Chapter 2 - The Tide Turns: New Reinforcements

In the woods outside Konohagakure, near sunset. Squad 8 is imprisoned in chakra draining ice with more than 1,000 kunai flying towards them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

thought Kurenai, as she tried to perform a jutsu to stop the projectiles. It was no good, she could hardly move her arms for how cold she was, and the ice had already drained too much of her chakra. She could only guess how Hinata and the others were handling this. And the kunai were still coming.

"shoot, this is it," cried Kiba as the 1,000 sharp objects came closer. Then he smelled something, no two somethings.

A figure appeared as if from nowhere between them and the kunai, hands moving so fast they could hardly be seen. The figure's hands stopped while making the sign of the dragon.

"Double Air Pulse Jutsu." The figure punched forward with both fists at once, and when they stopped, two massive blasts of air burst forward, scattering the kunai like flies in the wind. Even Kurenai had never seen a jutsu like that before. "Show yourself, coward," the figure shouted into the trees. Kurenai guessed from the unfamiliar voice that he was about seventeen years old.

"So, another shinobi I'll have to kill," called the icy voice of the Akatsuki agent, still hiding in the shadows. "Interesting, but not unmanageable since you can't find me. Ultra Water Dragon Jutsu!!"

From out of the darkness came a massive dragon, made of water, that was hurtling along the ground toward the frozen ninja and their strange protector.

"Earth Style, Rock Wall Jutsu." Another figure appeared next to the first, slamming an open palm into the ground. In a matter of moments, a twenty foot high rock wall sprang out of the ground in front of the dragon, impedeing its motion.

"Saleh-sensei," called the first figure to the second, "I'm thinking of playing Follow-the-Dragon." His voice was rather mocking, a fact that did not escape Kurenai's notice, even over the roar of water hitting rock.

"Go for it, little bro," the figure called Saleh responded, "just be quick about it. I can't hold this thing here for long." he added, refering to the dragon.

With his sensei's approval, the first figure leapt clear over the wall and landed on the dragon's back using a water-walking jutsu. Then, in a matter of moments, he ran down the creature's back towards the tail, where he found the Akatsuki agent controling the dragon. Before the agent could even react, the figure landed a single, chakra-enhanced blow to his stomach. The agent was thrown back almost twenty feet and into a tree trunk, which cracked from the impact. The agent fell to the ground, unconcious, and the water dragon immediately evaporated.

Back in the clearing, after the dragon disappeared, Saleh turned his attention to the members of Squad 8, who were all still frozen up to the waist. After a moment to examine the ice, he bent one knee and knelt on the ground, then began a series of hand signs: Tiger, Ox, Dragon, Horse, Ox. He then quickly placed his right hand on the ground saying "Earth Style, Penetration Jutsu." Almost immediately, rock began creeping rootlike up into the ice, cracking it as it went.

Kurenai watched as the jutsu did its work and knew that it woukd free her team from the ice. Looking up, she saw the first figure return carrying the unconcious Akatsuki agent. Then she noticed that both Saleh and his student wore leaf village headbands. She tried to ask Saleh, who was nearer to her, about them but before she could she blacked out from exhaustion.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There, that's one introduced and both seen. Come back for the next chapter.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment