Chapter 39: M.I.A

                                    

                                          


                          
"You all stay safe and come home." was Kushina's last words to team seven, three days ago, when the three students left for a simple mission to deliver a message to the Village Hidden in the Sand. The Third Shinobi War had recently come to an end and a peace treaty was struck.
                          
This was supposed to be a simple c-rank mission the three students where to carry out while Minato was away another more dangerous mission, one where he would single-handedly stop thousands of Hidden Rock ninja from infiltrating. 
                          
You see, Minato had left behind his team in their time of grieving. He didn't want to risk their lives again while being enveloped in a mission. So he chose to leave them behind, only on their way to the Land of Wind, team seven was ambushed. 
                          
An ominous mist began to settle. It seeped down from the trees and crawled around their bodies making it hard to see two feet in front of them, it even blocked the afternoon sun. 
                          
 "Kakashi." warned Yuzuki preparing a kunai. 
                          
 "I know." his voice replied from the mist. 
                          
 "Guys?" Rin's voice said. "I can't see."
                          
Yuzuki's sharingan activated allowing her to see the chakra movement of Kakashi and Rin who where only a couple feet in front of her. Kakashi was standing at the ready with his headband lifted from his left eye and Rin stood blinded by the mist. 
                          
There was a movement in the trees catching Yuzuki and Kakashi's attention. "They're in the trees!" said Yuzuki. "Hidden Mist ninja!"
                          
 "What are they doing so far inland?"
                          
 "Formation!" 
                          
The three turned their backs in to form a protective circle. Rin's eyes helplessly scanned the fog with a kunai held out in front of her. A figure dropped from above. Kakashi turned on his heel and pushed Rin out of the way and Yuzuki jumped to met the figure halfway. Her kunai clashed with a masked ninja and he pushed back into the mist. 
                          
 "Rin?" Yuzuki called when she landed on her feet. 
                          
 "I'm here!" her voice seemed distant. "Where's Kakashi-?" before she could finish the sound of cashing metal could be heard. Yuzuki turned on her heel to see the vague chakra outlines of Kakashi engaged in battle. 
                          
A kunai came shooting at Yuzuki and she turned in time to dodge. "Rin!" she called again seeing her body duck behind a tree. 
                          
"Where are you!" she called back. 
                          
 "Just stay there, I'll come to you!"
                          
Several more kunai came flying at the girl, she turned and aggressively deflected the kunai all the while stepping back towards Rin's location. A ninja came flying out of the fog barely giving Yuzuki a reaction time. She leant back and slipped on a stone. Her back collided with a solid form and arms engulfed her. 
                          
 Yuzuki kicked her feet over her head and flipped over the person. She lodged a kunai into his back sitting on his shoulders and the ninja fell to the ground. Yuzuki took her kunai back and blocked the attack of the incomer. 
                          
 The ninja behind the Anbu mask growled irritably. He twisted his kunai out of the lock and attempted to stab the girl. Yuzuki ducked and swung her leg into his side. He stumble and she threw her kunai. He deflected the metal and ran to attack. 
                          
 Rin blindly scanned the fog hearing her teammates fighting. She held a kunai in front of her protectively. A shadow came from the fog and wrapped his arms around her. She yelled out and drove her kunai back into his chest. The Mist ninja fell dropping his grip around her when another came for her.