Reborn!

8: What Happened?

Naruto watched as Yagura concealed himself, nodding with satisfaction when the Mizukage seemed to disappear into the trees without a trace. Only the most skilled of chakra sensor types would be able to detect it as it was faint enough to seem like residual chakra from a person passing by.

Naruto peeked into the clearing to see Utakata crouched in the middle. His eyes were wide open and he was on alert for any sign of danger. He seemed as though he was waiting for something. Even so, the jinchūriki did not notice the young blond watching him.

Naruto paused in his advance, deciding to watch and wait.

Naruto froze completely when he noticed the faint chakra signatures of Kiri hunter-nin fast approaching the other end of the clearing. Naruto stared attentively at the general direction, noting offhandedly that Utakata also tensed and tilted his head in that direction.

Naruto waited, forcing himself not to intervene as the numerous hunter-nin spread themselves around the clearing as silently as they could manage. Utakata did not move although he was being cornered. The jinchūriki closed his eyes, seeming to concentrate on something.

Naruto watched curiously as the other jinchūriki suddenly snapped his eyes open and launched a volley of kunai at each of the various hiding spots of the not-so-silent hunter-nin. Their badly suppressed chakra signatures flared all at once as they each used Kawarimi to avoid the attack.

They then rushed at the lone shinobi standing still in the clearing. Utakata slid a crooked pipe from a hidden pocket in one of the loose sleeves of his kimono and raised it to his mouth. Some of the hunter-nin paused in their advance to look on in confusion as it seemed as though the boy intended to smoke in the middle of a fight where he was weaponless.

This was their first mistake. Only the more experienced and well-read shinobi of the lot continued undeterred. Utakata exhaled through the pipe, forming numerous bubbles that expanded and zoomed towards the many unmoving hunter-nin.

They did not have the time to react. Each of them was enveloped in a bubble before they could even do a simple Kawarimi.

The rest swarmed at him, kicking, punching and throwing weapons seemingly without a care for their allies. This cut down one or two of their fellow shinobi. Utakata did a good job at defending himself as he used his bubbles, seeming to have exhausted his weapons while driving his pursuers into the open.

The jinchūriki fought bravely for about an hour before starting to become overpowered. His movements became more sluggish as he desperately parried and dodged with his life on the line.

When Naruto saw a kunai going straight for Utakata's blind spot, he jumped into the fray, batting away the offending tool.

"What the hell?!" Utakata shouted over the clangs of metal as several flying projectiles collided and fell to the floor where they were piling up.

"I am here to help you! I'll explain later. All you need to know for now is that I am your ally!" Naruto shouted back as he pulled a kunai from his weapon pouch to deflect the weapons that have begun to aim at him instead of Utakata as the man finally managed to create a defensive bubble to protect himself.

"If you survive this, you mean!" Utakata shouted back as the solid bubble floated to let the boy in the blue kimono see above the crowd.

The kunai, shuriken and occasional senbon bounced off the surface. He squinted before his narrow eyes widened in alarm.

"There is another wave of shinobi! Pull back! This is my fight!" Utakata yelled down as the bubble sank slowly until it touched the floor where it stayed.