Chapter 13: Escort

A/N: Okay, after a few days of thinking I'm just gonna say fuck it, no rewrite I'm just gonna keep writing until we get to vol. 2, (which is gonna be after the chunin exam) then pause while I work on my other story. I meant to post sooner but I started reading outsiders resolve after like a year of not reading it so mb.

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*Crunch*

The sound of gravel underfoot can be heard as a group of four can be seen surrounding a stage coach in a diamond formation. Itachi in the front, Moriyama and Fujino on the left and right respectively, and Irano in the back.

It's been about 2 weeks since Irano's and Moriyama's training session, The team had been on many more missions involving the 'removal' of bandit camps, to get them used to death, and now the team was on an escort mission.

They were to escort a representative of the Daimyo from the fire capital, to Konoha and back. This mission would at most take three days, This was the diplomats first time in Konoha and he wanted to "see the sights". At least that's what Fujino got from the short conversation with the representative.

"Sensei, do you have any idea what this meeting is about, Fujino couldn't get anything out of him?" Irano asked Itachi while walking with his hands on his head.

Without even looking at him Itachi spoke, "You very well know the parameters of our mission, and the contents of the conversation between the Hokage and the representative are not apart of it, now focus please".

With his eyes closed and his arms still on his head he talks back. "Oh, I am very focused. Hmm?" About thirty yards (27.4 meters) ahead he noticed using his seismic sense, a large group of people hiding amongst the vegetation surrounding the path they are taking.

Silently notifying both Fujino and Moriyama using a sign language that Itachi had taught them to communicate silently. They both nodded, with one of them notifying Itachi. "Sensei." But before they could continue Itachi interrupted them "I know."

Before they could get near Fujino whispers to the coach driver to keep his eyes forward and to stay focused on the road. While Irano climbs up to a window on the back of the stage coach to notify the representative of the incoming ambush, and to stay inside the stage coach.

Approaching the point of the ambush all was quiet, so much so that the sound of chattering teeth and clattering wood could be heard clearly. This was the coach driver he was sweating buckets and shivering like a leaf.

Before anyone could tell him to calm down he got up from where he was sitting and screamed out, "I don't want to die!" As he jumped down from his seat and started to run the surrounding enemies got up from where they were, There was at least 10 of them and 4 of them were equipped with bows.

The 4 bowmen opened fire on the 4 people visible from the front of the stage coach 3 of the arrows were deflected by the Shinobi but the 4th arrow found its mark in the driver's throat, he was to far ahead to be moved out of the way and he wasn't the priority.

As the bowmen were notching their next round of arrows and the rest were charging the coach Irano used his earth bending to put the stage coach in a cocoon. Immediately after pulling water from the water skin on his hip and turning it into 4 separate ice shards launching them at the archers.

3 of the archers were hit directly in the chest killing them almost immediately the last one moved out of the way enough to only get hit in the shoulder. The rest continued their charge at the carriage.

Seeing them still charge even though almost half of their people were taken out of the fight made Irano wonder why they hadn't run for the hills yet. Every time the team had attacked a bandit camp they all make a run for it after seeing they were Shinobi. It made him wonder why these ones were any different.

These civilian bandits were easy to take out especially with Itachi there, "Leave these ones alive I want to know what they are doing attacking people so close to the village." Said Itachi as Fujino was about to finish off the last of the bandits.

After pulling all the corpses together Irano sees that one of the archers is still alive, the one who was hit in the shoulder was trying to crawl away, so he dragged him back to the rest "What about this one sensei, we could use him to corroborate their stories." Irano says.

"That would be a good idea if we were doing a regular interrogation but I would rather we get this done with quickly." As he says this his eyes turn a scarlet red with three black tomoe spinning as he looks into the eyes of both bandits left alive, only a few moments later did his eyes return to normal.

"So what did you find out sensei." Asked Moriyama. "Not much, they were just lackey's, the boss is over there." He says pointing to one of the corpses.

Using his earth bending again Irano buries the corpses and removes the cocoon around the stage coach. The coach door opens as a shaking man slowly peaks out asking if it is over yet.

Arriving at the main gate of Konoha they can see a group of people heading out, as they were passing by each other both groups stopped. "Oh Naruto! Where the heck are you going?" Irano calls out. "What's up Irano, look we finally got a real mission, were doing an escort mission to the land of waves. Are you guys just getting back from a mission? Naruto responds.

As both teams genin are conversing their jonin leaders have a short conversation off to the side. "Kakashi. Civilians from a village in the land of earth attacked us, they were forced into it , their families were taken as motivation." Itachi spoke in a low tone. "Iwa-nin? Why would they want to attack a representative of the fire Daimyo?" Kakashi asked.

"Shinobi yes, the civilians were overpowered easily, but they had no identifying features. As for the why I have an idea but I need to confer with the Hokage Itachi said.

As both teams were having their small conversations an old man standing off to the side looked to be getting more and more upset as time went on. "Can we please get a move on, I don't have time for your gossiping, I have a bridge to build!" Stated the old man in a irritated voice.

-----A/N-----

No more 2k chaps that was annoying last time and I'm just doing this for fun.