Summoner Nin

Page 35: Rookie Nine

Summoner-nin

Part Four: The Rookie Nine

Chapter Five

Her feet dug rivets into the sand as she spun to avoid the hit. Unlike her teammates—brains and brawn—Hinata had only her agility and quick instincts to guide her body during a battle. With a quick inhale, her palm came forward to press aside Shino's fist while her other hand gently redirected Kiba's kick. A sharp exhale and she jumped back, evading Akamaru's tackle and effectively clearing the way for the dog-nin to crash into the boys.

Shino was quick enough to avoid the dog.

Kiba... not so much.

"What the-!" That was all the Inuzuka could get out before being barrelled down by his best friend, sending them both rolling, tussling, colliding into the ground.

Shino and Hinata paused from their sparring to watch their teammates make a mess of the battleground, sand spraying through the air, sticks flying every which way, and grass fraying along the edges. Unfortunately for Hinata, who was distracted by the adorable way Akamaru was sand-sneezing, she soon found herself on her back, Shino pressing a blunt kunai to her neck. She had felt him coming, but a little too late.

Gratified and light-hearted from her teammates' success (Shino) and hilarity (Kiba and Akamaru), Hinata smiled up at Shino in congrats. In response, Shino nodded at her acknowledgement, his happiness masked only by his high collar, but not in the way Hinata and Kiba could read him. While Kiba was busy spitting sand and debris from his mouth, Shino withdrew his kunai and helped Hinata to her feet. For Team 8, Hinata's defeat was not new, and neither was Kiba and Akamaru's lack of frequency. But the length of the spar before it came to an abrupt and light-hearted end was new—they were becoming better and better at holding each other off.

Hinata glowed at their progress.

She was roused from her thoughts when Shino chuckled, quiet and almost inaudibly, at Kiba. The Inuzuka was cursing, albeit in hasty whispers as no one wanted Hinata to catch them, as he shook his head violently to rid his tresses of sand. This was, of course, followed by a mimicking Akamaru, shaking his whole body and sending a sand-cloud up into the air. Shino found it funny when the sand from the dog-nin's fur landed promptly, and predictably, into Kiba's hair.

"Hey!" Kiba complained, scowling and scratching his head like mad. When he retracted his hand, a small pile of sand sat innocently in his palm. He winced, and then looked to Shino and Hinata for help. "Mom's gonna kill me for this mess."

Hinata gave a sympathetic smile and rushed over to help Kiba comb the sand from his hair. Akamaru stepped back, grinning with his tongue lolling from his maw. He didn't think he did anything wrong.

Shino fixed his sunglasses—off by a millimetre after the spar—and glanced at the empty spot below one of the oak trees. It stood on higher ground, a beneficial position that gave the observer a good vantage point over the beach and brook. The one who usually claimed the spot was not yet present, which discomfited Team 8, although they did not show it to each other.

They felt it nevertheless.

"Kurenai-sensei should be here by now." Kiba was unafraid to give voice to their concerns, shifting the accepted disquiet to chafing anxiousness.

"I-It has been a half an hour," Hinata agreed, eyebrows furrowing. When they had met for training that morning, Kurenai hadn't shown. Out of loyalty and trust, Team 8 had decided to continue with their stretches and spar, hoping that their sensei would arrive. But she had not. Hinata knew that if anything had truly gone wrong, Shino would have signalled for it. He had planted kikaichu on all their persons.