Rescue (1)

Mio and I slowly made our way in the direction of the enemy ninja. We wanted there to be only a sliver of light remaining by the time we got near the enemy - enough to scout around and plan our rescue attempt but not so bright as to make it difficult to conceal ourselves. We began making some rudimentary plans as we ran.

Perhaps it was just my nerves, but the forest seemed eerily still around us, as if it was waiting in anticipation of our demise.

The erratic beating of my heart in comparison sounded like a war drum, my own nervousness made all the more prominent by the lack of noise around me.

Mio seemed equally perturbed - her normally vivacious and lustrous hair no longer cascaded down around her shoulders in silky curtains but stuck to the sides of her head and the back of her neck from her cold sweat.

Our plan was simple.

Sneak in at night, free mom and escape without being noticed.

Of course, neither of us had any illusions as to whether it would actually be so simple to carry out. A huge number of elite jonin were present amongst the Kiri forces. We hadn't even had basic stealth training. It would require a miracle to succeed. In fact, I was getting more and more unsure of myself as we went.

Each step felt heavy, like my own body was telling me not to walk to my own doom.

"Mio... you're absolutely sure you want to come?" I couldn't help but wonder if she just didn't understand the danger. She was probably even more mature than me, honestly, and more aware of the brutality of the shinobi world. But... I couldn't help but feel like I was taking advantage of some child who grew attached to me as the only person they knew left, like Zabuza had done to Haku in the anime.

"Kaito, I already told you. I'm sure."

I sighed.

I felt an even greater responsibility on my little shoulders now, an even greater drive to succeed. Not just for mom now, but also for the bright and warm girl beside me who had wormed her way into my heart before I even knew what was happening.

I no longer spoke, just concentrating on preparing my mind for what was to come. It was something I would always do before a test or a sports match back home. I would just sit for five minutes, trying to calm my nerves by remembering past experiences with whatever I was doing, reminding myself how ready and able I was to face whatever challenge should appear head on.

It didn't work this time. I had never done anything like this. I had no experience to draw on, not enough preparation to give me confidence. The most dangerous activity I had competed in back on Earth was a motorcycle race... This was on an entirely different level, and honestly my hands trembled slightly with fear.

I was afraid. Not just of failure. Not just of potentially getting killed. But of having to kill someone else too. As much as I hated the shinobi who had massacred my village, killed my father and captured my mother, when I imagined staring into the eyes of another man as I plunged a kunai into his body... It made me sick. I couldn't get my values and upbringing from back on Earth out of my head.

We traveled for another four hours in silence, each of us absorbed in our own thoughts.

Finally, we came within two kilometers of where Kiyo had said the enemy ninja were fighting. I was shocked to still hear the faint sounds of clashing steel from the distance, mixed with shouts of pain and rage.

I looked over at me and nodded to her. We immediately slowed our speed, searching carefully for any traps or enemy shinobi in the area. Each and every flickering shadow seemed to hide another figure as we progressed. I was on edge, my nerves wound up to such an extent my hands were trembling slightly.

The sounds of combat quickly grew louder.

Soon, the trees began to thin, revealing a large, open clearing. It looked like it once would have been beautiful - small purple flowers dotted the green plants rising above the snow covered ground that shone a pure white... But now, it was a scene from a nightmare.

Two massive shinobi forces clashed on the ground. It seemed the kekkei genkai clan ninja had decided to host a desperate counterattack on the Kiri camp here, hoping to take them by surprise. The sky was practically covered by the flashes of flying steel shuriken and the powerful jutsus being used by each side.

The once pristine ground was covered in splotches of crimson blood that burned the eyes like some sort of demonic flame, the flowers that once seemed to add life and luster to the clearing now lay crushed and trampled underfoot. Now dead bodies and open wounds were the only color against the background.

The worst, the most sickening, part however, was not the dead bodies. No, far worse were those who remained on death's door, there moans permeating the air with a haunting melody above the din of clashing steel.

My shuddering body nearly fell from the tree we perched on as memories of my village surfaced in nauseating waves of images.

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself not to lose my senses to the violence around me.

"Kiyo. Are you picking up mom's chakra?"

"Yeah, I can still feel it. She's around the back of the Kiri forces. They've probably moved their prisoners to the rear and have a small force guarding them there while the main force fights off the clan ninja."

My gaze focused on the Kiri forces. Broken tents and destroyed camping equipment could be seen behind them. It seemed the clan ninja had succeeded in destroying their equipment, but not taking the lives of many ninja when they attacked. I couldn't see beyond the remnants of the camp.

I leaned over to whisper in Mio's ear.

"My mom should be around the back of the Kiri forces. Let's move away from the battlefield and circle around. We can check out the situation and make a plan when we get there."

Mio nodded in response, and our bodies faded into the shadows as we jumped back off the tree to loop around the battlefield.