The Way Into Mist Village (Naruto)

31: Hinata's Discovery

[OP: "Lay me Down"--The Oh Hellos]

"Is our best plan really to just go out there blindly again?" Shikamaru asked Shine.

Shine was getting visibly antsy. "I just keep thinking about Katsuki and Camie out there with that creep. I can see them...but it's like it's not in focus... I feel like it's getting fainter too."

"If they are on the mountain, that would be easy to find," Wally said. "I think we have a good shot at stopping this guy. Do we need a really thought out plan?"

"How could we make one without knowing what to expect?" Temari asked.

Unfortunately, Moya and Niji hadn't been able to tell them much of that.

"There has to be something we can do," Shikamaru insisted.

"We're only putting these two at risk by waiting here," Shoto said. "I say we just go out there and find this guy. He can't be worse than Madara or Orochimaru, and we handled them."

"Assuming that you'll be fine because of that is arrogant," Temari warned him. "That's your first mistake. Against an opponent you don't know, how can you be sure?"

"And if we hesitate forever, they could die and we could lead the enemy right to this home," Shoto shot back.

"This does not seem to be getting us anywhere," Gaara spoke. "Someone will have to make a decision. I could make it, but I don't want to be too presumptuous with your forces, Mei-sama."

"But I have to agree that we're wasting time," Mei said. "Those two children may not be my people, but they are still an important part of your team, and there's the island itself to think of. If we could capture this Nokumo...that's the ideal plan, but how would we do it? They have a home field advantage."

Sai moved suddenly. "Kazekage, Senseis, someone's near the edge of the village."

He held up a scroll, where one of his ink scouts had just splashed itself for him to see.

"Too late then," Shoto said. "They found us."

"Not yet," Shine said, "if we go right now. Honey?"

"Going." Wally dashed out of the house.

Shine counted to 3. "Okay, now." She waved her hand, and a doorway opened. "Go everyone."

"Wait!" Niji cried. "What are you going to do?"

"Try to find this Nokumo and put a stop this," Neji said. "And get our teammate back. Besides that, I have no idea."

"You'd better succeed, after all that," Niji said, pursing her lips. "If you go through the agriculture section east of the village, they won't follow you into it. The poison fog is off limits there. Though the rain still falls in it."

"They wouldn't figure out we're there," Momo mused as she hurried to the doorway.

"Could buy us time." Shoto glanced at Niji. "Thank you." Then he followed.

Everyone else ran after it also.

Shine smiled at the two ladies encouragingly. "If they ask you, tell them we just passed by or forced our way in here. It's better if they don't think we have a clue what's going on."

She ran through the doorway.

Moya coughed. "I hope they're as skilled as they think they are."

"Quick, let's make it look as if nothing happened." Niji began to move things back into place.

* * *

Wally had not had time to find a very good hiding spot, but he was at least around a bit of a rise in the island. The ground sloped upward a little, so you couldn't tell it was going towards the volcano.