Chapter 18

"...and Yoshino won't stop going on about her little son Shikamaru, really bothersome I tell you. Next thing you know and..." The man trailed off as he spoke with Shisui, his eyes furrowing as he glanced around at the trees surrounding the small Shinobi group.

"What is it, sensei?" Shisui had caught onto the man's pause but the Jonin recovered, his face returning to its normal apathetic tone.

"Nothing. I just thought-" he was cut off as a kunai suddenly shot out from the tree-line, only to be intercepted as Naruto dived with an incredible burst of speed. Without even looking he caught the flying knife mid-air, throwing it back on exactly the path it had come from. The encounter lasted less than a few seconds before they heard a thump from the forest. The group quickly jogged over to investigate and found a man lying still in a growing pool of his own blood.

Ensui tentatively prodded the man with his foot, flipping him over until they could plainly see the kunai sticking out of his chest, right where his heart was. Ensui looked the man over, immediately noting the Iwa headband the man wore as well as the rest of his Chuunin attire. That made Ensui grimace as he looked around, not many Chuunin were stupid enough to take on a full squad with a Jonin in. He suspected there might be more of them so he quickly ordered his team back onto the road.

"Good work Naruto."

The redhead merely nodded grimly, he didn't exactly enjoy the fact he had killed somebody, morbid thoughts bubbling to the surface.

"I think now might be a good time to explain the mission, sensei." The older Nara just shook his head as he carried on walking at a lazy, unconcerned pace.

"Not until we're somewhere I'm sure we won't be spied upon." The Genin all just nodded as each unnoticeably picked up their pace in the direction of the next village. None of them saw as the Chuunin they left dead out in the forest slowly melted into a puddle of mud. Soon after a much taller, larger man dropped down from the forest, noting the state of his previously henged mud clone with a smirk before taking off after the scent he picked up.

"Alright sensei! I think we should know the mission details now."

Ensui quickly did a scan of the small hotel room to make sure they weren't being listened in on before nodding.

"Right, right. We were sent out to protect an important client, a wealthy businessman by the name of Gato. He's beginning to set up business in this area of Fire country and has been getting harassed by other businessmen in the country." Naruto just frowned at this, sitting down on the bed as it squeaked loudly from old springs.

"That's sounds more like a C-rank to me." Ensui just nodded as he too took a seat; the lazy man was glad to be off his feet again.

"Normally you'd be right but recently the threats have been getting more serious with even Shinobi being mentioned. Gato paid for a B-rank so that's what it is." Itachi just nodded with a small smirk from where he had sat in an old, but still comfortable chair in the corner.

"I see, so this is really a C-ranked mission but you wish to add to our records with an easy B-rank." Ensui also smirked however briefly.

"Easy to figure out then? How bothersome." Shisui and Naruto just smiled, happy that at least the mission wouldn't be as hard as they had thought it might, even if they were excited about being on a B-rank. Recently Naruto had been feeling hollow in spars with the two Uchiha; sure Itachi could keep him on his toes and even win a few times but it lacked the danger that made fighting enjoyable for him.

"Hey sensei, do you mind if we go out and train for a bit?" Ensui just nodded as he sank back into the chair, pulling out a scroll to read through.

"Sure, sure. Just be back before dinner." The redhead nodded as he sent a quick glance at Itachi who nodded in reply. Quickly, the three Genin left the room. However, when Shisui rounded the corner of the hallway and he couldn't see Itachi or Naruto anywhere in sight, he instantly threw up his hands, his body tensing. Instantly on guard, he made his way through the rest of the hotel carefully, wondering where his teammates had run too. Soon, he was outside. Then, around the back of the hotel which just bordered a large forest.

He was about to call out to his friends but was forced to dodge a kunai that appeared out of nowhere. He ducked into a roll, missing the deadly knife by a few centimetres before standing up and looking around furtively. He turned to the sound of clapping only to watch as a man dropped out of the tree-line, still clapping. He was a little taller than the Uchiha wearing a typical Chuunin jumpsuit with scraggly brown hair and an Iwa headband.

"Impressive Konoha scum, I don't usually miss my targets." Shisui just scowled at the man as he quickly reached for his own pouch, only to realise he had left it in the room when his fingers closed around thin air. The Iwa Shinobi just grinned at this as he suddenly rushed forwards at an incredible speed. Shisui could only blink in surprise as he was there one minute and in front of him the next. Reacting only on instincts born from fighting Naruto for so long, he diverted a swift punch away from himself and tried to return it with one of his own.

However is attack only met air as the man swivelled around his body, cracking him in the back with a devastating kick that sent him reeling forward. Shisui tried to turn around to face his attacker again only to receive a quick but powerful blow to the back of his neck. The last thing he felt before passing out was his leg being picked up and his body being dragged across the ground in the direction of the forest.

AN: Stones!!!!!!!!! Also lmk what y'all think