Chapter 15 - Destiny's Beginning

Kimimaro’s sword cut through Ekyt’s neck. Well, a log where his neck used to be.
“Look, I didn’t come to fight you Kimimaro. I’m only here in defense of someone I love. And I’m trying to help you, because your family. I know you can understand that,” Ekyt told him.
Kimimaro cut with the sword again. Ekyt leaned back, using his kunai to knock the sword away.
“I don’t think you family. Lord Orochimaru is my family.”
Ekyt shook his head. “I’m not trying to take you away from him. I want to help you. I don’t let my family or my teammates die when I can help it. There’s help for your disease. I promise, if you come with me, no one will persecute you, and I’ll stay at your side. After our medic-nin heal you, you can go, no questions asked.”



“This is such a drag. It’s hot, not to mention not really our problem.”
Kakashi tried to stay patient. How does Asuma put up with him?
“Kakashi-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, we’re here!” Naruto, the number one hyperactive, knuckle-head ninja, declared. “Huh? There’s nothing here! This sucks, believe it!”
Kakashi and Shikamaru studied the horizon. Naruto was right. There was nothing going on.
“They wanted help…but with what?” Kakashi was thinking aloud.
“It was a trick. The Sound Village wanted to lure us away…that’s the only thing that makes sense…how troublesome,” Shikamaru murmured, looking up at the sky.


“Can I help you? Hey, what are you guys doing here?”
Temari had come to greet the guests, and was shocked to see Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Naruto.
“We got an urgent distress call to come here. What’s going on?” Kakashi asked.
Shikamaru threw a kunai at Temari. It stuck on her, then exploded with a Flash-bang!
“What the hell was that Shikamaru?!” Naruto shouted, looking at Temari.
“That’s not Temari. Temari’s a rogue, remember? And there’s no reason for someone to impersonate her, unless they were attacking us…”

“Smart kid you got there. NOW!” the fallen “Temari” shouted.
Ten Sand Ninja leapt out from various hiding places.
Five of them immediately took on a strange position, their hands on their heads, palms out.
“Shadow Possesion Jutsu…now let’s see how you clowns handle this!” Shikamaru turned around. The enemies did the same. Shikamaru sprinted forward, into the desert. The five Sand ninja, however, turned and sprinted right into the walls of the building they had been hiding from. Shikamaru backed up, the ran forward again. One more time and all five were unconcious.

“You’re going down, believe it!” Naruto shouted, holding his hand out while a clone formed a ball of rapidly-spiraling chakra. The clone leapt up and attacked one enemy, while Naruto ran at the other.
“Rasengan!” he shouted, driving the spiral ball home into the chest of the stunned Sand Ninja.
Kakashi lifted his headband. The three tomoe of his Sharingan faced the enemy, making for quite a menacing picture.
They started to attack, but Kakashi matched them move for move, and even beat them to the punch:
“Wind Style: Great Sand Eclipse!”
The two ninja stared on in shock as their best jutsu has just been used against them.


“Man, that was easy!” Naruto declared, pumping a fist in the air.
“Celebrate later Naruto. Right now, we have to get back to the Village,” Shikamaru told him.
“He’s right. I wonder how Ekyt’s group did?” Kakashi wondered.


“Kyah!” Sakura drew her fist back again. Kabuto used his chakra scalpel to cut Sakura’s arm. Sakura just smiled.
“Stupid…I just hardened my chakra in that spot. And you just broke the cardinal rule of fighting- never take your eyes off your opponent,” Sakura said with an aggressive grin.
“I’m staring right at you…” Kabuto said, even as he was turning around. Sakura was behind him. Kabuto took a swipe at her, only to hit a log.
“Sucker!” Sakura declared, smashing Kabuto in the back of the head with a kick. The chakra-enhanced blow sent Kabuto sailing. Sakura, in contrast to her normal fighting style, hit the ground running, giving him another boot in the face before he landed, then following with an incredibly quick combo- a flurry of chakra-enhanced punches, ending with an elbow to the chin.

By now, Kimimaro and Ekyt were standing three feet apart. Ekyt vaguely wondered how he was still standing as he plucked a few kunai and senbon out of his skin.
“Why do you think me family?” Kimimaro questioned Ekyt.
“Why? Well, because we are,” Ekyt replied, not sure that was the response Kimimaro wanted.
“Family is more than flesh and blood. I’ve done nothing for you. Why bother with me?”
Ekyt understood now. “Because you’re not evil. And like I said, I don’t like people dying needlessly.” The Leaf chunin put his kunai away. “Trust me…let us help you…”
Kimimaro looked at Ekyt’s outstretched hand. My time is short, I’ll have to decide quick…
“I’ll decide while we fight. Tsubaki no Mai.”
Kimimaro stabbed incredibly fast with his sword. Ekyt used the Body Flicker Jutsu to leap away. When Kimimaro followed, Ekyt had drawn his own sword.
“Your time is limited, I can tell. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll duel you when after you’ve been healed. I want a fair contest, not one where you have to hold back because of some disease.” Ekyt really hoped his offer would do it.
Kimimaro stopped, considering it. I could serve Orochimaru better if I let him heal me…I would die for Orochimaru…but why die if I don’t have to?


Kabuto pushed himself up to his knees. He coughed violently, blood spilling out onto his glove.
“You’ve gotten stronger. Oh well, you win the round. Lord Chakaro and I have to go anyway. But don’t relax, you and I will cross kunai again.” It was amazing how Kabuto could be trying to kill you, but he’d be speaking respectfully, almost kindly, to the point where you’d want to trust him. Sakura, however, knew better.
CHA! I WIN! CHALK ONE UP FOR THE CUTE KUNOICHI IN RED! Inner-Sakura was having a field day.
“Good match to you, too,” the real Sakura said, even giving a pleasant wave. “Now where did that boyfriend of mine get to?”


Kimimaro watched Kabuto disappear.
“If I come with you…I will not be attacked, and I would be free to leave.”
Ekyt nodded. “That’s right. You have my word, on the code of Bushido AND my Nindo that I will do exactly what I have told you.”
Kimimaro put the bone in his sash. “I will do it.”
Sakura walked over, the still unconscious Lee cradled across her shoulder.
“He’s coming with us,” Ekyt told Sakura while reaching for two scrolls. He drew a line of blood down each of them, then bashed his palm against the ground, executing a jutsu.
“Twin Summoning Jutsu!”
With two “BLAMS!”, Ekyt’s two summons, A Keeshonden Dog (Holly) and a Water Dragon (Umisu) landed near him. Ekyt was already writing out the scrolls to hand to each of them.
“Again, kid? Can’t you give it a rest? I’m a tired pup!” Holly howled, to no avail. Ekyt stuffed a note in her collar.
“Sorry Holly, you’ll have to chew me out later. Right now, Lady Tsunade needs that. Give it directly to her, no one else, okay?”
Holly read the concern in Ekyt’s voice, and matched it. “Alright, on my way.”
Umisu was handed a smaller scroll.
“For Kakashi Hatake, okay, Umisu?”
Umisu gave a fond wink, then disappeared.


Ekyt turned back around. “WHOA! No, don’t do that!”
Kimimaro had drawn his bone/sword, aiming it at Sakura’s neck.
“She’s a threat.” Kimimaro said, not lowering the sword.
“She’s one of the medic-nin who can cure you. Not to mention the fact that she’s the strongest kunoichi around. And…well…my girlfriend,” Ekyt said the last part, blushing because Sakura was watching and listening.
“Hmm…Girlfriend? I suppose it’s healthy. Although it’s outside my understanding,” Kimimaro admitted. He put his sword away.



Lady Tsunade read the scroll from Ekyt, then looked up at Kakashi.
“So it’s happening…those two villages teamed up…I hope we can fight them off…I’m not gonna lie, it’s gonna be an uphill battle.” Tsunade sighed and put her head on her arms.
“Two of Orochimaru’s triumvirate are hurt, and we took out seven sand jonin and three chunin. Lady Tsunade, the Leaf Village might have less people, but we’re of a better quality. But, to help, I’ll enlist the aid of a few friends of mine.”
Tsunade nodded at Kakashi’s words. “Alright, go ahead. We’ve got you and Jiraih…we just need an advantage.”
Shikamaru slouched in. Behind him was a familiar figure.
“Is this how you treat a lady, Shikamaru?” the kunoichi questioned.
“If the girl is troublesome,” Shikamaru responded, before turning his attention to Lady Tsunade.
“She (Nods at the kunoichi) is a rogue from the Sand Village. She knows their attack patterns and formations. That’ll take away one advantage they have.”
Tsunade looked at the girl, then down at one of the scrolls in front of her.
“Temari, right? You requested citizenship a while ago…” Tsunade’s voice held a questioning tone.
“Yes…yes I did. I’m tired of being a rogue,” Temari responded truthfully.
“Well, if you’re gonna help us, I guess we need to get you a knew one of those, then…” Tsunade rummaged in her desk, then extracted a new hitai-ate.
“Welcome to the Leaf Village.”


Ekyt came in next, followed by Sakura. Lee was outside the door with Kimimaro.
“I’ve brought him, Lady Tsunade. I gave him my word that he would be free to go after the surgery, and that he wouldn’t be attacked while he was here.”
Lady Tsunade nodded her head once more. “Alright. I’ll do the surgery here. Sakura, you’re with me. Ekyt, as I recall, you said you wouldn’t leave his side. So I guess that means you’re here too. After that, I want you and Iruka to take all the kids and hide them in the…well, you know where. Once you’ve done that, you and Iruka can act according to the situation.”
“Right. Understood.”


“Sakura-chan, wait a second…” Ekyt held back Sakura at the end of the impromptu meeting.
“Hmm? Ekyt-kun? What’s up?”
“Thanks for the save. Back there, with Kabuto,” Ekyt stumbled through his words.
Sakura smiled and put a finger on the tip of his nose.
“Well, you always defend me. Romance is a two way street, after all!” she exclaimed brightly. She removed her finger and kissed him on the nose.


NEXT ISSUE: LEAF VILLAGE IN PERIL!

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