Naruto Shippuden: Sometimes it's better to have a bird in your hands - (Book 2)

Prologue - Are we awake or what time is it, or better, time?

A tiny bird flies across the gray, gloomy sky, its bright yellow color standing out against this dim background. It's a tit. She flies, flapping her wings wide and singing a tune known only to her.

- Even in the darkest of times, sparks of hope do not fade. Sometimes fear blurs our eyes. Sometimes our strength fails us. But when we think that all is lost, a ray of light cuts through the darkness, reminding us that even a little courage can sometimes change the whole course of war...»

Tit, uttering a shrill squeak, begins to descend down to the half-ruined steep mountain, whose top resembles a mouth opened in a fanged grin, covered with gray clouds of fog.

dark underground corridor, which is a straight stone road with many holes, surrounded by ruins that were once an underground temple.

On this road there is a group of strange, something similar to people, creatures. Small, moving on their feet, covered with greenish fur, humanoids, with large blood-red eyes and horns on their heads, holding in small thin paws burning torches that illuminate their path. Two of them in the middle carry a small wooden chest. The largest of them, slightly taller than a teenager, closes the small procession. Shaggy, long-horned and with a Mace on his back.

They go forward, completely oblivious to being followed. Two figures in long cloaks, a man and a woman, leaped down behind them quietly and unnoticed, hiding behind the rubble of stones and walls. On the shoulder of one of them sits the same tit. Glancing at each other, the boy and girl come out of their hiding places, following in the footsteps of the humanoids.

— We're here. - croaked the first man, pointing his torch forward. They stop, looking at the amethyst crystal shining in the half-light, inside which, if you look closely, you can see three human figures. Two girls and one guy, frozen on opposite sides of each other.

"Naruto Shippuden: Sometimes it's better to have a tit in your hands than a crane in the sky

— Break. their leader growled in a hollow voice, and the one who had found the crystal came up, and swinging his weapon, which was a stick with a round stone at the end, he struck it with all his strength. A blinding white light poured out of the crystal, causing the creatures to close their eyes or cover their eyes with their hands, but still watch with interest and bewilderment. The one that had smashed it flew back, thrown back by an invisible wave.

"Rena, stop! a melodious female voice shouted from the crystal, echoing off the walls of the dungeon. There was fear and excitement in it.— I - I can't — " a second voice came this time. Also female, only more rude. It sounded weak and hoarse. But in the next second it became louder, instantly filled with "life". "To me! Faster!

Cracks ran like cobwebs across the crystal, and even brighter light shone from them. Every one of the creatures now covered their eyes with their hands. The ground shook beneath them. A few pebbles fell from above. The light that poured from the cracks darkened to a purple color.

Finally the light disappeared, and the crystal broke into many small pieces, among which, on the stone floor, lay two girls, about 17-18 years old. One a redhead, in black of advisers shinobi, consisting of top and skirts-shorts, barefoot. The other was blue-haired, wearing a blue kimono torn in several places.

The leader approached them, looking at them, especially attracted by the medallion hanging around the neck of the first girl. But without stopping to look, he turned to his two charges, who were holding the chest.

"Put them in irons!" "go ahead," he ordered.

They obediently opened the lid. Inside it, on a gray cushion, lay two jade snakes, hissing softly. Taking their small, writhing bodies by the tails, they approached the girls.