Imperfectly Perfect (Naruto FanFic)

Chapter Ten

We all pressed unnoticeably closer to Shri. That's what I loved about our team. We barely needed to talk; we all knew what to do. We worked perfectly together. We knew that we didn't want to tip off the enemy and let them know that we were aware of their presence, but we needed to be more on guard.

Everything was fine until Daisuke's toe triggered a trip wire. He recovered quickly, but by then the damage had been done. Daisuke, Shun, and I jump back to surround Shri, deflecting several shurikan and kunai.

Chuckling runs through the trees, and I finally see our attackers. Bandits. "So, you stopped our attack?" One, who appeared to be the leader, laughs. "That boy has riches. Let's get it," He ordered.

Suddenly he's on the ground in front of us. I blink in surprise. Sensei is standing in front of him, a look of great disdain on his face. He stomps on his chest, causing the leader to cough up blood. "But you're not even twenty... you're just a kid," the man chokes out.

Sensei presses down harder on the man's chest, and I wince as I hear the splintering bones. The man's eyes glaze over, and I know he's dead. "Yes, I am," Sensei agrees amiably, a fierce look on his face.

With a yell all the men jump down, attacking us. About fifteen men converge on us. I deflect a sword, kicking him in the stomach. I throw a kunai, intercepting several weapons that were about to pierce Shun's back. Daisuke cover me as I'm distracted.

Shun jumps over me, protecting Daisuke's weak side, and I naturally slide in his place. We worked like a well oiled machine, as though we'd been doing this for years. We were precisely timed, knowing where we were weak and who needed help.

"Daisuke, Shun!" I shout. They look at me and nod, falling back to protect me. I weave the hand signs, using precise chakra control as I create the genjutsu. "Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness!" I call out.

Immediately the men attacking us falter. A few break out of the genjutsu and attack, but the majority of them were helplessly blind. I take a split second to glance over to Sensei, who was easily fighting off seven or eight men at once, actually smirking in contempt.

With the help of Sensei, we finish off the men. "Great job. Just everyday criminals, but that was wonderful for your first time. You all worked together in perfect sync; you have a natural feel for teamwork. It was amazing to watch,"

We grin proudly. "Shun, great reactions, way to see the weak places. Daisuke, you listened to your teammates and responded well. Fuzen, you did a great job directing your team to where you guys needed help and what to do next. That was an impressive genjutsu as well,"

Compliments from Sensei were rare, but when he gave them out they were true. "Shri, I'm glad we could protect you," He nodded to Shri.

"Thank you," He responded, staring at me. I fight down the blush.

"I can't help but notice you three killed none of the men," Sensei noted.

Shun was the first to speak. "We didn't, well, I didn't want to kill anyone," Shun said. We nodded backing him up.

"Sometimes I forget how young you genin are," Sensei murmurs. "Well, these were just some bandits, no need to worry. It's what we were paid for. Give me a second as I take care of these guys,"

"You were amazing," Shri breathed in my ear. I jump slightly and turn with a smile. He reached up and wiped away some blood from my cheek. I smile slightly.

"Thank you," I glance away. "It helps when you're protecting someone important," The moment I say the words I feel stupid.

"Well, your life is definitely important," He teased. I nod.