Ino Blink of the Eye

11: The hunt for a traitor – Ino is in danger.

Ino walked down the street and waved to the people she knew. It was a beautiful Summer day, and she was enjoying a solid week off of missions.
She had just returned from visiting Shinja and was now on her way home. As she passed the ramen stand she heard a familiar voice and stopped to see what was going on.
“I tell you that he was called into the Hokage’s office so we aren’t gonna get to train today.” Konohamaru said, as he slurped his bowl of beef ramen.
“But, he promised to teach me that cool way to kick today. I don’t believe you, Konohamaru.” Udon said, stirring his miso soup.
“Yeah, he was just training this morning and he said he was going to see us after lunch. I think you are all talk.” Moegi added, not to be left out.
“It’s not that he doesn’t want to, but that mean old Tsunade-baachan is always sending him on special missions that he can’t take us on. I wish he would, cause I had fun on that last big mission.”
“What are you all doing?” Ino asked as she stood under the awning and looked over the youths.
“Just having lunch.” Moegi said.
“Sounds more like a fit of complaining. I’ll tell you what, if Genma-sensei can’t train you today, I will.” She said as they all stared up at her.
“Can you teach us how to kick a piece off of the stump? Genma told me that I had to be able to do it before he would teach me any more jutsus.” The leader of the three asked.
Ino nodded and they quickly downed the remains of their lunches. “Let’s go Log Lady.”
And they were off to the training field.

After an hour, Konohamaru had still not managed to even break off a chip, and he was tired.
Moegi and Udon were sparing as Ino watched and the grandson of the Sandaime snuck under a bush to hide from the slave driver and take a rest. In no time at all he was gently snoring and lost to the rest.
Ino stopped the two to correct Udon’s stance and as she turned to go stand in the shade and watch, she was surprised to find a familiar and unwanted face staring straight at her.
“Iyashi! How did you get out?” she asked as the medic ninja traitor raised his hand and poked a sharp object into Ino’s arm. Ino sunk to the ground unconscious.
“That doesn’t matter, bitch. What matters is that I have a hostage or two to make my getaway. You two, come here now!” He said and the two genin stared at the man.
“What did you do to Ino-san?” Moegi asked, looking at the fallen girl.
“You don’t need to worry about her. Just do as you are told and you’ll all be okay. Now, come with me.” He said as he tossed Ino over his shoulder and headed away from the village.
Konohamaru had woken up when he heard the sound of Moegi crying. It wasn’t unusual for her to cry, but not during training. The girl had learned that training was for grown ups and grown ups don’t cry.
He watched the traitor from his vantage and kept his silence. He couldn’t stop the man, but he could get help if he knew what was happening.
When the medic led the children off, he squirmed out of his hole and ran through the trees. He kept the group ahead of himself and kept down wind of them. Somehow he would figure out how to get help, but he couldn’t lose sight of them until then.

Genma had followed the man’s trail into the woods and then lost it. He was frustrated and couldn’t believe that a mere medic could lose him in his own territory. Genma knew these woods like his own bedroom; he had spent more time here, too.
He scanned the undergrowth one more time and finally noticed something he hadn’t before.
“Damn.” He shouted, turning back towards the village and hoping to get there on time.

Konohamaru was tired and it didn’t seem as if the medic was going to be slowing soon. The only reason he was able to keep up is because the man had taken two others his own age hostage and was carrying the log lady. The boy stopped to catch his breath and watched the distance grow between himself and the man.
“He’s not letting Moegi rest. He’s gonna make her sick, this way.” The boy said to himself as he took out a kunai and marked the tree trunk near him.
His series of marks would possibly lead a rescue team to them, if anyone discovered them missing. He could only hope that someone happened upon the scratches and realized what their purpose was.
He stood up and rushed forward intent on keeping the fleeing kidnapper in his sights.

When Ino finally woke, she found herself bound and pushed up to a tree. Her hands behind her back were confined in something that felt like cloth. She couldn’t move her fingers and therefore couldn’t do any Jutsu that came to mind.
Iyashi returned to the camp set up with the two children loaded down with firewood. He pointed to a place and told them to put the wood there.
Then he bound the little girl and boy back to back and began to make a fire.
“I know you, Ino. You’re wondering about your hands. It’s a trick Kabuto taught me. I keep a very large glove on me, and use it to detain your fingers before tying your wrists together. It’s a very effective method. Kabuto has the other glove to the set. Without your fingers I can keep you from using most of your defenses against me.
“You are very smart, Iyashi. Now let me go. I wasn’t even thinking of using genjutsu against you. I just wanted to talk.”
“It’s not like you can’t do that, and don’t try to out smart me. It isn’t your strongest ability.”
“Yeah, well at least I’m not a traitor and a babynapper.” Ino said, “Why don’t you let the kids go? They aren’t any threat to you.”
“Yeah, well they are my ticket back to Kabuto. And the girl is a little young, but in another year she’ll be perfect for the experiment. If we haven’t found anyone else by then, she will do. Kabuto will teach the boy, or kill him. It all depends on his moods. I get you, cause Kabuto don’t swing that way. See it will all work out fine.”
“You are not only a traitor, you’re as crazy as that madman.”

:::There should have been more to this, but I will hook it into the next chapter


Vashta - Never assume anything. But we'll see. I guess you could call it intuition, or the fact that Ino was pregnant in the beginning of the Not you, Too! story. But, they haven't even fallen in love, give me some space here to get there.

Ruka - I love to please. Here is another chapter and some pocky to eat as you patiently wait for the next.

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