InuYasha Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ AGainst All Odds ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 8 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Inuyasha, or any of their affiliated characters. They respectively belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Rumiko Takahashi. Full credit for these wonderful characters and worlds, belong to them! I am however using Naruto, Sakura, Bankotsu, and Kagome {along with various others} for my own twisted enjoyment. The plot line of this story and all of its little twists however, I do take full credit for!

A/N: Again sorry for the lengthy time between updates. I promise I haven't abandoned either of my 3 remaining fics.

On the plus side, my Novel is coming along nicely XD

--

Chapter Six:

Sakura asked, "Captain Yamato, what should we do?" staring at their team Captain.

Yamato replied stoically, "We press forward and carry out our mission." eying his group.

Sai said, "I agree, despite this new development, this is our best chance of gleaning information from Sasori's spy."

Yamato informed the team, "Which is exactly why we continue with our plan. We can discover more about the newcomers after we have apprehended the spy."

Sakura sighed and reminded seriously, "Tsunade sama won't be happy if either of those two gets hurt. But, we can't just let them go off alone either."

Yamato nodded and said, "I know. But remember Sakura the girl is a priestess, so I am sure she will be able to hold her own."

Sai added, "That guy with her is no slouch either. His eyes alone speak of the many battles he'd seen." Having had the harshest training of this particular group, Sai knew when a person had seen more than they let on about.

Naruto frowned and asked, "What if they somehow jeopardize the mission by stepping in?" determined not to let anyone jeopardize their chance to learn about Sasuke.

Yamato was about to reply, when Bankotsu spoke up assuring, "If you're on a mission, then we won't interfere." Adding seriously, "Trust me on this though, both Kagome and I have been in more battles then any of you can count."

Yamato and Bankotsu exchanged a silent look between leaders and Yamato nodded. He said, "I believe you." earning an amused smirk from Bankotsu.

Yamato said, "Now onto the most important issue at hand." Staring at the two groups he said, "We're implementing a buddy system for this mission."

Bankotsu raised a brow and demanded, "Kagome and I stay together, and that is not negotiable!" staring down the group.

Yamato nodded and said, "I'll concede that. But, I need you two to hang back with the others, while I make contact." Adding, "And I need you two to not do anything until I have given my team the signal."

Adapting his leader persona, Bankotsu nodded and said, "Since we're just tagging along, how about filling us in on what's going on, so that we know what to expect?"

Yamato said, "All I can tell you, is that we're intercepting a spy and hoping to extract some information from him." exchanging a knowing look with the brash young leader.

Yamato stared each person in the eyes, adding seriously, "And incidentally, we must protect this spy and keep him alive, even if we end up having to fight. If he dies, we will lose a valuable source of information." mostly addressing the three teenaged ninjas of his group.

Sakura added, "This is a very important mission for our village." staring at the newcomers, hoping to stress how vital it was they back off and let the pros handle it.

Yamato continued, "Since this is such a delicate mission, I will be making the first move, and you three will be acting as my back up."

At the three ninjas' nods Yamato continued, "The strategy is simple. First step, I restrain the target. And Second step, should I fail to restrain the target, and this turns into a battle- you three shift into battle formation. Remember, I will give the signal when I want you to do this."

While eyeing every person around the small fire carefully, Yamato said dead serious, "No one makes any move until I give the signal."

Knowing that his lack of information currently put him at a disadvantage for the moment, Bankotsu nodded his acknowledgement, despite it raising his hackles.

Bankotsu hated allowing anyone else to run the show, but he couldn't allow Kagome to fall into an unforeseen danger that he knew nothing about. They were new to this world and didn't know what to expect. Evidentially this group was on a secret mission of sorts and time was of the essence.

As such, his only option for now was to stand back, keeping the miko by his side and letting things play out as if they weren't even there. He eyed the blonde haired kid and thought, 'There is something about that boy that has my instincts telling me not to under estimate him.'

At Bankotsu's single curt nod, Yamato sighed relieved and said, "Normally I avoid doing this, but given the recent events… I think its best." He faced everyone declaring, "We're going to run a simulation for this mission tomorrow at day break."

Bankotsu nodded approvingly. He agreed, "That will also give Kagome and me some idea of what exactly we've gotten caught up in."

Yamato added, "Plus, it will let me see you three in action and allow me to witness your teamwork and methods of choice firsthand." once again addressing his team.

Bankotsu thought, 'It will also let me see just what is involved here, so that there will be less surprises during the execution of the actual mission.' as he eyed the group suspecting that they were a newly formed team, which might prove a costly mistake.

To be honest, Bankotsu didn't care for the amount of secrecy involved here. He preferred everything out in the open… at least to him, while he and Kagome's secrets remained hidden.

With so many unknown elements here still, he couldn't properly plan a way to safely extract himself and Kagome before hand and would have to just hang back for now, and wing it if things actually took a turn for the worse.

This mission they were on, whatever it was… obviously seemed important and so he'd have to wait until this group completed it, in order to learn more about this village that they spoke of.

He sighed heavily and decided that he'd have to keep his senses on full alert for now, while he and Kagome tagged along. One thing was for certain, whatever happened, he'd have to make keeping Kagome out of harm's way his top priority.

Judging by the demon they had fought earlier, things here were vastly different than what either of them were used to. For starters that demon had somehow managed to mend its wounds and quickly too. Secondly, neither he nor the miko had even sensed the demon approaching, and he for one made it a point to know when an enemy was approaching- especially a demonic one.

The fact that neither of them had sensed its aura could only mean that it had somehow concealed its aura. Even Banryu which was an early warning system as it picked up the slightest strange aura, hadn't sensed it, which meant somehow it had been able to erase or conceal all traces of its aura.

He looked at Banryu and sighed, it was glowing just enough to let him know something was up and he'd bet anything it had to do with Blondie over there. Sighing heavily Bankotsu thought, 'Whether I like it or not, these four are the only humans we've come across since arriving in this strange world. As such, they are the only source of information we have available to us- for now… which means we're tagging along- for now.'

Yamato's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Sakura you're with me and the other team will be Naruto and Sai." All three teenage ninjas fell deathly quiet.

Naruto thought upset, 'Me, with him?' staring hard at Sai.

Sai flashed him his fake smile and said cheerily, "I'm looking forward to it."

Sensing the tension building up, Sakura spoke up, pointing out logically, "Captain Yamato, I think it would be best if Naruto and I were a team. We've worked together before and know what to expect from each other."

Yamato rebutted, "Sakura, you are the only medic-nin on this team and as such, we cannot afford you to get hurt, therefore you are with me. Understand?" staring into her eyes.

She sighed resigned and said, "Yes sir." Hoping that Naruto and Sai would figure out a way to make things work. Yamato nodded in satisfaction and ordered for them to all turn in for the night.

Still not trusting them completely, Bankotsu took Kagome's hand and led her over away from their camp after saying, "We'll stay over there." Indicating the spot he'd chosen.

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but Bankotsu shut her up with a raised brow. She reluctantly allowed him to lead her to a place where they would have more privacy.

--

When they arrived, Bankotsu ordered Kagome to erect a small barrier to afford them some privacy. She frowned but did so. Once the barrier was in place, Bankotsu nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, now we can talk without being overheard."

Kagome huffed and kicked the leaves in frustration. Bankotsu said seriously, "You may not like it, but I still don't trust them enough for us to sleep in the same camp."

She sighed heavily and he reminded, "We know very little about them and until I know we can trust them, I'm not taking any chances." giving her a stern look.

Knowing that he had a point, she sighed heavily and sat down sulking. Bankotsu asked, "Did you sense anything strange about the blonde haired one?"

She blinked and replied, "Actually yes." surprised that he would pick up on things so fast.

He sat across from her, placing Banryu to straddle his lap and said, "What?" staring at her, expecting an answer.

She sighed heavily and started fidgeting with her hands in her lap, as she stared into his eyes and said, "I can't read him like I can everyone else." and shrugged slightly.

Making a mental note of her nervous gesture, he held her gaze and commanded, "Explain." waiting to hear what she meant.

She said, "Well um, usually I can read people's auras. You know human or demon." Keeping her eyes locked to his as a frown crossed her face.

He nodded, "Any good priestess would." waving one hand in a motion for her to continue.

She said, "But that one is different… It's not clear." Adding, "Even with Inuyasha, I was able to read a mixed aura clearly. But with that guy…. Well it's almost like he has two auras." her brows furrowing with a deeper confusion, not understanding what any of it meant.

He blinked asking, "Two auras?" and sat deep in thought, pondering what it could mean. His mind went back to his comrades and he asked, "Like Suikotsu?" staring at her.

She shook her head and said, "No, even with Suikotsu the auras were very unique and clear." Drumming her fingers, she said, "This is something different." But I just don't know what yet."

Bankotsu rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, "Well for now, we will have to keep a close eye on him, until we can find out what it is." He stared at her adding seriously, "We're going to follow behind them on this mission of theirs. But, I want you to stay by my side, and have your bow ready at all times."

She nodded. Bankotsu instructed, "I want you to pay close attention to their simulation tomorrow. This is a chance for us to learn a little about their battle techniques and stuff, so pay attention to the slightest details. Okay?"

She nodded and yawned. Bankotsu sighed and instructed, "For now, go ahead and get some sleep, you're going to need it." as he stood up and began crafting a bed from the leaves for her.

She blinked and then nodded thanking him. He nodded to her and took a spot close to her with his back against a rock, so that he could keep watch for the night.

Seeing the strain that the barrier was having on her and guessing that she was still new to maintaining barriers for an extended period of time, he told her to go ahead and drop the barrier. With a sigh of relief, she dropped the barrier and began panting. He fluffed up a few more leaves for her and she lay down feeling tired.

Within minutes her exhaustion overtook her and despite the rough makeshift bed, she found her eyes drifting shut and was quickly fast asleep, with her bow clutched in her hand and her arrows next to her.

Bankotsu sighed and sat up keeping guard all night, while his mind began categorizing what little information they had learned, and trying to decide what they could do with it.

--

With Naruto's group:

Sakura lay down and put her head on her pillow and was soon rolled over facing the wall and wondering about the two newcomers. The guy was handsome and strong, but a real jerk too. He seemed rather protective of his companion, even though it appeared he also like ribbing her.

Maybe they were friends or maybe… cousins? Her mind turned to the girl and she wondered how Tsunade-sama would react to the news about a priestess surfacing after all this time.

If what Captain Yamato said was true, then this could prove a huge advantage to their village, having been the first ones to discover her.

Speaking of Tsunade-sama… Her mind turned back to the day she was charged with keeping the peace between Naruto and Sai.

Sighing, her thoughts turned to Sai and Naruto and she wondered if they would ever learn to work together. Deciding that she'd been thinking long enough, she forced her mind to clear and fell asleep.

--

Naruto lay on his side staring up at the ceiling and thought about the strangers, wondering where they had come from and what that strange power that both he and Kyuubi had sensed in the girl was. Whatever it was, it sure seemed to catch Kyuubi's attention.

To grab Kyuubi's attention so quickly like she had, that had to be some impressive power. He remembered how he'd felt a chill run down his spine and he wondered why.

She seemed nice enough; in fact she seemed much nicer than Sakura. So why had her power sent up an inner warning sign to him and Kyuubi?

Maybe it had something to do with that strange boy traveling with her?

His mind turned to her companion and he wondered just how fast that guy really was. He hadn't even seen that huge blade leave the guy's shoulder, until it was right up in his face.

Frowning, he resolved to learn more about that guy as well as the girl and their powers. Just what were they to each other anyways? They seemed to have an unusual relationship.

Speaking of unusual relationships…

He scowled and his thoughts turned to tomorrow's events. A simulation mission and he just had to be teamed up with Sai. He didn't like Sai. Sai was nothing like Sasuke and the fact that the guy kept insulting Sasuke was starting to grate on his nerves.

He huffed thinking, 'I'll never accept anyone as Sasuke's replacement on Team Kakashi! Especially not that jerk Sai.' Folding his hand beneath his head, he closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.

--

On the other side of the room next to the other wall, Sai lay down and started filing away all of the information he'd learned so far, both on his teammates and on the strangers.

He'd seen the braid haired boy's stance and the way he held himself apart from others. He just knew that guy had to be a battle worn fighter and his gut told him not to under estimate the guy either.

He may seem dumb, but something told Sai that was simply an act created to disguise what the guy was really like. Sai knew from experience that the guy had to be some kind of military leader and he wondered about the guy's military background, and why he would ally himself with a priestess.

His mind switched to the girl and he wondered how a priestess had ended up with such a battle minded person in the first place. That girl wasn't someone to be under estimated either. She may look weak and frail, but that power she'd used was not weak! In fact, something told him that there was far more to that power than any of them knew about yet.

Speaking of the unknown…

He slowly released a breath and his mind switched to his new teammates. It was strange being part of a team again. He'd grown so used to working alone that it had become second nature.

Naruto seemed too hot headed for this type of work. He riled too easily and that could become dangerous for this team, and more importantly, it could jeopardize their mission.

Speaking of jeopardizing things….

That pink haired little fire cat Sakura, was starting to make him wonder if maybe he should examine his ways a bit more. All of her questions lately about feelings and just things in general, were starting to confuse him a bit, and make him wonder if he was missing something… something important.

Deciding to figure it out another time, after the mission was completed, Sai closed his eyes and focused solely on his breathing until sleep overcame him.

--

Yamato cracked an eye open and watched his team wondering how they would fare with the simulation tomorrow. He also wondered what it was that Sai was hiding. He didn't know what it was yet, but it was his job to find out and he would, after the mission was completed.

His mind turned to the strangers and he wondered how Hokage-sama would react to the news of a priestess being hidden in their midst. He also wondered why that guy with her seemed so… commanding.

He'd obviously been a leader for some time now and that alone bore looking into. But again, it would have to wait until after he and his team had completed their current mission.

Right now only one thing was important above all else, and that was completing their mission successfully. Everything else would have to wait.

Sighing he closed his eye and rested his back against the wall forcing himself to rest. He knew the strangers weren't too far away and were being cautious. He couldn't blame the guy either, after all they really didn't know much about each other, so he had allowed them to make a separate camp, still within range, and made one of his wood clones, to blend into the trees.

His clone hadn't been able to hear what they were saying, because the priestess had erected a small barrier briefly, but his clone was now watching as the girl slept and her companion stood guard.

Strange that the guy would opt for acting like a guard-dog then to sleep while the opportunity to do so presented itself… Oh well, he let out a quiet yawn and closed his eyes settling into a restful sleep.

--

A/N: Okay, so now we know a bit about both groups' thoughts, except of course for Kagome who is plain tuckered out and fast asleep. So how am I doing so far? I'd love to hear from my readers! XD

Preview of the next chapter:

Kagome carefully watch the Naruto squad during their 'simulation' and become more intrigued and more determined to learn about them. Team Kakashi learns a bit more about each other as well, and Sai receives a warning from Sakura.