MIA in Naruto

Chapter Three One Day Before Retirement 

"Hey Akui you said this was your team's final mission before splitting up, why did you decide not to take the chuinin exams again"?

Yeah, I just don't like the direction my family is going. No matter how much my sis tries she isn't making any headway. So I thought it would be just better to quit altogether and get out of the family business you know"?

"Ha ha ha given I am still handling my family's caravan I don't rightly know". 

Seconds later before the flabbergasted ninja could stutter out a response the merchant began again

"I am kidding I am kidding you should have seen the look on your face. Ooowwwch"!

Akui unlike her sister takes more after her BFF. When she wakes up in the morning she chooses violence. Nursing his foot the merchant continued his previous explanation. 

"I was just kidding you honestly might have broken one of my toes. To be honest I do recognize what you are going through, but from your sister's point of view. You see my kids don't want to get into the family business and I don't right hold it against them. It's getting way too dangerous with all these attacks. It's looking a lot like what happened three years ago so a lot of my colleagues and I are thinking it is only a matter of time till the third war. I am mighty proud of them and I plan on selling this caravan and settling down with my grandkids before anything bad happens once we get to Konoha."

"Oh, you have grandkids Haruno-san".

"Just one for now his name is Kizashi but he should be able to graduate from ninja school and I can't wait to spend some time with him I hope you convince him to quit as well before the next war".

"Not sure how well that's going to work cau…"

A great boom shattered the peaceful atmosphere completely disintegrating the front and back wagons of the caravan.

"What the hell"!

"Ninjas"! 

Around Akui and the head merchant two injured ninjas appeared one in a chunien vest and the other not.

"Jiro! Akihiko! What happened"!

"No time we are surrounded It seems like another enemy nation's ANBU. Go open up the road and lead out the civilians we will stall them".

Pulling out the flare Jiro released the rescue flare to alert nearby patrols. All of them locked eyes watching each other's resolve strengthen.

"We should only have to make it 10 minutes maximum before the patrols make it".

Cheekily point out Akihiko.

"Once I get these guys out of here I will come back".

Announced Akui.

"No! There is no way they made it so deep into our territory without help they must have an idea of the patrols and planned around that for this attack. There is no way they are attacking us without a reason nor can we expect reinforcements". 

Nearly all of the cheer Akihiko introduced disappeared under Jiro's assessment.

"Fuck! Yeah Jiro's right! You ought to get out of Akui you have a better chance to escape and to figure this out".

Not letting the dire moon get to Akihiko he tried to lift Akui's spirits. Both Jiro and he knew without speaking they had no chance surrounded and injured but Akui still had a chance.

"Guys"! Akui realizing what the others figured out screamed out in anguish and fury.

"Go! Just look after our parents won't you"?

"You fucking asshole Akihiko you know I would! Haruno-san let's get going I don't want a single one of you guys to die on me. Let's get everybody in one cart and go. Hop hop".

As the merchants filed into the wagon Jiro and Akihiko held back the attack enemy ANBU with the assistance of Akui and her skilled Genjutsus and kunai throwing. 

Emptying her pouches just as everyone made it onto the wagon. 

"Go go go!"

Against all of her desires, she shot off her go-ahead. Haruno kicked the horses into action the wagon broke free from its spot in the middle of the action. 

Sadly all of her assistance only meant her friends could hold off the other ninjas. They were very very well trained against Genjutsus giving no opportunity for her allies to leave any killing blows.

"I'll be back"!

Although she screamed this deceleration both her friends knew she was lying. How they quickly understood she was trying to trick the other ninjas into being wary of her return. Hopefully slowing them down enough to buy time for her escape or their survival.

The only issue before their escape was the burning chunks of the first destroyed wagon in the caravan. With a great fireball Jutsu the final obstacle was cleared and they ran!

The explosions the only sign of the ones she knew like brothers still lived lasted five minutes before disappearing. Gritting her teeth and cracking the railing of the wagon off between her fingers she held herself back so as not the lose the lead the two sacrificed themself for. 

Drawing out the flare gun she sent out a rescue flare. She already made a good distance so although the flares likely wouldn't help and would likely just inform her pursers of her location it might pull a nearby squad coincidently in the area. Not like it would honestly do her any harm the ninjas chasing her knew what road she was traveling down.

After thirty minutes of chasing two of her original attackers appeared and started attacking. Why couldn't she be powerful like her sister or the rest of the clan!

Stalling the two ninjas off the back of the cart only lasted two minutes before the cart exploded.

Crack Crack Crack Crack Crack Crack

Sitting up Akui lost track of her attackers. They weren't atop her like she was expecting. Scanning the area she discovered two corpses in place of where her two attackers stood.

"Wait what! How"!

Falling into an attack stance she started investigating the tree line for either her savior and or additional attackers.

After a quick investigation, she gave up her search the one that could kill two ninjas wanted her dead he could kill her easily given he wasn't showing him probably meant he wasn't planning on it. 

She stopped wasting time with her search and started collecting everyone together so she could start triaging. 

Upon hearing another explosion behind her she turned around several seconds passed by before she heard the faint sound of fighting. She could tell it was a taijutsu match given the sounds of grunts and several strikes of flesh on flesh and vs hard ground. 

Realizing that her savior and one of her attackers were likely fighting over nearly summoned her want to go over and help him and if it wasn't for the groans of the injured at her feet she would have left in a heartbeat.

If she did and the merchants died what would her friend's sacrifice have been for? Standing there with tears of blood she stood prepared for her final stand.

The rustling of leaves was the first sign of her final stand. Prepared a fireball Justus with just a thought the bloody hot tears started streaking down her face. 

Breaking through the bushes the man's movements were fluid not something seen in civilians even with his oblivious limp. Scanning his uniform it was obviously unlike anything she had seen in any of the other ninja villages in the past ninja war. 

But this meant he definitely wasn't one of her attackers likely the one that killed her attackers. Releasing the fire back into chakra she wiped her face before assaying and triaging the rest of the merchants.

After labeling the ones she could save she started with the most server. It was bullshit she was never allowed to study in the medic corps however her team's medic trying to learn what she could of biology her manipulation of yin would make a great medic nin if she could just get the training.

Doing what she could she started to bandages, sew up, and brace. 

Hearing grabbled speech she looked to her savior to find him holding several bags and slowly approaching her. Well, he was probably concussed there was blood coming from his ears it would also explain speech. Ignoring the problem of the confused ninja she focused back on the more immediate concern Haruno-san who was quite literally bleeding out right in front of her.

It was as she was applying pressure she heard a shout behind her trying to get her attention. Was it another ambush? Turning around noting the man right behind her and a bag mid-air, she had not thought in her mind as she released the pressure on the man's leg to catch the bag.

Panic and confusion flowed into mounting anger only visible in her blazing eyes as she watched the concussed man miming opening the bag before pointing at his leg. Drawing one of the kunai from one of the several "Strategically Transferred Equipment To Alternate Location" pouches. Then pointed at his leg.

She almost lost it and attacked him once she saw him pulling out a kunai but she noticed the black blood dripping from his leg.

Promptly opening the bag she noticed it was filled with vials of poison and medicine from her village. 

How he got it didn't matter. If these were any other village's medicine she wouldn't have known what were the antivenoms and what where the hemostatic and blood-replenishing supplies were.

Looking back at the soldier's wound and back into the bag she compared the available venoms and poisons inside with his wound and the corresponding medicine before tossing him the blood-soaked pill. 

She was quite literally just putting pressure on a man's leg to prevent him from bleeding out. However, she now got ahold of some good medicine keeping the rest of the bag she ripped out the life-saving medications and started re-prioritizing those who were black and who she could save with the use of the expensive ninja supplies.

As she worked away down the line helping her clients she heard the heavy clunk of another bag. Turning her head to her surprise between the patients she noticed the man left another bag. Scrambling over she opened the second bag. Filled solely with medicine it had nearly twice as much as the previous bag. Then it hit her where the fire nation medicine came from. 

Compartmentalizing that information she remembered the mention of possible spies in the village the medicine didn't mean it was her village's ninjas behind the attack the spy might just have supplied them.

Her rationalization no matter how reasonable only stoked the fire of her realization. She needed to focus on what she could so she was suppressing her feelings only for her eyes to begin to burn she held back the building tears. 

With a few deep breaths, she began to pull her mind from the stressful spiral. As she felt her breath begin to calm she heard an enemy enter the clearing.

Snapping around heart beating once more out of her chest she met the sheepish eyes of her savior trying to disappear with a disappointing shuffle into the woods.

As she stared eyes wide waiting for her heart to slow she was emotionally torn in multiple directions. 

Yes, he just saved her and gave her all those supplies but he didn't even wait to talk to her and now he was just to leave.

A good part of her was left angered that he dismissed her distressing situation.

Another part was understanding as this wasn't his business but he interfered at great risk of himself even though he most certainly was on a mission of his own and risked his completion to help her.

Finally, the hardest emotion to resist was breaking the surface of her forced calm, and it was called mirth. 

She quite literally nearly lost it and cracked when he deepened his voice and mumbled out an uninterruptible apology before disappearing into the woods.

Turning back she suppressed her worry for her savior and his likely horrid concussion as well the mirth of his childish behavior.

After closing her eyes and centering herself her mood dropped and her mentality focused on fixing up her injured clients.

It wasn't till she was halfway through caring for the wounded did she noticed not all the moans of pain came from her party and some came from where the uniquely dressed ninjas went.

After she finished all the red patients she didn't hear the moans anymore and assumed his allies found and helped him shrugging she continued.

It wasn't till everyone was green that the nagging in the back of her mind pushed her into deciding to investigate where he went just to make sure everything turned out alright.

When she looked in the the bushes from the road she noticed a powerful flashlight aimed down at the blood leg of the ninja.

Moving silently so as not to provoke a response from the ninja she came up to check on his condition.

He seemed pretty out of it but the stitching technique seemed we'll practice if not fully straight or perfectly aligned. Given the environment and the fact he did it himself, it was great.

Exploring the rest of his camp her eyes had a hard time making anything out due to the strength of the light messing with her dark vision.

Grabbing the light she attempted to turn it off. The man would most certainly thank her later for saving the batter of such a good flashlight.

Cough 

Upon hearing a cough and a few mumbled words she became aware he awoken. Blushing she flashed the light in his eyes subconsciously. 

It was then her fluster from being caught messing with his stuff turned to disgust when he vomited right next to her feet.

She almost decided to throw his stupid flashlight at his face but his angry tone steadied her hand and reminded her she was the one looking through his stuff. 

Upon realizing what the man was asking for he expertly cleared his camp and swiped away any signs he was there even going as far as mixing and then covering any of his lost blood with dirt.

She felt flustered as she tried to help him up right away only to be ignored. 

It was completely obvious that a ninja would clean and hide traces of his camp and passing. Upon helping him up once he finished she realized he was quite heavy with all his gear. 

A part of her wanted to make conversation on the way back to the road but about what? 

"What's in your bag? That is quite heavy have you thought of getting any scrolls?"

As they made their way back the the merchants all her attempts to make small talk were ignored.

It wasn't bad at first but when he straight stop she started to get upset. Looking at him for understanding undead of saying anything he started fucking miming once again!

First, he grabbed his throat and mimicked silently talking before placing his hands over his ears. Following that he pointed at himself in a fighting stance than the injured merchant's before pointing at her and then down the road in the direction the wagon was heading.

What the fuck was he talking is he still deafened? What the hell is all that about fighting and her going somewhere? Why wouldn't they wait for reinforcements it's true that they were delayed but she just released another flare not long ago there is no way any spy could shift patrols that long and not be under serious investigation.

"Is your head head ok"?

"Look at me let me check your eye"?

"Hey, stop I think you are suffering from a head injury can you stand still"?

"Hey stop I said stop"!

"Why won't you listen I know you can hear me just look at me"!

Cough

Yanking the man to face her she started to shake the unsteady severely concussed man who just spoke four distinct and rhythmic tones of gibberish. 

"What wait what the fuck! No no what the fuck are you talking about. Stop speaking nonsense what the fuck was all that just about! Don't you dare walk away when I am talking to you! Stop no wait don't I say stop"!

As Akui chased after the ninja more gibberish left his mount but this time she found instead the admonishment in his tone. 

The shame of handling a man so obviously suffering from some kind of head injury pushed her to silence. However, not the merchants after they realized the situation due to her outburst.

Frantically she shook her head pushing aside the occasional inappropriate ideas that appeared when she tried to think how to apologize to the man that you couldn't communicate with.

He seemed to be fed up with the lack of action as with a slight push he broke her out of her downward spiral and marched right through her.

Stepping aside out of his way she meekly followed thinking more and more of NSFW ways to show him how much she appreciated his help and was getting more and more upset with the intrusive thought. 

The mission literally just saw seven deaths two of which were as close as brothers to her. And the fact she could beat away her horny was severely upsetting her.

Maybe he could solve the mystery of why he couldn't speak and then he could explain how she could get him to forgive her. Suppressing a grown of anger and a small bit of lust they made it 7 feet from the corpses of her attackers.

Only for the patrol to finally arrive! Only an hour after they were needed!

Being pushed back the ninja parked himself in front of her in a combat stance drawing his oddly shaped kunai from his leg mount. Was he going to attack the patrol?

"wait wait it's best not to do that".

Completely ignoring her warning even if it might be unintelligible to him didn't make her any less upset but the man began to approach the ninjas talking in a belligerent tone.

"What the fuck are you doing what the fuck". Whisper shouting over to the man she watched as all the ninja's attention shifted to her she tried to keep a calm tone as she started screaming on the inside.

"Well, you see he doesn't understand what we are saying. I am not sure if he was hit in the head too hard but let's all just calm down. He just killed a whole three-man squad of enemy ANBU with only a head and leg wound. The first two was even an instantaneous kill so I think it would be best if we all calmed down I can explain what's happening here."

With a nod, from the least dressed Aburame member she had ever seen, proving he was either in charge or had permission to speak for the group she began.

"First things first were on our way where am used by six ninjas hiding their faces and headbands. My two squad mates and I separated thirty minutes down the road and I have been releasing flare interminably every half an hour. It's been an hour and a half since the first contact. Where the fuck were you"!

It was then her blood ran cold

"Boss I think isn't human it was no chakra no Tenketsu points I can't even sense any mental energy I don't think it's even alive. I certainly don't see any chakra strings puppeting it".

With a quick step, everyone was horrified by the creature in front of them. The man seemly realizing his ruse was up and prepared his kunai to attack but she didn't let him take out any of her village's ninjas and stepped back in with a quick right hook

Beyond everyone's predictions, he just collapsed.

Leaving all in confusion and uncertainty as they just stood there staring at the unconscious man crumpled in a heap over himself his Kunai flung aside beside him. Doubt and guilt started creeping in so she hesitantly reached down to check his pulse.