A/N: I did not abandon this story, and I like to apologize for the late update. I really have no good reason as to why my update takes a long time, just rest assure that my stories in ffnet will be continued (unless I take them down or ffnet takes them down.)
Nope… no beta for this… ,
BOUND
Chapter 15
As expected, Team Guy and Team 7 were escorted to the gate of Konoha where the two teams met with the nine manned Merchant group. Ino and Hinata were among the escorts, seeing to their partners Sakura and Naruto respectively. Lee was frowning and this did not go unnoticed by Ino who had finished talking with Sakura.
"Oi , Lee... why the long face? Isn't this what you've been waiting, a mission?" Ino asked the thick browed ninja.
The others, including his teammates Neji and Tenten eyed him, "Yeah, why the long face?" Tenten seconded.
Lee looked at his teammates first, then at Naruto and lastly at Sakura, "How come I'm the only one who doesn't have someone to see me out of the village?" he asked.
"I don't have anyone to see me out of the village too." Sai interjected in his monotonous voice, "But do you see me frowning?" his lament seemed to be unheard.
"What the hell are you talking about? Only Naruto and Sakura have someone seeing them out!" Tenten replied louder than usual.
One thick brow rose up, "I am talking about 'partners' here Tenten. Naruto… Hinata; Sakura… Ino," he sighed, "You get to be with Neji, so there is no need for any of you to see each other out. Now what about me?" his shoulders slumped.
"What do you think of me?" The late Guy said. He overheard the conversations of the Chuunins.
"It seems you're not included sensei," Tenten said grinning, "Unless you are romantically involved with Lee."
"Hey, I don't have someone to see me off too." Sai interjected once again, but like earlier, his sentiment was lost to the sulking Rock Lee.
"And you are coming with us in this mission sensei!" Lee whined.
"Who is romantically involved with who?" It was Kakashi-sensei this time. As usual he was the latest to arrive.
The Chuunins, the Jounin and the two Anbu guards looked at the half-masked ninja.
"I thought Yamato-sensei would be the one to come with us?" Naruto asked the white haired Jounin.
"No wonder we are running late, Yamato-sensei never comes late during missions!" Sakura said before blowing air to her hair.
"Nobody answered my question," Kakashi said, he scratched his head.
"Nobody listens to me whine!" Sai's voice has feelings this time.
The others looked at him, "You were saying?" Tenten asked. She got a huffed for a reply.
"Anyway," The half-masked Jounin started, "Yamato was pulled out by Hokage-sama on the last minute, and she ordered me to replace him that's why I was late."
Sakura and Naruto eyed each other, their eyes both conveying the question 'oh really?'. They looked at their former teacher who raised his hand in a swear position, and Sakura has an inkling that he was pouting behind his mask.
"Well we should be heading off now, we are late as it is, so let's move on and start this mission." Neji said. He has his eyes on the group of Merchants who decided to wait for them outside of the village, hidden behind large barreled trees while speaking, and then he shifted his eyes on Kakashi who eyed him as well.
The action did not go unnoticed by the rest of the group. "What is it?" Naruto asked, frowning.
"It's nothing Naruto," The white haired teacher said, "Let's go."
Guy elbowed the half-masked Ninja, "Why don't we make another bet?"
"You missed losing?" Kakashi asked in a dead-panned voice.
"No… I missed beating you." The mop-haired ninja replied.
"What is it this time?"
"The first one to reach the end of this road wins… ," Guy made a winning pose.
"And the bet?"
"The one who lose will do the laundry for the whole month!"
Sakura, Naruto, Ino and Tenten eyed each other. Tenten even mouthed 'are they…' to Sakura who faked shivering action.
"That's just ew… ," Ino said, she made a gagging motion.
"OKAY TEAM! MOVE OUT!" Guy shouted and the two teams started walking out, leaving Guy and Kakashi at the gate. Ino and Hinata were left staring at the two men getting ready to race.
"I think I've got enough excitement and gross out moment for today, and it's only 5:30 in the morning," Ino said to Hinata who smiled at her.
"Do you want to go?" the shy Hyuuga princess asked.
"Yeah, I've already given Sakura the list of the things she is not allowed to do. So I'm fine now."
The purple haired kunoichi nodded her head, "Do you want to spend some time with me? I made lots of onigiris and some tempura, would you like to dine with me?"
"Tempura you say?" Ino asked, her eyes twinkling with delight.
Hinata nodded, "I could make more if you like?"
"Oh I like!" Ino said excitedly, "But… I need to be in the hospital… ,"
"Don't worry, I don't think there's that many tempuras at home that you can't make your 8:00 A.M. time-in at the hospital."
"I mean… I need to rest… ,"
"We have lots of guest rooms, and our futons are to die for!" Hinata said blushing.
"I have not heard Naruto complimented your futon yet," Ino grinned at the deepening of the blush on the princess' face.
"Ino-chhaan… ,"
"I'm kidding, come on. My visual centers had enough of them!" Ino said pointing a thumb to the two ninja's who were still warming up.
"O-okay… ,"
The two kunoichis turned and left without witnessing the face-fault of Guy during the start of their match.
xxxx
[2 days later]
Kakashi and Neji decided to walk at the back of the group. The Merchants were scattered on the road. Four of them were walking in front of the ninjas, two were walking at the right side of the road, two at the left side and one was in front of Kakashi and Neji.
The two Jounins were joined by Guy who maneuvered from the front of the group to the older Jounin's left side. "Is it just me or these Merchants are in a position surrounding us?" Guy whispered.
"It's not just you." Kakashi looked around, "We've been in this road far too long." He looked at Neji, "can you check out the perimeter?"
The Hyuuga prince nodded his head and activated his byakugan, "The perimeter is clear," he sighed, "Actually it was so clear I don't see a village nearby."
"No village? From their description we should be near it by this time." Guy said frowning, "Madoka Sato should be about forty kilometers from Take Hitoshirenu, and we passed the village one hour ago." He added.
"We know," Kakashi said seriously then turned his attention to Neji and nodded.
"Okay Team, there's a big shaded area two kilometers east from here, let's go there and rest." Neji shouted to his team mates.
"WE ARE NOT YET TIRED NEJI!" Naruto shouted back.
"That's an order Naruto!" The Hyuuga ninja replied. He shook his head when he heard Naruto's grumbling sound followed by the sound of grasses being stepped on.
xxxx
[Same day… about noon time]
"I will meet you at the hospital," The raspy voice behind the oni mask said. His eyes were directed to his right man who nodded his head in understanding.
"How about the Hokage? I heard she's a power to reckon with." The right man asked.
"I heard," he turned around to look at the two-story building just about 10 kilometers from where they are, then at the guards of the gate who where all sleeping. A yellow gas could be seen surrounding them. "She's not going to lay a hand on anyone as long as we have the girl."
"They will fight,"
"If they don't care about the well being of that blonde woman and the child in her belly," his voice was now laced with irritation. "I don't want to hear any more questions."
Silence
"You and the others have five minutes grace period, it will start the moment I enter the building."
"I understand."
"Good," he nodded his head and disappeared within a black smoke.
xxxx
[Hospital, the Hokage's clinic…]
Tsunade-hime looked up from the paper she was filling up. Shizune noticed the sudden change in the blonde woman's demeanor and was alerted at once.
"What is it?" the younger med-nin asked.
"It's too damn quiet." Tsunade replied, there was a frown marring her beautiful face.
Shizune rolled her eyes, "Isn't that what you wanted? Some peace and quiet to finish filling up those histories?"
"Yes, but not this kind of quiet… ," she stood up and was about to go out of her clinic to check on her hospital's condition when the door slammed open, Kiyomi getting in hurriedly and for the first time, an emotion evident on her face. "What happened?" Tsunade asked worriedly,
"A guy in Oni mask and leather went in… ,"
"Go on," Tsunade implored.
"He was looking for Ino and when he didn't find her, he started shooting!"
"Shooting?" Shizune looked at her mentor and lover, "I did not hear any shots…"
"Arrows…" Kiyomi said and took out one from her pocket, "I pulled this out of the wall behind the triage desk, and crawled to get here."
The two medical ninjas inspected the arrows, "This is not from here, and it's not from any of the five hidden nations." Tsunade said.
"Akatsuki?" Shizune offered,
"I doubt it. Akatsuki doesn't operate this way."
"He was ranting about how a guy named Moloch will destroy all hidden nations, as soon as he gets a hold of Ino and her unborn child…"
"So where is Ino?" The Hokage moved suddenly to get out of the clinic, "She was supposed to be here helping me with the papers!" she said angrily.
"It is lunch time and she went out with Hinata and Kiba to Ichiraku!" Shizune reminded the older woman.
Tsunade stopped moving and turned to look at Kiyomi, "Can you sneak out of the hospital?" The medical secretary nodded her head, "Be careful then, go to Ichiraku and warn Ino. Hinata will know what to do." Kiyomi nodded her head once again before turning back and escaping out through the clinic's window.
"Good thinking," Shizune said while watching the departing secretary.
Tsunade's frown deepened, "This is just so cliché," she blew air to her hair, "Two days after we sent the teams out on mission, this happens and Ino is the target."
"Are you insinuating that Team Guy and Team 7 had gone into a trap?" Shizune asked,
"No, the trap is here. They lured the fighters out." She sighed and continued walking out, "Come on, we got a devil-worshipper to bash," Tsunade told her apprentice.
"Devil-bashing it is!"
xxxx
Team 7 and Team Guy were all sitting on the ground, scattered through the entire resting area. Naruto was ready to lie on the ground when he was stopped by Neji. "Naruto,"
The blonde haired ninja looked at the gray-eyed leader, "What?"
Neji made a shushing motion, "We are dropping out of this mission."
"Why?" Naruto whispered,
"There's no village and I think… well Kakashi-sensei thought too that this is some kind of a trap or some nefarious plan to get us away from Konoha." At this Naruto nodded his head. Neji continued, "If we withdraw, these people will fight, I need you to take Sakura back to Konoha."
"Why Sakura?"
"We got a feeling they want us all away from Yamanaka."
"Ino?" Naruto asked which was answered by a nod of head.
"Go talk to Sakura and tell her of the plan. Kakashi and Guy-sensei will take care of the withdrawal from the contract." Neji ordered and Naruto nodded in understanding.
"How about Ten-ten, Lee and Sai?"
"They were already briefed." The Hyuuga ninja said, rolling his eyes to where the two teachers were talking. "Remember Naruto, you and Sakura cannot disappear until Kakashi-sensei breaks the contract, okay?" he was once again answered by a nod of head.
Neji watched as Naruto stood up, yawned and stretched his body before walking toward Sakura.
xxxx
"I want the blonde kunoichi!" The oni masked guy shouted. The lobby was devoid of standing people, instead, on the ground were hospital workers lying and bleeding from arrow wounds. "The damn arrows are poisoned, so if you don't give me what I want, all these people will die!" he screamed again.
"Why don't you face me instead , you devil wanna-be!"
The screaming man looked to his right to see a blonde woman in a green coat. He grinned, "Hokage?"
"Give me the antidote and surrender!" Tsunade shouted.
Shizune was now gathering the injured people and taking them into safety.
"I want the girl... ,"
The Hokage was about to reply when she felt something different, "Shizune! Hold your breath!" she was able to blurt out before yellow smoke surrounded the whole hospital lobby. The blonde village leader started making signs and chanted a ninjutsu that prevented the suffocating smoke to affect her.
"You are indeed a powerhouse as they say ," The oni-mask wearer said smiling, "I need you to come with us too." He added.
"As if," Tsunade mumbles. Then both their eyes were taken by the opening of the door, followed by the entrance of three bulky men wearing anbu masks and leather suits. One has Hinata on his shoulder and the other has Ino. The third man stepped closer to the one Tsunade thinks was the leader and whispered.
"It seems you're people were right. The girl wasn't here, but no matter, we got her." He looked back to the man carrying the blonde, pregnant kunoichi."
"You're not taking her… ,"
"It is too easy to kill her," the leader said, "If we can't have her then there's no need for me to keep her alive." He was grinning, sure that he had won.
"What do you want from her?" Tsunade asked angrily.
"Oh, not her, but I need the one inside her." The man explained causing Tsunade's eyes to widen.
"You…"
"Don't move or these two kunoichi will die." The oni masked man said, backing away from the angry Hokage. "You will come with us, seeing your high level medical expertise; I have a need of you."
"Why should I come?"
"Because this woman…" he took Ino's hair in his hand and pulled her head up, "…is coming with me," he smiled. "You got a choice, you will stay here and let me get the unborn child out of her, or you come with us and help me do the procedure,"he looked at Tsunade evilly, "You might still be able to save the woman."
Silence
Tsunade looked around, everyone in the hospital are incapacitated. Shizune was unconscious, "Leave the other girl alone, and I want the antidote left as well." She decided.
"Good choice." He said nodding at his right hand. He produced a large vial of unscented liquid and left it on the ground. Then the leader nodded to the man carrying Hinata, and the man dropped Hinata. "We better hurry, and oh…" he smiled, "…the poison will take 8 hours until it goes to the brain and kills everyone, and the smoke's effect will last for 12."
Tsunade bit her lower lip from responding. She has to wait until Ino is safe before she makes her move.
-End Chapter 15-