Book 1: Broken (Kiba Inuzuka Love Story)

Chapter 54

Kimiko's P. O. V:

As soon as we enter the forest, I split off to take to the shadows while activating my Byakugan. I stay out of sight but keep close enough that my friends can barely see me.

As we leap through the trees, I glance at my teammates. Shikamaru gazes towards where he thinks I am, and I send him an assuring smirk.

I see Akamaru sniff the air and Kiba turns his head in my direction as well. A knowing smile appears on his lips. We then return our attention to the front.

After awhile, I hear Akamaru whimper. "Akamaru?" Kiba utters.

Shikamaru asks, "What's the matter with him?"

Kiba responds, "He smells blood somewhere nearby. Here's what happened: the scent of two newcomers converged on the scent of Sasuke and four others. The two have stayed behind while Sasuke's group has moved on. So what now?"

I speak up, causing all heads to turn to me, "Just as I thought. Sasuke's got an escort."

Naruto says, "There's no question! We gotta go after Sasuke!"

Kiba wants to know, "Who died and made you boss? Last time I checked, Shikamaru and Kimi-chan were in charge of this show. It's up to them to decide."

"Hmph!"

"Well, Shikamaru? Kimiko-chan?" Choji prompts.

I say before the Nara could, "Since Akamaru can smell blood, my guess is that there was a battle between Sasuke's group and the two newcomers. If we go to the spot where they fought, we might be able to gather some useful information. 'Course, we can't just rush in—it might be a trap. So once we get closer, we'll go into full reconnaissance mode and take it slowly."

Neji inputs, "And while we're doing that, Sasuke will have crossed beyond the borders of the Land of Fire, out of our hands."

Naruto demands, "Okay, Kimi-chan, Shikamaru, what's it gonna be?!"

I meet Shikamaru's gaze and we both seem to come to the same conclusion. I state firmly, "We follow Sasuke!"

Naruto says happily, "Way to go! I knew you'd make the right choice!"

I add, "One thing."

"What?"

"These guys have already been in a fight. So they'll be on their guard. Unless they're complete idiots, they'll have to know there's going to be more ninja on their trail. There's a good chance we'll hit some booby traps or even an ambush up ahead. So from this point on, we proceed with caution. I want everybody—not just Akamaru—to put all your senses on alert. If you catch a trace of anything suspicious, sound the alarm! We wanna find these guys before they find us."

Naruto says eagerly, "Huh! Got it! And when we do find them, I'm gonna clobber them with this brand new Jutsu of mine!"

I roll my eyes at that.

Akamaru sniffs the air again, whimpering.

Holding up a hand, Kiba announces, "The enemy's scent is here! All around us!"

I call, "Everyone, stop!" My teammates all land on a branch while I land on one on the other side of the tree. "Look up on that tree, you see that?" We raise our eyes to see a paper bomb on a tree ahead of us.

"A paper bomb," States Neji. "I'm sure there's five more of them. A perimeter barrier. That's what it is."

""A perimeter barrier"?" Asks Choji.

Shikamaru explains, "It's a type of trap ninjutsu. There's a delay after the perimeter is breached, giving the victim just enough time to get to the center of the area for the full effect. It's a tricky Jutsu. I learned about it in one of the books my dad used to make me read."