Wandering Heathens

Chunin

They walked through the forest, the sunlight dappling the ground and leaving faint patches of light on the forest floor. Shinjo rubbed his chest where the seal was placed. "Does it bother you?" Itachi asked. He shook his head no but in truth it was sapping his chakra and energy and he was expending his chakra reserves trying to keep his main system fueled. Itachi looked at him with concern in her eyes but didn't say anything further; she knew Shinjo was a prideful man who didn't take kindly to weakness. He's similar to Madara. Is it possible he's Madara's reincarnation? But he's not a Uchiha...

"And then...BOOM! He blew up! It was beautiful!" Ryuu said excitedly to Kisame, his hands making flamboyant gestures as he told the story. Kisame giggled and lowered her head so that her hair hung in her face. Ryuu reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Why do you hide your face?" He asked worriedly. She didn't say anything, only looking at the hand that stopped her. He stepped closer and raised his hand. She flinched, expecting a hit, but instead he tucked her hair behind her ears. "There," he said smiling widely, "now I can see your pretty face." She looked at him, shocked that he would compliment her.

Ryuu's smile soon turned into panic as Samehada bit down on his arm. He ran around the forest flailing his arm trying to get the sword off of him. Kisame chased them and managed to wrench Samehada away. He held his bleeding arm and wailed "I am hurt! I am so very much hurt!" Shinjo sighed and held his head in his hand as he approached them. "You're an idiot" was all he said. Ryuu sidled up to him, a grin on his face, and cooed "but I'm your idiot." "Get away from me" Shinjo growled and pushed him away. "Temper temper! Be nice or I'll leave the jutsu in you!" He retorted as Itachi took out bandages to wrap his arm. "Take it off. NOW!" "NO!" The argument continued with neither man backing down until a twig snapped.

Both men turned to look in the direction of the sound. Itachi motioned them to be quiet and leapt into the trees to scout. Shinjo huffed and crossed his arms, turning away from Ryuu and Kisame as he waited for Itachi to come back. It didn't take long for the raven haired Uchiha to silently drop into their clearing. "Shinobi. Likely a Leaf patrol since we are in their territory" she said. "How many?" Ryuu asked. "Standard three man cell" came the response. "Alright stay here. Wouldn't want you to get hurt" he cooed at Kisame who glared at him. Without a word both men leapt into the trees and began making their way to the threat. "Let's go" Itachi said and the women followed.

Looking down from the branches Ryuu studied the shinobi. Shinjo leaned against the tree's trunk and waited with his eyes closed. "Well?" he asked after several minutes. "Hmmm basic group. Chunin judging from their vests. I don't see a Joinin leader so they're on their own. What are they doing so far from the Village?" "Lets find out" Shinjo said, preparing to leap down. "WAIT!" "What?" Ryuu placed his hand on Shinjo's chest and used his free hand to make the signs in reverse. When he pulled his hand away from his chest, the seal and the chakra leeches came with it. Shinjo grunted and rubbed his chest. "Don't do that again" he threatened before leaping down.

He landed on his feet, kneeling, and unsheathed his sword, not bothering to look at the shinobis. "It's him! He's one of the ones who threatened the Hokage!" A small boy yelled shrilly. "Shut up! Stand your ground!" Another boy said, his feet firmly planted and his fists at his side. The girl with them only screamed and clutched her fists to her face. Shinjo slowly rose and held his sword out to his side, the blade glinting in the sunlight. "Care to test your abilities?" He asked quietly.

The loud boy yelled and threw kunais at him while the small boy threw shurikens. Shinjo easily deflected them with his blade and remained where he stood. "Is that all? Pathetic" he said. The girl's fear turned into anger and she made hand signs: "EARTH STYLE: ROCK TOMB!" she yelled as rocks emerged from the ground and encased Shinjo. "Ha!" she crowed but she shrieked when Shinjo broke free, sending rock debris flying. "Are they so desperate for shinobis that second rate kids such as yourselves get their head bands? In my Village you three would have been killed in your Academy days for being so subpar." he said menacingly as he advanced on them.

"Where are you two from?" Itachi asked as she watched the battle. Ryuu stretched and folded his arms behind his head and leaned back on a tree trunk, getting comfortable. "That's not my story to tell" he said to her. "Hn" she replied and watched intensely.

"WIND STYLE: 1000 CUTS OF DEATH!" Shinjo roared as he swung his sword, small chakra blades whipping from it and cutting the Chunins, shredding their clothes and leaving cuts all over their bodies. The loud boy countered with "LIGHTNING STYLE: ELECTRIC STORM!" and forks of lightning erupted from his fingers, crackling and hissing towards Shinjo. He stabbed his sword into the ground and held onto it with one hand while he placed the other hand flat on the ground. The lightning jutsu hit him but he deflected it through his body, out of his hands and into the earth. "Like I said, you would have been killed for being so weak" he said.

The small boy was frozen in fear and he looked towards the loud boy for guidance. Loud boy offered none, still in shock that his most powerful jutsu was so easily deflected. The girl was openly crying and pleading to not be killed. Shinjo advanced on them, a sinister smile on his face. Without a word he casually cut down the shinobis and removed their head bands, tossing them to Ryuu who put them in his satchel. Itachi and Kisame looked at him with questioning looks. He smiled sheepishly and chuckled, "trophies."

He hopped down and joined Shinjo who was cleaning and inspecting his blade. "Nice work" he complimented. "Hmmm" Shinjo replied. Ryuu rummaged in their vest pockets and pulled out maps, intel reports and jutsu scrolls. "Homework!" he said happily as he unrolled a scroll and began reading. "You can read later" he said. "Nope. Gonna study now" Ryuu replied, walking away.

The four of them continued their walk, one of the other three pulling Ryuu this way and that to ensure he didn't walk into objects or fall off cliffs as he continued to read. "Ooooh! Check this out!" he said to Shinjo and showed him a wanted poster of them. "100 million ryo? I'm worth far more than that!" Shinjo said, flipping his hair from his face. "Oh yes, you're priceless" Ryuu replied sarcastically. "These two are Pein's saviours?" Kisame asked Itachi worriedly. "Hn" she replied.