Hey guys! I'm still alive! Since I was away for so long, I made the chapter extra extra long so I hope this will tie over people until the next update. Since it's the summer I'll have more free time which equals more updates!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and/or any of the characters. Let's get on with the story!
At the Inn (Two days later-Night)…
It didn't take long for Shikamaru and Shino to suit up. They changed into their regular clothes and watched Asuma lock the doors of the inn and begin walking to Old man's Parish. They melted into the shadows. For half an hour they waited, until they started to follow their sensei's direction. Shino and Shikamaru split as they reached the marshes.
Shino took to the trees, only rustling a few leaves before taking an even higher route. Shikamaru stood closer to the ground and stayed near the shadows.
Neither of the boys could see their sensei, but they also knew that he was probably nowhere around here by now. Asuma had them scope around the area first yesterday, before they came out here.
"See anything yet lazy pineapple?" Shikamaru felt his left eye twitch as he looked towards Shino's general direction.
"I don't know. You're the guy in the trees!"
When they reached Old man's parish, they stopped. Shino gave a startled cry as he was knocked out of the trees. A bit of dust covered the spot he landed to as Shikamaru took to the shadows. Shikamaru was fifty meters behind him and spotted a masked figure in the spot Shino fell out of. He threw a kunai at the figure, but the person easily blocked the kunai and sent two more back at him.
Shikamaru moved out the way as they tore in the bark. Shikamaru spared the bark a sideways glance and gulped. Both kunais had drilled themselves in the bark at least three quarters in. Shikamaru dodged another kunai before he heard a crackle behind him. He jumped into the trees to avoid the explosion, before he felt cold metal slide across his cheek.
Ignoring the blood running down his face, he quickly slipped out a few kunai of his own. He ran towards the figure tossing both kunai before turning underneath the branch. The figure jumped out of the way and reached for Shikamaru's throat with a gleaming hand. Shikamaru felt two little nubs pressing against his back. Thinking quickly, he replaced with himself a log, and dropped to the ground floor, melting into the shadows.
He was searching for Shino. There were no leaves rustling or faint murmuring, as Shikamaru cursed under his breath. "Shino." He whispered.
"Pineapple." Shikamaru felt his left eye twitch again as he turned towards his right. Keeping an eye on the tree tops, he stalked his way over to where Shino was laying. His left ankle looked twisted and blood was coming out the side of his ear. If Shino was really knocked out, then who-
"For someone so smart, you fell for such a basic trap." Metal pressed against his jugular as a feminine voice materialized behind him. Shikamaru heard a small 'tsk-tsk' behind him. Turning his head to the left, he saw a girl dressed in all black with a jade pendant around her neck. In the middle was a broken heart.
With Asuma…
Asuma was running through the forest when a twig cracked on his left. He tossed two kunai faster than the eye could follow and heard a gasp and a short thud. He couldn't help but pause as another twig cracked. Another kunai, and another thud to the ground. He found two bodies on the ground, with blood trickling down their chins.
Asuma continued on to Old Man's Parish where he found three guards at the front gate and three on the inside. Asuma's attention was draw to the back of the house where there was a lot of screaming. From the sounds of it, it was a male screaming too. His fist clenched at the thought of it being his missing student. The screaming suddenly stopped and then a black shadow raced out of the compound. Asuma clocked himself in the trees as the shadow passed him. Making a mental note to check that out later, he knocked out the guards in the front and carefully got rid of the inside ones as well.
