Chapter 84

Chapter 84

With a practiced motion, Kaen continued to draw explosive seals on the paper. While he had time, he needed to prepare as many as possible. Fuu and he had sneaked out of the Land of the Earth, and it didn't seem like they were being followed. Still, Kaen made sure to erase any tracks he might have left.

He was glad he had been traveling and learning with Jiraiya. Even if that toad sage didn't teach much, Kaen was able to absorb many things from him just by observing him. He learned how to sneak through the borders and gather information without anyone noticing him. And now, those skills were pretty useful.

"What are you doing?" Fuu asked, sitting and staring at Kaen.

"Making explosive tags and wrapping them on my arrows."

"Why?"

"We are surely to face foes on our travels, and it would be unwise to leave any traces of us while fighting. So, I will use the arrows with explosive tags to destroy everything that stands in our path. It is the best way not to leave any traces. And it won't leave any residue chakra that some sensors might be able to pick up."

"Aren't you famous for using bows and arrows? If they see an arrow, they will recognize it was you."

"What do you take me for?" Kaen asked, unable to believe what the girl was saying. "Those arrows are just wooden ones. Once the tag explodes, not even ash will remain. Don't use your tailed beast chakra, either. It is the easiest thing to track."

"Do that. Don't do this. That all you know? I can take care of myself, and I am the one who is helping you by leading you to my village."

"Sure," Kaen didn't want to deal with her either.

After he finished preparing, Kaen checked the seals around the camp one last time before getting some sleep. There were still a few days before they reached Takigakure, so he needed to use the leisure time he had to prepare and rest. He didn't intend to fight, as he wished to get to Takigakure without anyone knowing and set a trap for the forces that would come.

Kaen was sure that Onoki and A would first try to get the Jinchuriki. And Fuu was the easiest one to go after. So, by striking Takigakure first, they would be able to eliminate two objectives at once. But since Konoha already had dealt some damage to Iwa and knew what they were planning, Onoki and A would probably attack the Land of the Grass to distract Konoha from their real objective.

The fools were too predictable. Well, there weren't many things they could do. Their goals weren't hidden; all they could do was strike before everyone else could prepare. Too bad for them; Kaen would use it to set a trap. Kaen will make Takigakure his playground, and those who enter it will play by his tune.

…

Fuu was rather cheerful, with a happy-go-lucky and somewhat carefree disposition. Of course, this annoyed Kaen. He would rather have silence to accompany him, as then he could think without a distraction. She was too easily bored and would fill the time by asking pointless questions. Most annoyingly, she didn't seem to be put off by Kaen's demeanor.

Maybe he shouldn't have healed her. While she was injured and tired, she acted like anyone else would act in danger: focused and nervous. Now, she probably wanted to find danger as it was exciting to her. Kaen knew that once the reality of war settled with her, she would feel quite foolish thinking that way. At least, he hoped so, as the alternative suggested that she was a psychopath or something along the lines.

"Shh!" Kaen tried to quiet down Fuu as he thought that he heard something.

"Don't shush me; I will—" Kaen covered her mouth with his hand and pushed her down under a tree.

Quickly deploying a concealing seal next to them, Kaen waited still, his hand covering Fuu's mouth. Thirty seconds later, they saw shadows move past him. It was hard to tell how many there were, as Kaen didn't have a good look, but from the sound, more than a hundred shinobi were passing through.

They were moving quickly in Takigakure's direction. They didn't stop and kept moving in a rush, so it wasn't surprising that they didn't sense them. However, even if they tried to look for them, they wouldn't be able to find them. As long as they stayed silent, the concealing seal would, as the name suggests, conceal them.

"Don't even think about it," Kaen could tell that Fuu also realized that those shinobi were moving in the direction of her village. "There were only a hundred or so of them. Your village isn't that small to be defeated with this small force. They are going to set a perimeter to capture everyone leaving your village and returning to it, as well as to wait for you. So, flying like an idiot towards them would only make you fall into their hands like they wanted."

"But-"

"No, buts," Kaen interrupted her. "We will pick up our pace, but we will take our time not to be seen."

It made Kaen's task a bit more difficult, as he didn't expect Onoki to send a vanguard before sending his main forces. But it wasn't anything that Kaen wouldn't be able to handle. Still, he probably will have to break their perimeter to get to Takigakure and that could lead to them discovering him. And that would mean that his surprise plan for Iwa and Kumo would fail.

…

Arrows whistled in the air. The sound only gave the targets a moment to react. It was too little time as they turned to face the arrows; they were already struck in the chest. The squad of Iwa shinobi looked horrified, knowing that the wounds would kill them if they didn't receive immediate help. But that thought was pushed back as a chain of explosions rang to their left and then another chain of explosions to their right.

Kaen looked in front as the last explosion rang. He waited for half a minute before he moved. Fuu followed close behind him. The window was a short one, so, Kaen had to use it to his fullest before it was closed. He had to enter the country and pass through their perimeter.

The plan was to attack three points of their perimeter to distract them. While they stumbled to investigate what was happening, Kaen sneaked through them. By the time they realized that they couldn't find anything because the explosions would obliterate everything, Kaen and Fuu would be long gone.

"Stupid!!!" Fuu showed her tongue and insulted the Iwa shinobi that they couldn't see as they ran past their perimeter and entered the final stretch to Takigakure.

"Focus," Kaen reprimanded the girl. "They will soon realize that they had let us pass. By that time, we need to be long gone."

"We are only about three hours away from the village if we go at this pace," Fuu said, even more excited to be so close to home.

Kaen wasn't that happy. The perimeter was closer to the village than he expected. That could mean that the main forces were soon coming, and that would give Kaen even less time to prepare. Still, it wasn't too bad, he guessed. Everything now was upon the Takigakure's leader. If he agreed to cooperate with Kaen, he could get to work sooner; if not, Kaen would have to waste time by convincing him.

So far, everything has gone according to his plan, but of course, he must be reminded why he didn't like children. They were impulsive and reckless, unable to think before acting. When they were about to run through the perimeter set by the Iwa shinobi, they heard a scream and the sounds of fighting. And it wasn't his shadow clones.

Fuu probably recognized the voice and quickly turned towards it. Kaen knew they didn't have time or leisure to indulge in this, but before he could even say a thing, wings sprouted from Fuu's back, and she flew in that direction. With a frustrated sigh and anger at himself for not being able to stop her in time, Kaen followed her.

"Ito-sensei!" Fuu yelled out as they got to the scene with several of Takigakure shinobi lying on the ground dead and being surrounded by Iwa shinobi.

"Duck!" Kaen only gave one warning before he weaved hand signs. "Fire release: Tiger's claw."

Kaen's hand turned into a flaming tiger claw as he swiped the Iwa shinobi. The claw extended as far as Kaen needed, and not only did it burn the opponents but also cut through their defenses. Fuu and the shinobi from her fellow village barely avoided the heat as it brushed over their heads. But it was only the start.

Kaen wanted to secure Fuu's comrade before quickly finishing the rest of the Iwa shinobi. There was no time to waste, and he couldn't leave them alive to report his presence. Since he was close to his targets, he couldn't use arrows with explosive tags on them, as it might hurt Fuu and her comrade. But it wasn't a real problem for Kaen.

"Get back!" Kaen ordered Fuu as he started shooting down the Iwa shinobi.

Using wind chakra to enhance the power and speed of his arrows, Kaen shot arrows that would pulverize half of the body of anyone he hit. He also made sure that his arrows would shatter upon the impact, though he didn't like that he had to use even more of his chakra. And yet, even with the limited time they had, Fuu and the one named Ito still thought of taking their dead comrade's bodies with them.

Arguing with them would only waste more time, so Kaen focused on killing everyone who saw him while Fuu and Ito got back. He probably didn't have any right to tell them how they should operate, but he would surely give a piece of his mind to the Kage in charge of them. Blowing off the right side of the chest of the last Iwa shinobi, Kaen quickly retreated with the others.

Maybe they thought that they could be saved, but Fuu and Ito didn't let go of their comrades. But Kaen knew they were dead, and rather them slowing him down, he took the bodies and sealed them. He said nothing as Fuu and Ito followed him. They knew he was the stronger and more experienced one here, so they did as he told them.

"Fuu, where are the others? What's going on? Shouldn't you be in Iwa taking the Chunin Exam? And who is he?"

"Shut up," Kaen replied quickly. "We are being chased. We don't have time to answer anything. So, just keep calm and run for the village."

Kaen noticed that Ito didn't like to be told off by someone he didn't know, but he couldn't care less. As long as they followed him, he was willing to dismiss their idiotic behavior. Soon, they saw a massive tree covering the sky in the middle of a massive lake. Water fell along the tree's branches, looking like waterfalls.

"We arrived," Fuu sighed in relief.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on here, Fuu?"

"It seems they don't want to stretch their lines anymore," Kaen said, observing the faint shadows behind them. "But we still don't have any time to waste; bring me to your leader."

"Not before I have my answers," Kaen was getting annoyed with this guy, so he flashed his sharingan for a moment.

"Yes, I will bring you to our leader."

"Stop putting people in genjutsu!" Fuu yelled out in anger. "You could just explain the situation. What is wrong with you?"

"We have no time to waste," Kaen replied. For a moment, she considered putting her in genjutsu, too, but she thought it was better not to. "Let's go."

Fuu sighed in frustration like she had any right to do so before following behind Ito. There were guards as they entered the bridge standing over the lake surrounding the village. They clearly knew that something was going on and were about to stop Kaen, but one look at his sharingan and they stood down. Hopefully, the leader of the village won't be too hard on Kaen for putting his people under genjutsu.