A Growing Affection

Chapter 30: Muted Time

"Comin' through," Naruto shouted, cracking the Sound ninja in the head with Kitsune. The scarred man fell, and would not be getting soon, if ever. A True Sound Kunoichi, of maybe sixty years, had been fighting two opponents, and gave him a short grateful glance. Hinata tapped the second enemy in the back with her Gentle Fist, giving their ally the opening to stab him in the stomach.

"Thank you," she said, then shouted, "Look out!"

A third man was leaping towards Naruto, but a giant hand of sand intercepted him, and crushed him against a wall.

"Thank you," she said again. Gaara held her gaze.

"Where is Kabuto Yakushi?" he demanded.

"He was in his lab," she shuddered slightly from his intensity, "It's on the third floor of the citadel, takes up half the level. I don't know if he's still there."

"Let's go," the Kazekage ordered.

"What a drag," Shikamaru groaned; sidestepping the short, slight man attempting to stab him. He tripped the opposing ninja, and as he fell, Shikamaru casually slit his throat.

"I know," Choji agreed, pounding another Sound Ninja into the ground, "What's with all the small fry?"

Then Temari groaned, "You would have had to put it that way."

"What?" the larger Chunin was confused, and she pointed. A True Sound Ninja was catapulted through the air.

"Target number 6," Ino confirmed, "Yama."

"Target number 6 is called Yama," Tsunade said. She flashed a pair of blurry photos on the screen, showing a bald man, probably in his twenties or thirties, and almost nine feet tall.

"He was recruited by Orochimaru eleven months ago. We don't have any record of him before that," she paused, "But he quickly gain a rep as being extremely deadly, and loyal to a fault. Unfortunately, that loyalty transferred to Kabuto."

"He is a mystery, even to us," Shin added, "He never speaks, to anyone. He might be mute. Only one True Sound ninja has ever gone on a mission with him. She said he used mostly Taijutsu, and he was stronger and a lot faster than she would have expected. The only Ninjutsu she saw was a wind chakra shield. We have heard rumors saying that he has used other wind jutsu."

"We have also heard that he has been hit, but never injured," Busata told them dubiously. Then he paused, as if remembering, "And one last thing. There has been a young girl sighted in his room, with similar facial features. He might have a daughter or younger sister."

"Which could be part of why he is so loyal to Kabuto," Temari considered aloud.

"Let's find someone else," Shikamaru whispered, "Someone we have an idea how to beat."

The apathetic suggestion came too late. Yama saw them, and his already small eyes narrowed. He dug his fingers into the wall beside him, and tore out a large chunk. He threw the brickwork at them horizontally.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu," Choji's enlarged right arm knocked the projectile away, but he grimaced from the painful effort.

"Akimichi, down," Temari ordered. The stocky youth fell to the dirt as their team leader swung her fan, proclaiming, "Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

Three blades of sharpened air passed between Ino and Shikamaru, and over Choji. They stuck Yama squarely, two in the chest, and one on his right bicep. But the cutting blades merely dimpled his skin, before continuing on to cut a trio of deep furrows in the damaged wall behind the Sound strongman.