Dream Team (NaruHina)

#37 Betrayal

As the group made their way through the valley Hinata spotted a large group of shinobi hiding on top of the brown walls framing the path towards Ishigakure.

"Thirty people, most likely shinobi, hiding, waiting for something." She whispered against Naruto's neck, pretending to kiss his neck.

"Keep an eye on them, if they move when the daimyo comes into view, we intercept." Naruto whispered against the purple haired's lips, as they continued to walk towards the village, Hinata's Byakugan tracking the people, both their senses sharpened.

Yeji noticed the people standing in their way before the driver. Lia had informed her of a large group of chakra signatures she had spotted as they had passed the halfway point of the valley. A quick glance to her teammates caused them to stealthily ready themselves. Holding up her hand the small procession stopped in its tracks as Ankoro accompanied by two samurai walked forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

"What is it?" The daimyo called out of his carriage, confused as to why they had stopped.

"I don't know, there are people blocking the path. Ankoro is dealing with it." Yeji answered quickly, while calling for Ryujin and Lia with hand signs. Her two teammates quickly came forward, a questioning look on their faces.

"Stay alert, I don't think that we will get away from this." She whispered to them, taking out a handful of senbons.

Ryujin and Lia nodded, taking out their own weapons, and taking positions close to the side entrances of the daimyo's carriage.

"Do you have any combat experience?" Yeji asked the woman sitting on the front of the carriage, earning a shake of the head. The Iwa-Shinobi noticed how the hands of the driver were shaking, quickly taking them into her own, and pulling her off of her seat.

"Get into the carriage, you will be safe there." The brunette whispered, before letting go of the woman and almost push her into the carriage.

"Do not come out, until I tell you that you can." Yeji ordered towards the daimyo and his wife as the driver opened the door, and closed it behind her again. She heard the small windows being closed and the lock on the door being secured.

Breathing out, Yeji calmed her mind, watching as Ankoro talked to the people standing in their way. However something seemed off, the man had sent the two samurai that were accompanying him away, talking alone with the four men.

When she saw the tallest of the four unknown men raise his arm, she whistled silently a predetermined signal for her teammates to warn them of any danger, although she was sure that the two girls had been watching the conversation in front of them also.

Quickly scanning the valley surrounding them, Yeji was surprised to see nobody appear on the ledges around them. Looking to the men in front of her she saw the bandit's faces falter as they looked around frantically. Wildly waving his arm around he tried his signal again.

This time however there was movement on the ridges, a single person emerged on either side of the valley. One had two short swords in hand, blood still dripping from them, the other had only kunai in hand, although they as well were almost drained in blood. Raising her weapons she saw the samurai guards take out their weapons as well, before Yeji finally noticed the yellow hair of the person wielding the kunai and the white eyes and purple hair of the other, lowering her weapons she smiled, getting confused looks from the samurai who had seen her actions.

"They are on our side." Yeji heard Ryujin say on the other side of the carriage, making the samurai lower their katanas as Naruto and Hinata jumped down and walked up to Yeji.

"Stay alert." Naruto whispered as the jonin passed Yeji, causing her to raise an eyebrow but quickly relay the information to Lia who passed it along to Yeji's sister.

"Your reinforcements won't come." Naruto called out to the man standing opposite of Ankoro, while wiping some blood off of his face. The five men looked at the two shinobi with horror in their eyes.

"What happened to those 26 men?" Ankoro asked, before seeing the bloodied weapons the pair had in hand. Not seeing any reason to answer that question Naruto pointed his weapons at the men blocking the path.

"Yield and you won't die today." His voice was cold as he demanded the surrender. The four men looked at each other before slowly kneeling down, taking knives out of their pockets and setting them down.

"Yeji, I need a few senbons." Hinata meanwhile called out to the genin, who quickly walked up to her, handing her a handful of the needles.

"I only need four." The jonin said, giving the rest of them back to the brunette.

Walking up to the four kneeling bandits she quickly stabbed them into their spines, causing them to fall over, motionless.

"They had yielded! Why did you kill them?" Ankoro asked incredulously, his voice rising.

"I did not kill them, they are just unable to move." Hinata stated, kneeling down and tying their hands and feet.

"You seem sad, Ankoro. Why would that be?" Naruto asked, as the leader of the samurai turned around to walk back to the carriage. The man stopped in his tracks.

"I am not sad. I am happy that you were able to kill the men trying to attack the daimyo." He replied, a forced smile appearing on his face.

"Ah yeah, about that.. How did you know there were 26 men waiting for the signal from that man?" Naruto asked with a look at the tall man, whose hands were being tied by his girlfriend.

The smile fell from Ankoro's face, and his hand slowly reached for his sword.

"What are you implying?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe I am just a bit put off by the fact that your brother was leading the group of bandits that ambushed us? Maybe I am just surprised that they were even here since the official route says that we will arrive at Ishigakure tomorrow, not today? Maybe I just want to know how much of the money you would have gotten if your brother would have been successful?" Naruto asked, his face serious as the samurai, who had come to make sure the surrendered men didn't run away not trusting the skills of Hinata, turned their faces to the talking men.

"You have no evidence of that claim!" Ankoro shouted, making even more samurai turn their heads as well as Lia and Ryujin.

Naruto took out a scroll, showing the samurai in front of him the seal, confirming that the scroll was sent by a trusted advisor of the daimyo.

"Then why does this scroll saying that the daimyo will be a day early and to wait for him in the valley 'just like last time' bear your name and signature?" Naruto asked.

Putting the scroll back into his pocket, Naruto looked at the man in front of him, a victorious glint in his eyes.

A scream echoed through the valley as Ankoro drew his sword and charged at the blonde, only for him to collapse half way.

"Nice throw." Naruto said, nodding to Yeji who stood behind the fallen man, her arm still outstretched from the senbon throw.

"Get the Daimyo, he needs to know about this." Naruto ordered as he took the katana away from the samurai and also took away the short sword he had fastened on his belt.