Mending The Past To A Better Future

Chp. 25 Behind the Veil {Part-1}

Note: hello readers! I will be only posting one chapter on Wednesdays, once a week. Hope yall don't mind!!

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Hound was cold. During body temperature regulation practice, their captains and commanding officers had knocked a mantra into their heads - suffering was optional. It was said that if the sun was right on your back, you could cool yourself down without even a forethought about it, making yourself get frostbite in the process if you really wanted. It was also said that on the coldest days when it felt like your head was submerged in the iciest waters, you could still be warm enough to pretend you had a thermos of hot tea in your hand.

And Hound had believed that when he had seen his vessels in arms doing that exact same thing - withstanding the harshest blizzards without so much as a cloak on their shoulders, not a single goosebump on their skin.

He had even continued to believe it when they had a ninja who could perform ice-release come in and lock them all up in an icebox and freeze them down to their very last toe. Hound had withstood it with a high chin and blue fingers, and he hadn’t complained to anyone but Owl.

Internally, Hound scoffed. Owls were meant to be intelligent animals with amazing nocturnal prowess and above standard hunting abilities. He didn’t know how Shisui… Hound corrected his thoughts. He didn’t know how Owl - Owl, had gotten that codename.

Hound glanced over at Owl, his body trembling in a way that matched his own - classic newbie catch.

Subtly, he shoved his elbow into Owl’s ribs, making him jerk in surprise. In a silent and slightly supportive way, he nodded his head to the rain that was pelting the task force that had been put together in order to eliminate the band of assassins terrorizing the western side of Fire Country.

Owl immediately stood up straighter and Hound tried to do the same, even as his silver hair stuck to his forehead like a second skin. Leopard and Dove were the more senior members of their squad, and it showed in the way they carried themselves.

Leopard made a two-finger salute and pointed through the rain and into the gray skies ahead. “Eyes on the target,” Dove said, her voice sturdy and strong. “Hound, approach from the right, and don’t strike until Leopard has further scouted. He will give you the signal. Owl, stay overhead.”

When they’d first heard signals like that, Hound and Owl had exchanged dubious glances. Because how the fuck were you supposed to stay overhead when you couldn’t magically grow wings overnight? But they’d figured it out, albeit slowly.

Owl nodded before shunshinning out from behind their hiding spot behind the clump of rocks. Hound moved next, darting right into the treeline to get into position. He waited until both Dove and Leopard flickered off before returning his attention back to the ninja clustered together under an alcove of trees.

He squinted his eye, Sharingan automatically shut to avoid chakra depletion. From where he was standing he could see five ninja, covered in head to toe in black stealth gear. One of them had their back to him, and he could see through the dim glow of the rain a seven-pronged star on his jacket. Supposedly, each of the points had a different meaning; honor, duty, balance, intelligence, pride, desire, and equity. Either way, it was enough of a confirmation that they had found the correct group.

Hound looked to Leopard to see if he had given the signal yet, but was surprised when instead of trying to be quiet, he dropped down in the middle of the five men. Owl hadn’t come down from his perch yet, but Hound could see him eyeing the scene with as much confusion as he felt.

The comm in his ear crackles, and Dove’s gravelly voice came through. “Hound, Owl. This is a decoy. Stay in position.” 

Hound felt his heart stutter in his chest at that. He inched forward just the slightest to get a better view of where Leopard was standing, and a wave of nausea passed through him like a freight train. Perhaps he had been too far away, and the rain had washed away their scents, but upon closer inspection, it was clear to see that the five men were already dead. And they weren’t even the real deal.