Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Moonlit Shadow ❯ Unwanted company ( Chapter 3 )

 

 

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

 

An Unwelcome Burden

 

“Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us everything except that which cannot be torn, so we can see ourselves for what we truly are.”

 

 

 

It was annoying, having to find my `team'. Even though I was the one who suggested it, I still did not like the idea of having to drag along three gennin. I growled under my breath as I scanned the forest with all of my senses for anything or anyone who matched the description of my new team. But I was mostly trying to sense any trace of demon chakra. It made sense that if the nine tails holder even released it once it would still cling to him, making it very easy to find him.

 

 

I stopped. I could very faintly sense demonic chakra coming from straight ahead. It was close.

 

 

I quickly ran off in that direction at my full speed. I didn't want to waste any more of my time than I already had. I made sure I had cloaked my chakra so that they wouldn't be able to sense me and stopped on a tree branch about 33 feet above the one my three new 'team members' were sitting on.

 

 

The raven-haired boy, obviously the Uchiha, looked exactly the same as he had in his picture - cocky, arrogant, and good looking. That last thought repulsed me. Since when did I start thinking of humans as good looking. Humans were vile disgusting creatures, nothing good looking about them. The one with the pink hair disgusted me the most, she was actually shaking. She was obviously the weakest and it was frankly hard to believe that she was the smartest as Sarutobi had said.

 

 

'Oh, I hope Sasuke doesn't think I'm scared. He's so-' I cut off her thoughts. It was so disgusting. She had only become a shinobi in a useless attempt to impress the Uchiha. She deserved to be a shinobi less than that dog boy.

 

 

'I want ramen. If I was at Irichraku's I would have beef ramen and-' I cut off Naruto's thoughts; they were not worth my time. This one was obviously an idiot. But I could sense his chakra as well as the Kyubi's. He was strong but, he needed time to reach the full extent of his power.

 

 

'Why am I stuck with idiots?' were the Uchiha's thoughts. Well at least there was one competent child on this team.

 

 

They were discussing the best way to obtain a scroll when I dropped down in front of them. They jumped up, kunai at the ready, thinking I was here for their scroll. I snorted inwardly, things as insignificant as that did not interest me. I observed each of them coldly. The girl's stance was weak and unsure, suggesting that she was the best target for an attack. The blonde's stance was strong but sloppy and he would be easy to take down. I turned my gaze to the Uchiha, his stance was strong and basically perfect except that he was too tense. It was better to be relaxed during battle; it made your movements strong and fluid.

 

 

The Kyubi holder sent a kunai at my head. To me it looked as if it was moving in slow motion. I didn't even bother to avoid it, but easily caught it between my index and middle finger right before it drove its razor sharp point into my forehead.

 

 

'I wonder if I let that hit, would I die?' I mused for moment, then turned my attention back to the three gennin. I threw the kunai so fast they didn't know what was coming and pinned Naruto to a tree.

 

 

"You know, you shouldn't attack your new teammates. It's not good for building trust,'" I said, keeping my face unemotional.

 

 

Their faces showed confusion and fear.

 

 

"Do you think we were born yesterday? We know you're just trying to get our scroll!" Naruto shouted, pointing his finger at me accusingly. He tried to free himself from he tree, but I had thrown the kunai so that it was lodged deeply and hies efforts were in vain.

 

 

"I suggest that you stop pointing that finger at me if you want to keep it. And no, I'm not lying, the hokage sent me himself. Here, he even sent you a scroll explaining everything," I said, reaching into my weapons pouch and enjoying the expressions on their faces when they think I'm reaching for a weapon. But they relax a little when they saw I really was pulling out a scroll. I looked at it for a second and then threw it at them. The Uchiha caught it and opened it suspiciously, his eyes flew across the paper and his brows furrowed as he considered what the paper said. When he finished he looked up to find me leaning against a tree, bored.

 

 

"This could be fake," he said, his voice clearly showing distrust.

 

 

"Fine,I'll prove it." my voice was calm and bored. I closed my eyes and scanned the area for a chunnin. I quickly found one and called out to him with my mind. 'I'm having trouble with some stupid gennin, come help me out. Now.' I waited for about a second until a Chunin landed in a kneeling position in front of me.

 

 

"What is it?" he asked, irritation clear in his voice

 

 

"The hokage assigned me to their team and I need help convincing them."

 

 

"You know I'm not allowed to interfere." he was now standing up at my side, regarding the three in front of him.

 

 

"I'm sure the hokage will understand."

 

 

"Fine." he looked at the genin before us "This is Zetsumei Amai. she is now on you team as appointed by the Hokage. You will not attack her, although I'm sure she could take you even if you did." he explained in a voice that said he had better things to do.

 

 

The three genin nodded, so he turned to me. "Can I go?" I nodded and he disappeared in a poof of wispy smoke.

 

 

I turned my back on my new 'team', sat down against a tree, and closed my eyes, concentrating on drowning out the thoughts of all that were in the forest. I heard the rustle of grass and three pairs of footsteps coming over to me. Cracking open an eyelid I saw Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke standing around me.

 

 

"This is the Forest of Death. We don't have time to sit around and relax." Sasuke's voice was harsh and low.

 

 

"So let's go do something, then. It is the second day and I'm surprised that you don't have a scroll yet; any good team would." I was now examining my fingernails as if they were worth more of my time than my teammates were.

 

 

It was mildly amusing to see them upset over a little thing.

 

 

I stood up. "Well, let's go. We have three days, and that is not a lot of time."

 

 

"Who made you team leader?" asked Naruto incredulously.

 

 

"Who else is going to lead this team - you?" I waited for a second and when no answer came I said, "Let's move."

 

 

 

Night came and we decided to make camp. under the roots of a large tree. I took the first watch. When the others laid out their sleeping bags and fell asleep, I stayed alert and awake for the slightest sound or smell of an enemy nearby.

 

 

Morning came faster than I had expected, and soon my teammates were wide awake and fixing breakfast cold, because I had to advise them not to make a fire.

 

 

"You're not going to eat?" asked Sakura when I made no move towards the food

 

 

"I'm not hungry. Hurry and eat, we leave in 5 minutes." I said it plainly as if it were no big deal.

 

 

Two more days went by with nothing really occuring. We were attacked by a few teams, but with little help from me they were able to fend them off and keep our scroll.

 

 

On the end of the fourth day we camped by a river and I went out into the forest while Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura set up camp. I was just sitting in a tree, enjoying the relative silence, when I smelled the smoke of a camp fire.

 

 

"Bakas" I growled under my breath as I ran back to the camp. I stopped when I saw a young boy standing over my team talking to them. He was about nineteen, with silver hair tied up into a ponytail and he wore glasses on the bridge of his nose. They just stood there doing nothing and looking confused at why he was here. Then I saw our scroll sitting on the ground partly opened.

 

 

I appeared behind them and hissed in a low voice. "Bakas! You tried to open the scroll?" these words were not shouted, but held much more force than a shout would have.

 

 

"A-amai," Naruto stuttered, turning around. "Um ... um ... ah, have you met Kabuto?"

 

 

"No, I don't believe I have." I turned my gaze to his and I tried to look into his mind to distinguish if he should be considered a threat. However, I found that his mind was protected by a strong set of mental barriers.

 

 

I looked at his face for answers, which I could not find in his mind. He was smirking as if he knew that I couldn't get into his mind and this irked me.

 

 

"You show your emotions too plainly, Kabuto-san." I added the "-san" part with mock respect. As if I could ever respect a human such as this. But I was curious to the fact that he could protect his mind, as if he knew I would be here.

 

 

"It's hard to hide my emotions in the presence of such a beautiful girl," he said, smirking wider still

 

 

I growled lowly and dislodged a kunai hidden in my sleeve into my hand. I threw it at him so fast he did not notice I had even moved until he felt the warm trickle of blood down his face. His face was shocked, along with Naruto's and Sakura's. Sasuke's face remained the same as ever, although it was obvious in his eyes that he was as shocked as the others, and a little angry.

 

 

Kabuto touched the deep cut on his face tenderly and looked at me in shock. But that shock wasn't evident in his eyes. No, in his eyes there was no shock, only curiosity. This boy was playing dumb and he believed that he could fool me. This boy was also strong, and he hid his chakra very well - any normal ninja, not even the Hokage, would have noticed it. But I was . . .different from them.

 

 

"Why are here?" I asked harshly, for I was weary of him and wanted him out of my sight He made me slightly uneasy.

 

 

"Why? I just came to warn your teammates of the danger of lighting a fire and the opening of the scrolls," he said as if it were the most innocent thing in the world.

 

 

"Well I'm sure you warned them before I arrived. You can leave now"

 

 

"I also would like to help you. I noticed that you have only one scroll and I know how you can get another."

 

 

"Oh," I said, not really interested. I had planned to go that night while my team was asleep, steal a scroll from another team, and present it to them in the morning of the fifth day.

 

 

"Yes. Its the next-to-last day, all of the teams that already have a scroll will be heading toward the tower. So all you have to do is defeat one of the teams and steal their scroll. Which, by the way, is easier said than done." He said loudly, now looking more at Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura than me.

 

 

"And what of you? You could easily be leading us into a trap, since I do not see your team anywhere." He turned his gaze back to me.

 

 

"My teammates are already moving towards the tower. I told them I would meet them there. I wanted to make sure these guys were alright. I also did not know that you were on this team."

 

 

"I was just added to this team about two days ago." I said although it was really none of his business.

 

 

"I see. Well, if you would like to take my offer, I would gladly lead you to the tower and help you obtain a scroll."

 

 

"No thanks, I'm sure we can manage." I did not like this boy, nor did I trust him. I was also wary around him since he had his mind protected so well by those mental barriers. And I could easily lead my team to the tower. I knew this forest like the back of my hand.

 

 

"Amai! It's the fourth day and we don't have a scroll yet! We should take Kabuto-kun's offer.” shouted a startled Naruto

 

 

"As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Naruto," Sakura said timidly, as if it scared her to be talking to me. Which it probably did.

 

 

"Hn," was the Uchiha's only reply as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

 

 

I sighed angrily "Fine. Pack up camp, we move in five"

 

 

They quickly doused their fire and packed up all their things they had so carelessly scattered along the ground. Once they were packed, they pulled on their packs, we left the campsite and walked into the dark forest. This came as a relief to me, for I could easily stand the light for short periods, but if I stayed in it for too long and my skin started to soak it up then I would be covered with a painful rash, quite like a sunburn except worse. for a couple days. Plus, vampires were made for the dark and it was easier for me to see. We jumped from tree to tree, moving deeper into the forest with Kabuto leading the way.