The Chain

Isobu

Melissa was feeling like she was on top of the world as she walked alongside Iruka the next morning.  What a night!  Well... day and night.  She almost giggled as she thought about how many hours the two of them had holed up together.  They would probably still be in bed together if she hadn't got notice that she was to report for her new assignment.  She had barely been able to get herself dressed and strapped up with all her gear as handsy as Iruka had been.  His hand was discretely slipping down to her ass even as they walked down the street.

"Iruka, someone is going to see you," she smirked.

"Hmm, well it is very hard to keep my hands off you," he grumbled.  "Maybe I don't care what anyone thinks."

Melissa felt her face warm a bit as she chuckled, "Well... it's not that simple for you, Iruka.  Your position could be compromised if-"

"Then maybe we should make this a little more-"

Melissa almost missed it.  Yet... she had been fighting long enough to know what that sound was that barely lifted into the air.  She grabbed Iruka's arm and pulled him forward abruptly, interrupting whatever he was going to say as she moved towards where the very soft explosion had come from.  They turned the corner of the residential block just as she saw Sarah spinning towards Neo's front door and blasting it with water hard enough to knock the door inward.  She dropped her hold on Iruka and immediately went for the swords on her back as she started running in that direction.

She was almost to the front of the home when she heard someone inside say, "I said move and blindfold that bitch!"  She twisted to the side of the door, listening carefully to try to discern how many were inside Neo's place.  She was actually shocked that Sarah hadn't already blasted them into smithereens with her water jutsu.  She might not use it like a Shinobi but she was damn strong with it.  The fact that she wasn't is what had her pausing just outside the door.  Something had to have tied her hands to keep her anger in check.  She shifted her eyes to Iruka who finally caught up to her and she raised her finger to her lips.  She then carefully peered around the corner as she heard footsteps moving rapidly away.

She cursed softly then started after them, feeling more than hearing Iruka following.  He had palmed his Kunai the moment they stepped through the door.  Two men were unconscious on the floor, the door that Sarah had blasted laying partly on top of them.  Iruka checked them as she moved towards the back exit.  She spied four men as they moved into the trees that backed up to Neo's home.  Sarah was hanging over the shoulder of one, a blindfolded Neo hung over the shoulder of another, while... FUCK.  Niko had Phoenix in his arms and was leading the group.  This was not good, not good at all.

"Come on or we're going to lose them," Melissa called over her shoulder before running after them, employing her stealth as she followed in their wake.

They ran for what seemed like forever and at one point, she thought she might have lost them.  She couldn't get too close, or they would have sensed her presence.  She was trying to formulate in her mind how she was going to get the three of them loose when they entered a denser part of the forest.  She almost ran right up on them and barely caught herself in time to duck behind a tree as they came to a stop.  The trees around them were older and great cobwebs even clung to some of the upper branches.  She removed a mirror to angle around the tree so she could watch what they were doing without being seen.  She watched as they depressed a hidden panel in a very large tree and the ground opened up to reveal a wide set of steps going deep into the ground.  A moment later, they passed through then the ground closed back up and sealed them inside.  She turned to where Iruka had silently come beside her.

"You need to get back to the village and relay where this place is," she whispered softly.

His dark eyes widened, and he leaned so close she thought he might have lost his mind and was going to kiss her.  "I'm not going to leave you here on your own," he hissed.