The Shadow on The Sand [Naruto Fanfic]

Chapter 4 - Scarred

Chapter 4 - Scarred

"Three hundred metres until target interception." the female said quietly into her tiny microphone, and the nine other people set to the same frequency responded with an equally quiet sound of acknowledgement. "Two hundred metres...one hundred metres...get ready." she activated her jutsu almost instinctively as they got closer to their target.

The group of ten that made up her team prepared themselves for what would most likely be the most difficult battle of their lives. They were pitted against at least 15-20 shinobi, all of which were listed in the Bingo Book. Every single one of them had been training, analysing, and planning for this day, and it would all come down to the small amount of time that they would be fighting for their lives, their pride and for their village.

It was way too quiet as they silently stalked and jumped through the trees to get sight of their target. The female laid eyes on them and counted 17 shinobi. She couldn't see anything significant about them from this distance, nor could she see any hitai-ite or ANBU tattoos, let alone something that might actually help her figure out what they were capable of.

Just like they trained, she waited for three of the ten shinobi make their way down the trees and get behind the opponents closest to them. They had formed a circle around them, which would hopefully stop them from escaping, but it might also mean that they were trapped as well.

With a stroke of luck, the three team members managed to kill or incapacitate four of the enemy and two of them were starting to make hand seals for their jutsu, going by the plan. The third was protecting them while they were open for that short amount of time, even though it was doubtful that anything would happen but it was enough for a good shinobi to take advantage of.

Two shinobi that were on opposite sides of their circle began drawing kunai and shuriken and started throwing them at the enemy, hoping to get a lucky strike, and take them off guard as well as distract them from dodging the jutsu that two of their comrades were about to use.

Hand seals were completed, names of techniques were said, and the result was a huge katon and futon jutsu that came together to make an even bigger combination technique that tripled it's destructive force. One of the enemy was caught in the jutsu, and another just got away, but was cut by the blades of futon chakra and burnt by the katon. Most of the others scattered to get away from it and some were left vulnerable.

It seemed like they had the upper hand, until hundred of kunai began flying at the seven remaining shinobi who were still perched in the trees, waiting for their moment to strike.

All seven of them dodged the sharp weapons, aside from a few occasional slices to the arms or legs. It took them off guard and distracted them long enough for three of the enemy to each send a huge katon towards the parts of the circle that they were facing and burnt off most of the leaves and branches that were in it's direct path. The chakra-generated fire also seemed to be propelled further and quicker by a futon jutsu that must have been cast in the very middle of the battlefield out of their sight. These guys were clearly just as well prepared as they were.

She heard muttered and hissed curses through the ear-piece and hoped that none of her team were down after she felt some fluctuations in their chakras. When the large katon's dissipated but their vision was still obstructed by flames and smoke, the chakra of the three shinobi that were already down on the ground out of the trees fighting surged, then disappeared completely, which meant only one thing.

They were dead. Just like that.

Pale-grey eyes hidden in shadow widened seeing their bloodied corpses after the smoke cleared, one of which was decapitated and the others were just lacerated so badly that they were barely recognisable.