Tobirama/Kakashi - 9.2
Theme: 022. Enemies ( fanfic100)
Warning: I'm so out of practice, it hurts.
They could not afford to stop for long, but neither did they have sufficient tools on them that they could set up the traps with no more than a handful of kunai throws. It was a mixed effort, the numbers of kunai and explosives left behind expertly calculated factoring in odds of success and time available.
Because of this, none of the traps were incredibly advanced. They were very well hidden, though - not a leaf bent out of place to betray their presence - which gave the two Konoha ninja hope that they would be able to shave one or two from the enemy's number or, at least, delay them long enough to put some distance between them.
All they had done were variations on the Academy's standards - a fact which had led to some brief confusion on Tobirama's part, since, although he had been the one to determine the curricula for the classes taught there, he had not actually learned the techniques himself using the same names as Kakashi. Still, that difficulty was quickly overcome and the inventive twists that Kakashi suggested they add to the basic traps to adapt them to the situation left Tobirama impressed.
They did not stay long enough to admire the network of wires, knifes and explosives that would hopefully catch their pursuers by surprise. Instead, they were once again running through the forest, having decided to slowly circle back to Konoha.
"How did I never realise before what a sadistic bastard you are?" Tobirama commented with a small grin, never slowing down.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Probably because we never trained together before."
"Really? Never?" Kakashi shook his head in response. "Well, we're fixing that as soon as we get back. You left me curious back there to know what other tricks you have hidden up your sleeve."
"Something tells me you might not have to wait that long to find out," Kakashi told Tobirama wrily, thinking of the enemies on their tail.
The white-haired Senju said nothing to that. He trusted Kakashi to determine the correct direction they should take and focused his senses as far behind them as they could reach.
He did not have to wait long to detect a disturbance. "The enemy has triggered the first of the traps," he announced.
"Were they take any of them down?"
"Can't tell without stopping. Here's hoping," Tobirama said, hating that he had to admit that there was a limit to his sensor skills and that this was it.
Five minutes later, neither could detect any sign of the Taki platoon. Each of them were tentatively hoping that they had gotten away and so they agreed to stop so that Tobirama could scout their surroundings. As the older man put his finger down to the ground, much as Kakashi had seen his old teacher Minato do during missions, the young jounin held his breath.
The first few seconds, Tobirama's face betrayed nothing and the sudden quiet was actually jarring after their long run with the wind whipping past them and the blood pounding in their eardrums. Then, his whole body tensed up.
"Damn it, they're still following and they're taking advantage of their greater number to set up a trap for us. They've spread out and split into two groups to get around us and catch us unawares in a pincer move!"
Kakashi immediately followed Tobirama's lead as he started running once more in an unrelentless pace.
"How many of them are there?" he asked.
"I counted six on one side and seven on the other," Tobirama said, for the moment abandoning their attempt to get closer to Konoha in favour of a straight path that would put the greatest possible distance between them and the ANBU.
"That makes thirteen!" Kakashi gasped, pushing himself not to lag behind. "What about the other three?"
"No idea," Tobirama replied through gritted teeth.
It was possible that the traps they had set up were responsible for the missing trio, but something in his gut told him that he should not be so optimistic and, if experience had taught him one thing, that was that there was no place for optimism in the battlefield.
"Be careful, Kakashi," he warned. "They could be anywhere."
Continue...