Shadow of the Night

Chapter 24

Kakashi's POV

Yuro was certainly the fastest bird I'd ever kept up with. Usually he appeared as some sort of small fox or wolf, but this form seemed to channel his nervous energy better. 

Hikari-san is still a ways off. She was traveling with three others. They were confronting the Shizuka clan.

I took a moment to uncover my sharingan. "Hikari's note said something about the clan, but the Shizuka clan is dead. They all died in a fire six years ago. They must be impostors."

No. I thought they were all gone as well, but I was wrong. A member, Raiden, staged an attack to frame Hikari, then burned the compound to cover his tracks. In his attack, he stole every clan member's shadow abilities. This would increase his power, but not kill the clan off. He told the them that Hikari had done it, and if they killed her, their powers would be restored.

"Well, something has to be done then. I think you'll agree that we should help those four out." I paused. "By the way, those three accompanying her..."

I don't know who they are. I wasn't near enough to read their chakras in depth, but I know at least one of them is a Shizuka. Another is an outsider. The last... I'm not sure. That one felt odd. Definitely Shizuka, but something was different...

I sighed, trying to pick up the pace. Hikari could be dying, it didn't matter who was with her. We could deal with that later.

Teiko's POV

I could see Hikari's eyes rolling back in her head, nearly unconscious. Her broken body was spayed out on the ground a few paces from me, still as a forgotten doll. My bindings were black, solid, and wouldn't budge, no matter how hard I pulled at them. I needed to get to Kari; she and Aki were the only ones who had a chance against this guy.

Speaking of Aki, the young boy was ripping at his restraints, trying to reach his mother. Frustrated tears welled in his eyes.

"MOMA! PLEASE GET UP!" Aki screamed.

Hikari's irises peeked out from under her lids. She began stirring weakly, obviously in pain. "Kookie..." she croaked.

Raiden laughed at the woman on the ground. "Oh, this is too good Hikari! I once believed your shadow would make me unbeatable, but now I think I already am. There really is no need for you anymore. I suppose I can just kill you in the normal fashion."

Kakashi's POV

We finally arrived at the top of a small hill. The forest ended at the summit. From there we could oversee the events unfolding below. Three figures were bound in shadows, darker than the ones Hikari could manipulate. One was a woman with blonde hair, the second was a broad older man, and the last... looked to be a child, whose features were concealed in a hooded cloak. All three were gazing avidly at the woman laying on the ground.

Hikari.

She lay at an odd angle, one arm bent horribly. Her raven hair was spread around her in some sort of dark halo. She looked like she was struggling to lift her head.

Now isn't the time to be rushing into things...

I sneaked back into the trees, making my way down the hill, closer to the group. Yuro perched on my shoulder, anxiously ruffling his feathers.

When I poked my head out of the foliage next, I found myself inches from the older man, still struggling against his restraints. He grew still, probably because he sensed someone behind him.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"I'm here to help. How do I free you?"

The man resumed his writhing, keeping up appearances. "Don't bother with me. Free the boy. He is the only one who can do anything about Raiden, and with Hikari..." His voice trailed away.

My stomach flipped over at the thought of Hikari. "What if I free all three of you, and you distract him while I get Kari?"

"That sounds good, but we need Hikari to take out Raiden. And I have no idea how to get out of these bonds."

I raised my hand, flexing my fingers. Sparks crackled along my digits. "I have an idea..."

My Chidori in full form, I burst from the trees, running at the man standing over Kari. Raiden turned at the sound of the chirping lightning, and his eyes widened. He barely had time to pull a this shadow shield in front of himself before my jutsu made contact. Though the dense shadows protected him from most of the damage, he was still thrown back, hitting his head hard against a wall about five meters behind him. The shadow bonds weakened, until the three could pull away from them. They stood ready, about to pounce.

Raiden pulled himself up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "And who's this? The Copy Nin of the Leaf? Well, this is quite a party. Two 'big shots' with stolen sharingans. And the kid, who really packs a punch. Katsumi, the traitor, and some guy." He turned to the man I'd spoken to. "Who are you again?"

The man balled his fists. "I am Nakimaru Teiko! You killed my family!" With that, Teiko sprung forward, in sync with the woman, Katsumi. She must be the Shizuka, Teiko must be the outsider. Then that kid...

Said kid ran in a different direction from his team. At me. I tensed a little, remembering about what Raiden had said. The kid who really packs a punch. But he wasn't headed for me. The boy brushed past me and knelt beside Hikari, whispering words I couldn't hear. Hikari seemed to respond, wrapping her fingers around the boy's. Who is this kid? How is he here with Kari?

I could tell no more about him on closer inspection. The dark cloak he wore covered him completely, but he seemed small, and focused. From where I stood, I could see him straightening Hikari's fingers, and using medical ninjutsu to heal them. Soon enough, she would have full control over that hand.

The boy looked up at me, eyes glinting from the darkness of his hood. 

"You might want to get out of the way."

*AN

Welp, here's another chapter. Hope you enjoyed; leave a comment/vote if you did :)

-Hanna