Alone No More

Before It All Began

"We're completely surrounded," Ryo whispered, as the three Leaf shinobi are back-to-back. While the cloud ninja circled them, cutting off any chance of escape.

Dark clouds covered the moon, making the already dimly lit forest turn pitch black, to where they could only see a few of the Cloud Shinobi silhouettes. Taiki spoke with a humorless smile, "well, guys. This might be our last hooray, so let's give them one hell of a show."

The three Leaf Shinobi quickly prepared themselves for their final stand. While three of the twelve enemy shinobi making up the three Cloud Shinobi squads charged towards them. However, just as the two groups were about to make contact, Kado watched with wide eyes as a figure entered into the fray. The newcomer wasted no time dispatching the first Cloud Shinobi, with a kunai to the neck and the second with a stabbed through the heart with their own kunai. The third Cloud Shinobi put the figure into a headlock, only to get an elbow jabbed in the ribs, and a bone-crunching stomp on foot, making the Shinobi cry out and release the figure. Only for the figure, to slap a paper bomb to the third Shinobi's armored vest and using a chakra-infused kick to the gut sending the enemy back towards other Cloud Shinobi.

The Fujino's eyes narrowed at the sudden light of the explosion, as the paper bomb went off. He could see the of a female figure, standing where the fighting had just accrued. Slowly, she turned her head towards them, as the light reflected on her hitai-ate. Highlighting the engraved symbol, of the Hidden Leaf Village and the bloody kunai in her hand. The moon comes out behind the clouds illuminating the forest with its soft light letting Kado see the women, who possibly saved their lives. The woman appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties. She had wavy light brown hair that barely reached her shoulders with her leaf headband tied around her forehead and wearing a standard jonin uniform. However, her vest wasn't green but grey and designed like the vests the Leaf Anbu wear. Her porcelain skin almost seemed to glow in the moonlight, except for the beauty mark was under her the right corner of her light brown eyes.

However, when the kunoichi opened her mouth, the other nine Cloud Shinobi charged at her, clearly seeing her more as a threat than the other Leaf Shinobi. Kado was about to rush over to aid the Leaf kunoichi when a man with silver hair and a glowing white tanto entered the fray. The Fujino's eyes widened and mouth slightly parted, as he watched the beautiful dance of death. While the two newcomers worked together in perfect sync, as they continued to cut down the remaining nine Cloud Shinobi. That's when the Fujino recognized that the man was none other than Sakumo Hatake, the infamous shinobi known as the White Fang of the Leaf. Kado felt a child-like giddiness form in the bottom of his stomach since this was the first time, he has seen the Hatake fight let alone accompany with on a mission.

"What the hell?" Kado heard Taiki spoke out, confusion heavy in his voice, as they watched the pair fight with strength and grace that far exceeds their own and the other nine shinobi.

"Thank goodness, we made it in time!" A relieved but familiar voice rang out, as two more newcomers appeared out of the dark forest running towards them.

"Kosuke Maruboshi? Reiji Kudo?" Ryo almost stuttered out in shock, then asked, "what are you all doing here?"

"We heard the fighting, and Akari and Sakumo identified your scent. So, we came to back you up," Kosuke answered with his katana in hand and a wok strapped to his back, like armor. While Reiji studied Kado and his team for injuries, who were all watching as Sakumo impaled the heart of the last Cloud Shinobi with white light chakra saber. The kunoichi wiped the blood off her kunai before putting it in her holsters, as she made her way over to the group of leaf shinobi.

"I see. Thank you for the assistance," Kado replied with a grateful incline of his head. After the shock of what happened in the past minute faded.