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CHAPTER 3:
The squad finally arrived at the patrol post of the border. Entering the camp after confirming their identities with one of the Chūnin shinobi at the entrance, they were directed to the office of the Captain of the post. A Jōnin shinobi, Yuto Sakamoto.
"You must be the squad Hokage-sama sent over to investigate, his students. Name is Yuto Sakamoto, Captain of this station. First of, I would like to apologize to you all.We would have done so by ourselves but if you had noticed while coming, we are stretched thin, some deployed to other stations while the few here can't leave their posts without causing more strain on us and that could lead to breach for the enemies to take advantage of." Yuto explained.
Orochimaro being the defacto leader stepped forward, "We have heard about the chaos around the borders, especially here, so we understand. According to the reports, you have had five instances of clashes with them?"
"Yes. However, it was strange, the last clash we had with these squad of five—one Jōnin, the rest elite Chūnins. I had to participate to hold off the Jōnin. But...we were ambushed...no...more like cut off guard because a new set of shinobis, all elites with a Jōnin as well didn't bother attacking but rather fought to distance us and then they left..."
As they listened, Jiraiya interrupted, " you mean they didn't bother to attack even though they outnumbered you?"
"True, it's what got me uneasy enough to call for assistance.", Yuto replied
"That's odd" Jiraiya said, bringing a frown to everyone present.
"Hmm...Another thing is ...like I reported...They acted like rogue ninjas... No uniforms, unbranded headbands but the more I think about it... I believe it's what they want us to see..."
Arashi, being the sensory expert asked, "Do you have anything that could help us to follow their tracks. And how long has it been?"
"From when we sent for help till now? 12 hours tops. As for anything, while I clashed with their leader, he threw a kunai, luckily I was careful enough to wrap the blade with a chakra seal scroll based on the advice from one of my sensory subordinate. Let me get for you", Yuto moved behind his desk while he spoke, bringing out a small scroll handing it over to Arashi.
The scroll was unsealed, the blade appeared with a smoke. Holding it, Arashi placed it before himself and Tengai, both sniffing. Arashi whispers "Did you get anything, Tengai?"
Woof! It's chakra scent is strong, but enough to start with. Good thing they sealed it
Arashi nods, "Same here."
"How's it?" Tsunade draws him back. The others look towards the duo.
"We should be able to get a start with them. But 12 hours ahead? I will not put our hopes up but we should be able to find something"
"Don't worry I believe in your nose, Red Inuzuka" Jiraiya grinning toothly as he said, earning glances from everyone present.
"We'll take it from here, Yuto-san"
Without much to say, they took their leave. Heading straight towards the border, this time Arashi took the lead with Tengai.
______________________
At the edge of the border, Arashi stops, taking time to sniff the air with Tengai, "the scent is still here, there are several other scents including that of Yuto-san and the others at the station..."
"Let's be prepared. Be on guard. I no longer buy the fact that they are rogue ninjas. This mission just increased in rank, it's no longer just tracking mission...now, it could be anything. We avoid going too deep, if we find nothing, we return back as quickly as we entered and consider it a failed mission." Orochimaro orders.
"Hehehe, I'm so fired up! Hope we get to see some action" Jiraiya grins, making a palm-fist salute.
BAM!
He gets a blow on the head from Tsunade, "Baka! This is serious you fool! Get your act together"
"Ow ow ow, Tsunade-chan~ that hurt!" Jiraiya rubbing the back of his head.
Although a small pause, it was an acceptable one from them, a comic relief given the smile on Arashi's face as well as Orochimaro's although faint.
Woof! Woof!!
"Alright, Tengai says we should hurry before the scent disappears." Arashi spoke up.
Jiraiya couldn't hold back, his hand still rubbing the bump on his head, "How do you guys do it? can you hear what your wolf says?"
"It's part of us." Arashi vaguely replies.
They pick up the pace. The journey at the beginning was monotonous, with Arashi and Tengai at intervals pausing to take a sniff or check the environment for an clues to guide them.
By nightfall, they follow through a rocky valley, their formation tight. The routine continued until...
"Wait. Everyone get ready." Arashi breaks the silence in a small tone, enough for the team to hear but almost like a whisper, his face carrying a frown.
"I don't sense anything" Tsunade confirms with confusion but yet her body was already tensed and ready for any combat.
"The scent... it's been strong since we crossed over...scents don't work like that..."
"A trap?" Orochimaro asks
"Possibly...like they want us tracking them...not too obvious to alert but safe enough to lead on and we are almost deep, far enough for a silent kill...we need to..."
Suddenly they hear a voice.
"Earth Release: Rock Avalanche!!"
From above the team, large boulders decend towards them. Tsunade, with her chakra enhanced strength, appears in front of the largest blowing it up with her fist.
BOOM!
"SPREAD OUT!" Orochimaro orders, with his inhamane flexibility he dodges several debris and boulders.
Jiraiya makes a sign, "Fire Release: flame bullets!" , releasing the jutsu to light up the area and reveal the enemies. Predicting his moves, the familiar voice came through once more
"Earth Release: Mud wall", soon a high mid wall rises up to block the attack. However, Orochimaro slithers through the falling debris flashing into the air, his hands forming seals in lightening speed.
"Wind Release: Great wind breakthrough!"
Turning the flames into an inferno, they collide into the huge walls...
BOOM!!
A large explosion erupts scattering the hidden Iwa shinobis.
All these happened in few seconds, yet it showed the superb team play of Tsunade, Orochimaro and Jiraiya.
Soon the team retreats to a safe position, covering each others back as they scan the surroundings.
"Eight... surrounding us,with two larger chakra signatures...one at your twelve, orochimaro, same for you, Tsunade" Arashi exposes, telling the team.
"Hooo...this is unexpected, I thought we fooled the bastard to follow us himself, but it seems the coward sent a couple of greenhorn Chūnins" the same familiar voice came again, this time revealing himself to be grizzly Jōnin.
"I don't think so, Daichi. At least for three of them. Able to crush a large boulder with her fists displaying great strength, a snake body, and white spiky hair, fit the description of the Hokage's students. The last one must be an Inuzuka, given the dog beside him", the second Jōnin speaks up, the last sentence got a growl from Tengai.
Daichi, the grizzly Jōnin, focuses, his eyes narrow but his grin widens. "Hehe, we hit it big then. I wonder how you will fare. Should we kill them or take hostage, eh Aiko?"
"No, for them to be students of the hokage, it shows their prowess. Don't forget, the girl is the Senju Princess. And the other two are prodigies also. We kill them!..." Aiko, the female Jōnin commands, displaying her hierarchy over the other Jōnin.
They underestimate me! Good! I'll show them. Arashi thought, subtly adjusting for combat and a slight nod towards Tengai to get ready.
"... I'll take on the snake, while you handle the princess Daichi. The rest of you handle the other two. Move!" Aiko finalize.
"Earth Release: Rock Bullets!"
"Earth Release: Multiple Rock Shuriken!"
"Earth Release: Earth Bombs!"
Soon the area is bombarded with jutsus, strategically separating the team, Daichi appearing in front of Tsunade and soon the two begin their clash.
Orochimaro slithers through the barrage of stone shuriken heading straight to his opponent, he stretches his arm towards Aiko, "Hidden shadow snakes", venomous snakes escapes from his sleeves towards the target but it's countered by Aiko's,Light-weight Rock Technique, dodging with inhuman speed and killing many snakes with her kunai at the same time.
Over at Arashi's corner, with his Taijutsu skills aided by Four Legs Technique, rush up to attack two of the elite Chūnins with a third Chūnin coming from his rear. Fortunately, Tengai halts the Chūnin with a sound-base bark giving him chance to claw at the side of the enemy who narrowly dodges on instincts. Teaming up again with his partner, Tengai disrupts their battle area with another sound-based howl, causing the three to feel disoriented for a moment, buying them time to make a combo, fang passing fang, to attack the three. But quickly, the Chūnins dispers avoiding the trajectory of the their technique as best as they could.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya with a grin clashes with a Chūnin, both combing Taijutsu and shurikenjutsu to combat, Jiraiya flipping through the air with a momentum stumps the Chūnin, who reacts quickly, crouching slightly and his arms folded upward to block the attack, a sonic boom sounds, cracks on the earth around the Chūnin spreads like a web. Before Jiraiya could feel gleeful, he senses a barrage of shurikens around him, using the enemy under his foot, he flickers higher and mid-air, he releases a counter to where his attackers are, Toad oil bullets, with a follow up of a fire technique but is interrupted by earth spikes from the injured Chūnin, clicking his tongue, he defends himself but gets injured in the process.
On Tsunade's side, Daichi attacks are heavy with the support of Earth Release: Strengthened Rock Technique, but Tsunade keeps up, her fists and legs coated in bluish chakra, with a flurry of attacks she showcases her expertise in Taijutsu. Seeing an opening, she gives a roundhouse kick landing on Daichi's chest, making him skid backwards few feets from her, not giving him a chance to get himself, she flickers high above him, with a shout she launches her chakra coated fist, pumping more chakra, towards the disoriented Daichi. A loud bang echoes around the various battlefield, with the rest looking towards their angle.
"DAICHI!" Aiko screams, ready to aid, taking a step towards the area she feels a presence besides her, a voice whispers
"hehe, we are not done playing"
A light glint appears besides the corner of her eye, refocused, she quickly blocks the incoming kunai attack.
Clang! Clang!!
Orochimaro and Aiko separates, halting her rescue. Both facing each other, probing, Aiko irritated by the interruption and Orochimaro playful in his stance, licking the edge of the kunai, his slit eyes boring into Aiko. The moment a stone bounces off between them...
Swoosh!
They flicker towards each other, their weapons creating spark, even with Aiko's speed enhanced by Light-weight Rock Technique , Orochimaro meets up with her pace blow for blow, his heightened sense and unnatural body movements plays pivotal role. With a quick slash from Aiko, Orochimaro bends backward while his kunai hand stretches inches forward to counter. They exchange several blows in seconds, sparks and clanging sounds echoing, a small chuckle escaping into the air in their bout, a sign of Orochimaro enjoying himself. Moments later, they both separate, Aiko with her speed activates a jutsu, Explosive mud: multiple explosive birds, sending a volley of mud constructed birds flying towards Orochimaro, who at the same time activates his own technique, Summoning Technique: Rashomon, a huge gate rises from the earth, the birds colliding with the barrier causes explosive echoes around.
With the full moon overhead, everywhere lit with the consequent explosions around, Jiraiya counters an attack retreating from the coordinated attackes of the three, although he has inflicted them with injuries, he himself is not without injuries—some light, few deep cuts, weighing on him, his breathe heavy, I underestimated them, sigh, Tsunade is gonna kill me... Sensei will scold my soul out, he thought. Trying to get his bearings, he had slipped up earlier but he had realized these Chūnin were far beyond ordinary, their synchronized attacked made it look like they were all one and the same...
Jiraiya's eyes widen, coming to a conclusion, "You're linked?!"
"Now you realize it, it's one of our famous techniques, Earthpulse Bond Jutsu. A sensory technique that connects us three. As long as we are linked, our actions, status and surroundings will be shared amongst us at real-time. You may be stronger than us one-on-one combat...hehe, hell, even if we three come at you the same time, you will be able to defeat us but this technique drastically reduces such disadvantage and increases our survivability and for someone like you it proves true, Spiky Hair" one of the Chūnin scoffs as he explains, with a mocking smirk.
Jiraiya frowns deeply. He had been paired with some troubling fake triplets. While his mind planned, the three took action again, but as he tried to make a move,
"Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm" one of them echoes.
Thr ground churns, disrupting Jiraiya's movement and suddenly his legs are trapped under a rock. Simultaneously, the other two recites, Earth Release: Earth golem, following that another, Earth Release: Light-weight Rock Technique, the created golem aided by the lightweight technique dashes towards Jiraiya with speed beyond it's physical structure. It's fist raised high enough ready to pounce on the trapped and injured Jiraiya.
"JIRAIYA!!"
Arashi, closer to Jiraiya's position notices the turn of event, his scream attracting Orochimaro who tenses up, and Tsunade who tries to make a move but is interrupted by the enraged Daichi.
Arashi pushes his opponent with an outburst and a strong kick, "TENGAI!"
With the call, Tengai howls louder again causing a quick disruption, buying enough time for Arashi to bite his thumb and form seals immediately then his hand hits the ground.
"BLOOD SEAL TECHNIQUE: CRIMSON BIND!!"
Immediately, red chakra chains bursts out from the ground around the golem just inches away from turning Jiraiya to a ninja kebab binding the golem and stopping it from any further action. But that's not all it's doing, looking closer, the chains are absorbing the chakra from the golem, slowly weakening it.
While this was happening, Arashi flickers immediately above the golem, his claws raised high and descending in an X shape movement.
"Wind Claw Slash!"
The attack hits the mark, destroying the golem. The attack doesn't stop there, it continues onward towards the linked enemies, their eyes widen in shock before they could react to make an earth wall...
BOOM!!!
A devastating explosion resounds in the battlefield, a heavy cloud of dust covers the targetted area proving the immerse strength behind the attack. Tsunad, Orochimaro, Aiko and Daichi, especially Jiraiya who was close enough to feel the attack, were momentarily stunned from the result. They all felt it and then they realized it.
They had underestimated the feral Shinobi.