Chapter 13: Enemy Ninjas (1)

A/N: Read ahead on P@treon: patreon.com/lorelinguist

Kenj had never been a leader of men. Even being as young as he was he understood the difference between clan ninjas and civilians. Hell, he could clearly remember how his teacher Mukai's face fell after seeing him for the first time. There was a fleeting disappointment, a shadow of a frown, as if Mukai had instantly gauged Kenji's potential and found it lacking, especially when compared to Shisui and the others. Although Mukai has been steadily improving his relationship with the other civilian students– never treating them differently, and training them with the same attention as the clan students, That initial reaction still stuck with Kenji

He looked back to his fellow classmates he was leading on a hurried retreat through the forest encapsulating the training ground outside the academy. Leaping through the trees, their faces ranged from extreme fear to some looking stuck with shock.

He understood the gravity of their escape – it was more than a test of speed; it was a trial of their resolve, their ability to stand united in the face of adversity. Kenji might not have been born a leader, but in this moment of peril, he was determined to guide them through the storm. He turned his head back to the point of their retreat. 'I hope they won't freeze up when I need them…' He thought to himself. 

—

Mukai was as still as a statue. His presence was barely a whisper among the trees. Merging seamlessly with the shadows, he concentrated his chakra inward, sharpening his senses to the razor's edge as he properly analyzed the situation. He was right to make the students retreat as the number of ninjas present was definitely more than the five ninjas mentioned, his sensory ninjutsu could sense about 8 genin-high genin ninjas in the area. He was stuck with the group of five including the one high genin.

His mind drifted to the three genin that were currently en route to ambush groups 2 through 5. With three to a team that's odds of 3 to 1 in his student's favor. After these weeks of hard training, his kids were good but they were just that. Kids.

He adjusted the grip on his kunai. 'I'll have to be quick here'.

Mukai waited until the group had passed him. 

"Where did he go?" He heard one call out. "He was just by this tree, are you sure you can't sense anything?" 

"Nothing sir, it's like he disappeared right as we were gaining on him. This ability wasn't in the files we received." Another responded.

Mukais eyes tightened. Someone in the village called for this, or at least someone who knew him personally. No matter, it was time to end this. His students were counting on him.

Reaching into his pouch on his side and grabbing one of his kunai in his right hand he threw it hard behind the one that was farthest from the group. Quickly the ninja spun around and deflected it. He had managed to pull his kunai out and deflect off pure instinct.

'These aren't normal genins.' Mukai thought to himself. However, he taught his students to never act without a plan b. And he practiced what he preached.

Mukai flickered to where the ninja was facing before he had to turn to deflect the kunai, and before the ninja could respond he received a strong leaf hurricane to the jaw. His fuinjutsu etched steel toe boot connected, killing him instantly.

By now the others had reacted to their compatriot being killed by the man they were supposed to be tailing. 

One ninja grits his teeth as they lept back from where Mukai landed. "This is not at all what the file said to expect sir…" He growled out. His friend had just died in this mountain of misinformation. 

Mukai simply stood as they circled him with kunai's out. 

"I will only ask once before you die. Who sent you, how do you know so much." His eyes blazed with hate as he ground these words out. These ninjas were not only a risk to his beloved students. But knowing his schedule and where he and his students would most likely be at this time of day implies a risk to the entire village. That, he could not tolerate.

The ninja's garbs lacked any village identifiers, their headbands were blank, and they had yet to use any jutsu that was easily identifiable, Mukai was completely in the dark.

Silence met his query. The enemy ninjas looked between themselves before focusing back on him.

"It seems you all have decided. Oh well, I will gain information from your corpses then." Mukai said.

He sealessly created a clone and flickered once more. He set the clone to engage with one of the weaker genin. Teachers Insight would ensure the clone wouldn't get hit too many times and be dispelled. He on the other hand was speeding fast enough to stretch the scene around him to the genin with the highest chakra signiture. 

He was an older ninja, one probably phased out of intense training. Although that was true, Mukai knew better than to underestimate him. An old ninja regardless of strength was a dangerous ninja.

Mukai ended his flicker an arm's length away from the ninja. By the time the tunnel vision passed, he was already seeing a kunai speed toward his left eye. His natural speed advantage and teachers insight added to allow him to observe the attack. 'Hm. faster than expected but not by much.' Mukai decided

He substituted further left, just behind the slash, and quickly brought his hands together. In the breath of a moment, he wove hand signs with practiced ease: Rat → Tiger → Dog → Ox → Rabbit → Tiger. Chakra coalesced before him Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu. A ball of fire the size of three heads materialized in front of Mukai. Its sheer heat caused the enemy ninja in front of him to pause. A mini explosion went off as the ball of fire split into six parts. 

Mukai pulled on his chakra more. He wanted the heat of these balls of fire so hot that even a glancing blow would be incapacitating. He concentrated as he first sent a ball of fire at the high genin facing him, before spreading them out between the other ninjas that were finally breaking out of their stupor and attempting to join in the fray. He wouldn't let them. 

The jutsu connected with consecutive booms. Observing the aftermath it looked like two were incapacitated. One-off to the right had managed to dodge the brunt of it, while the high genin he was facing had slipped a little too late. He had severe burns under his now-tattered gear and looked to be on his last legs. 

Mukai sneered as he observed the scene. "Is this all you have to offer?" He was enraged. He had taken them so seriously observing their numbers and chakra relatively close to his. While taking care to not overextend or rush things he was wasting time from saving his students.

His eyes flickered to the high genin propped against a tree, the older ninja's breaths coming in labored gasps as he tried to soothe the angry burns marring his skin. Mukai's anger simmered at the sight. Age, it seemed, was no indicator of skill or valor in this instance. The genin's expected mounds of experience were completely absent, a testament to the inadequacy of their training and preparation. Whoever had sent these excuses for ninjas was only testing him.

He started walking toward the ninja that had dodged the attack. "I will ask you only once more, Who sent you?" 

The ninja was wide-eyed, scanning left and right, frantically searching for a way to escape this demon. 'Why would he accept this mission… This was a death sentence!" "Look, this must be some misunderstanding." His voice quivered as he delivered this line

"We were never supposed to go after someone like you, He usually lets us get the small fry."

The ninja's eyes darted down to the kunai Mukai still held in his hands. He held his hands out in front of him. "Please, this was a big mistake you have to understand."

Mukai continued his tepid pace toward him. His stride was slow and long, promising destruction. "I need a name." was all he said in response.

"Fine! Fine, it was-"

The ninja stopped as if his string had been cut. His eyes were wide and red in panic, and he dropped like a stiff board to the ground. 

Mukai's lips tightened to a thin line. He hadn't expected to draw that one's attention so soon. Powers in the village were on the move. But why did that have to involve him? He flickered to his students.