Book 1: Broken (Kiba Inuzuka Love Story)

Chapter 68

Kimiko's P. O. V:

Kakashi and I find ourselves in a bamboo forest on the fourth morning. Shafts of sunlight pour in to the forest as we sit around a boulder with a map open on it.

"According to Tsunade-sama, the thieves' hideout is near a small river here," Kakashi says, finger pointing to a spot on the map.

"She also said the Anbu team sent to retrieve it were killed by these thieves, which means they're formidable," I input. Kakashi nods his head in agreement.

"Yeah. We first need to scour the area to see if the bandits are actually there."

"Leave that to me," I say before I bite my thumb. I do swift hand signs before I place my hand on the ground beside the boulder. Shin appears.

"M' Lady? What is it you need me for?" Shin asks while looking at me.

I say, "I need to scour the area for the enemy's hideout. We have to retrieve an important scroll from them. Can you help us out?"

"Of course, darling! You can count on me," Shin says before putting his nose to the ground and sniffing for the enemy's scent. Once he picks upon their scent, Kakashi swiftly packs up the map and we follow the black and white wolf further into the bamboo forest.

We soon come across a big, but low wooden building, the three of us crouching on a branch as we gaze at it.

Shin points to the building, informing us, "The thieves are in there."

"Thanks, Shin," I say.

Kakashi tells me, "Kimiko, if you will."

I nod and close my eyes as I focus on my Byakugan. When I activate it, I train it on the inside of the building. I see men and women either wandering the halls or lounging in some rooms with some snacks and drinks.

I find a spacious room in which sits a muscular man with a huge sword sitting against his chair.

I check a couple more rooms not too far from him and I find a scroll sitting on a small pedestal. There were four guards outside the room, too, one of them with twin swords; three of them are men while the fourth is a woman with long hair.

I deactivate my Byakugan as I tell Kakashi, "The thieves are inside and there's a room with the scroll of information in it. There are four guards outside of it, though."

"Right. We'll sneak our way in and use a smoke bomb to cover us in order to get to the scroll," Kakashi explains. I nod my head in agreement.

"Sounds good."

We Body Flicker away and Shin comes with us to infiltrate the building. We manage to sneak in without a problem and make our way to the room which holds the scroll.

As we were coming around a corner, a few guards approach from ahead.

"Quick, duck back!" I hiss, ducking back behind the corner as Kakashi does. Shin was about to follow, but he panics as he scrambles on the wooden floor, causing him to face plant.

I face palm as Kakashi lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Eh? What's this? A cat or a wolf?" One of the guards asks as Shin picks himself up and shakes his head to clear it. He turns and gives the men a sheepish look.

"Well, if it is a cat, it's a weird one," Says the second thief. Shin sits cutely with his tail wrapped around him, giving the men the cutest expression he could muster.

"Awwwee!" They murmur.

"It is rather cute..." The third thief says, reaching out a hand to the black and white wolf. "Comere you cutie... OW!" The man screams when Shin clamps his teeth around his hand. "Get it off! Get it off!" The man flails about as he attempts to shake off Shin, but the wolf holds fast.

Until one of the men goes to grab him, then he leaps away, while kicking the man he'd bitten in the chin.

"Why that little...!" The man who'd gotten bitten curses before unsheathing his katana. He goes to slash at Shin but Shin stares at him until the man collapses, no doubt under a Genjutsu.

Kakashi and I watch in astonishment as Shin puts the other guards under a Genjutsu, knocking them out.

"Nice one," I praise my wolf as we go up to him.

Shin throws me a grin as he replies, "I'm not entirely hopeless, you know."

Kakashi drawls, "Still, I think that could've gone a lot smoother."

"Yeah. Way to nearly blow our cover, Shin," I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. "You almost got yourself caught. Geez, you're such a clutz."

"I handled it, didn't I?" He asks indignantly, tail poofing out.

"Whatever. Let's just get the scroll so we can get out of here," I say, beginning to walk up the hallway, Kakashi and Shin following me. We soon reach the room where the four guards were. They see us and go to attack with their weapons, but Kakashi, Shin and I were there to meet them.

We duck under or around their blades and Kakashi and I easily knock out our opponents while Shin slashes his opponent in the arm before kicking him back then casting a Genjutsu on him to knock him out.

I duck to avoid the blade of the final, female thief and continue this for a few more seconds before I slip in through her guard and strike my hand against the side of her neck, instantly knocking her out.

Once the blue haired woman hits the floor, I meet Kakashi's gaze and exchange ready nods. Then I slide the two doors open and we enter a dim room. It has nothing save for a scroll sitting on a box in the center of the room.

I grin as I rush over and snatch it up. I examine the outside and hold the scroll up to the silverette.

"Mission accomplished!" I say. I tuck it in my weapons pouch and turn back to my comrades. "Let's get out of here before we're caught in a fight."

"Right," Says Kakashi.

"As you wish, M' Lady," Adds Shin.

Just as we're about to flee the hideout, however, a group of masked figures in black jump down from rafters in the room's ceiling.

Kakashi and I go to retaliate but a figure grabs his arms and pins them behind his back, while another grabs one of my arms and wraps the other around my waist, holding a sharp kunai knife to my throat threateningly.

A third figure easily snatches up Shin just before he could strike back at them. Several more figures point their weapons at us as they surround us in the room, even as Kakashi, Shin and I continue to struggle.

We were surrounded.