Naruto Fanfic

Chapter 17

A Few Days Later

"It's been four days," Moya whispers as we watch over a sleeping Reinī as the forest darkens.  "When will they try to kill her again?" Moya casts a long-sided glance at the Princess, worry etched into her eyes.  "We managed to defend the Princess, but only because we used our Crystal Shields a lot.  We won't be able to keep doing that every time they attack."

"I know," I nod my head.  "Maybe we can come up with a plan.  However ---"  I stop midsentence, standing up and instinctively pulling out my fans as I hear something in the leaves around us.  Moya stands up, pulling up a Kunai.  Aiiro-Sensei and Kumo are sleeping on either side of Princess Reinī.  If they heard the leaves move, they haven't shown it yet.

Moya and I keep up our guard, expecting an attack to come.  It does.  A Kunai from above is thrown at us.  However, the Crystal Shield activates and glistens softly as the Kunai bounces off of it.  It only covers the area where the Princess, Kumo, and Sensei are sleeping.  Moya and I, however, are completely vulnerable to an attack.

Kunai come flying at the two of us from every direction.  However, using my fans, I create a wind current that sends them flying back to their owners.  Four ninja assassins a couple of years older than Aiiro-Sensei from the looks of them, drop from the trees and surround us.

"Looks like we'll have to take our the casters if we want to get past that bubble," one of them menacingly smiles.  My heart plummets.  The shield is soundproof so Aiiro-Sensei and Kumo won't be able to hear Moya and I being slaughtered.

"Try it," I answer, activating my Anaguma.  My sentence comes out more confident than I feel, but it's enough to startle the man.  He recovers quickly and laughs.  I take this time to put away my fans and kick in right in the stomach, within a couple of seconds.  I jump into the air and come crashing down on the man, my feet landing right on his ribs and causing the ground to break some.

I hear a great rumble around us as Moya uses a sinkhole to trap and bury three of the other men.  Huh,  I think to myself, we could hardly defeat these guys the first time.  Yet, somehow, we're more powerful than we were four days ago.  I do a swift kick to knock the last person off their feet and Moya freezes him in crystals until he suffocates.  She creates two sinkholes for the two men who weren't already underground.  She then covers them and pretends as if we didn't just kill five men.

"Moya," I whisper, looking at the sky.

"Yeah?" she whispers back, a soft breeze blowing her hair slightly.

"How come we were more powerful just now than we were four days ago?" I softly inquire, looking at my hands.  "It doesn't make sense.  Not even we could progress that much within the span of 96 hours."

"It's because of the night," Moya answers.  "When the moon is full and the sky is dark, that's when the Anaguma is the most powerful.  I'm not nearly as powerful as you are, though.  My power is only amplified twice as much.  Yours, however, well, it's already twice as powerful due to the Yogen-sha, making it four times as powerful during the night of a full moon."

I nod my head and sit down on the ground, leaning against the crystal shield.  "Rekkusu will probably come and try to kill Reinī next."  I look up at the star-filled sky.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, we've already defeated the goons she sent twice.  She's sure to come and try to kill Reinī herself the third time.  Or she'll send in stronger people.  Although, I highly doubt she'll send in more people.  She's bound to do it herself.  I suppose we've bought ourselves some time since none of her scouts are alive."  I motion to the ground around us where it's apparent something has disturbed it.

"You can feel it, can't you?"

"What?" I'm taken aback by this question.  Moya has a downcast expression.

"The ground below us.  It's crying out a warning to us.  I can't understand it exactly.  Can you?"

"No."  I shake my head, my newly unbraided hair moving with me.  "Come on." I stand up, pressing my hands against the crystal shield.  "We should wake Sensei and Kumo and get some rest."  Moya nods and does the same as me.  We enter the shield and I tap Kumo on the shoulder.  He sits up, nods his head, and heads outside the range of the barrier.  Aiiro-Sensei follows shortly after.  As soon as I lay down, sleep overtakes me.

I wake up the next morning just as the sun begins to rise and the moon begins to set.  I notice Moya too is just waking up.  The two of us take down the barrier and I gently wake up the Princess.  "Good morning, Your Highness," I wake her.  "It's time for us to get going again.  We're close to the first village."

Princess Reinī smacks my hand away and stands up.  She dusts off her out and lets out a huff.  "Good thing!" she states.  "I can't wait until we get to rest in a hotel!"  The five of us begin walking in the direction of the next village, Moya and I sharing one last look at the place where we rested last night.