Kakashi looks as if he was about to say something but stops as a ANBU Black Ops member appears a few feet away.
“Amaya Minamoto?” The man calls, gaining the brunette’s attention, making her nod. “I need you to come with me.”
Amaya swallows thickly and does as told, but not before giving Kakashi a concerned glance.
The rest of Team 7 watch as the ANBU meets her halfway and leans over to speak into her ear.
They hear the brunette gasp and watch as she backs away, shaking her head, their own worry increasing when she turns to Kakashi teary-eyed.
Kakashi nods, sending the girl a solemn look. “Go with them.”
Paling, Amaya bites her now trembling lip and nods. She then turns back to the ANBU - who rests one hand on her shoulder while the other makes a sign.
Naruto, not happy with what was taking place, steps forward. “Hey! What’s going on—?” He begins to question, pausing as Kakashi plants a firm hand on the top of his head.
“Now’s not the time, Naruto.” The Jounin informs, watching as the ANBU and Minamoto disappear from sight.
Sakura looks up at their teacher, worried. “Sensei... Where did he take her? What’s going on?”
Kakashi sighs heavily and looks down at them, and the three aren’t prepared for his response when he finally answers.
“Lord Third and Kenji Minamoto are dead.”