Chronicles of the Hidden and Lost: Chapter 1

"This way. The Village should be nearby." A group of shinobi from Konoha nodded grimly as they ran quickly through the forest. They were on a mission and they had to move quickly; if detected or discovered, not only were their lives in jeopardy but they knew that things would go downhill for everyone involved as well. With this as incentive, the group of eight ninjas picked up speed as they neared their target.

Their mission was very simple: as relations had soured between the Five Great Shinobi Countries and the Five Hidden Countries of the Shinobi, Konoha had decided to act before there was any chance of anyone from the Five Hidden Countries of the Shinobi doing so. So the Village had sent a squad of high-ranking ninjas to investigate the activities of one of the nearby rivals, the Country of the Muddy Waters and the Village Hidden in the Swamps. These eight shinobi were merely spies and information gatherers.

The leader, a masked individual with a sword, ground to a halt in a clearing. "How far are we from the Village?" He asked one of his comrades softly. As the ninja answered, the others spread out, either scouting ahead or making sure no one was nearby. They couldn't get caught here and were determined not to by any means possible.

However skilled the group was, they had missed something. On the far side of the clearing, far away from the group, sat a large boulder near the trees. Behind the boulder sat two shinobi, with a third sitting in the branches of the trees behind it. As the shadows and boulders hid them, they had thus remained out of sight. The Konoha shinobi, however, hadn't escaped their notice and the trio were busy recording their presence in their territory.

"...what are they doing here, boss?" One of the shinobi, named Giro asked from behind the rock as he looked up at his boss in the tree. He had short blonde hair with a streak of black, worn spiked with gel. His eyes were blue and his skin was very pale. Thin in stature, he wore a sleeveless top with a raised collar, a pair of pants covered in pockets with a belt with several bags on them and the typical ninja sandals. The outfit was colored a mix of brown and emerald green. His forehead protector was worn in the typical style, like a headband, with the metal plate with the engraving of a lake on it.

"I don't know. But Konoha scum ain't welcome here." The other shinobi behind the rock, a young man the same age as the other one behind the rock, frowned as he watched the Konoha ninjas. Unlike the other ninja, he had longer black hair. Like the first, his hair was streaked, this time with white. His eyes were thinner and colored chocolate brown, with his skin of a bronze tan. Slightly muscular, he wore a top that resembled a short-sleeved shirt, with a pair of shorts, sandals and his forehead protector around his arm like a sweatband. The predominant colors were, like the first ninja, brown and emerald green. A toothpick was stuck in his mouth as he looked around. His name was Kyoji.

"...right, boys. We can't let them wander any closer to the village." The third member of the team dropped off the branch, landing silently behind them. He was a far more muscular shinobi then the other two, with a big tough chest and thick arms and legs. His head was shaved bald. Eyes as gray and flinty as could be, cold and harsh and his skin was a dark brown, dark from hours in the sun and being outside. His face bore a deep scar under the left eye which was shaped like an X, while other deep scars covered his arms and torso, all obtained from other battles he had fought. His outfit consisted of a brown top, sleeveless, worn under a vest of emerald green, a pair of dark brown pants with metal kneepads, the typical sandals and the forehead protector loose around his neck.

"What about Yata? Where is he?" The first member asked with a frown as he crossed both arms. Yata was his older brother and a member of the team; unfortunately, there was no sign of him anywhere nearby. The third figure frowned as well before shrugging.

"Don't matter. He's not wanted if he won't come. Let's just deal with them now." He cracked a knuckle. "Remember, Giro, you go for the ones on the left. Kyoji, take those on the right. I'll take center." The man grinned as his comrades nodded.

"Let's give 'em a loud swamp roar! Hyahhhhh!" With a yell, the one named Giro leapt out from behind the rock and ran at the closest three Konoha ninjas. Despite their training, the trio was clearly caught off guard as they scrambled to draw their weapons. As he neared, Giro held both hands out and atms parallel to the ground. Both hands were with palms facing out, a brown glow of chakra surrounding the hands.

"See how you handle the hiden of the Isutachi clan! Medusa Palms!" As he neared the Shinobi, screaming the entire time, the ninjas drew a bunch of kunai and tried to throw them at him. One connected, hitting his shoulder and drawing blood. Flinching, he gritted his teeth as the distance closed between him and the foes, the rest flying past him.

"To hell with you!" As soon as he was right near the foes, he struck by leaping into the air and kicking, sending one of the shinobi flying before he could react. His companions reached for another kunai each but before they could act, Giro grabbed each of their throats and flung them to the ground. Stunned, the duo were unable to react as he knelt besides them and planted a hand on each of their chests.

"Y-You damned Swamp bas-" One of the shinobi started before he felt a tightening inside his lungs and body. "W-what did you do to me!?!" He yelled, trying to move but his body wouldn't react.

"Too bad you Konoha weaklings get to experience it this way but it's all for the better. You see, my clan's Hiden is special. By flooding your tenketsus with my earth chakra, I can overcome your own chakra." A wicked smirk crossed Giro's face as the two men struggled weakly to resist, the glowing chakra from his hands flowing into the men. "And as my chakra flows into you, it interacts with your tenketsus, closing them and even affecting the cells of your body, turning you to stone from the inside out. A cruel way to go but one you Konoha traitors deserve!"

"Ahhh! N-no, you monster!" The two tried to resist but by now, the glow that was on Giro's hands could be seen emerging from the shinobi. Pain filled them before they mercifully passed out, every cell reacting to the chakra flowing from Giro and into them. Eventually, within a few seconds, their skin began turning to stone. A flinty tone covered their skin and their movements faded to nothing. Not even their chest could be seen moving, no sign of either breath or pulse on either ninja as they were eventually turned into statues of their former selves.

"N-no! Die!" The third shinobi, recovered, ran back at Giro with kunai drawn. Frowning, the ninja turned and faced the oncoming foe. He reached down and grabbed a branch off the ground, holding it like a large hammer.

"Medusa Palms!" Chakra flowed from him into the branch, turning it into hard stone quickly. As the ninja approached, Giro dug his feet in and swung as quick as he could, smashing the oncoming foe across the front and sending him flying backwards, landing on his back as he was knocked cold. Stepping over him, Giro smiled a wicked grin. "Goodbye." And having said that, he planted his hand firmly on the foe's chest...
---
"No escape for anyone from Konoha! Dieee!" A scream filled the air opposite the field as Kyoji rushed at his thee targets. His startled foes quickly hopped back and began signing as fast as they could. Seeing this spurred Kyoji on and he tried to pick up speed before the shinobi could get their jutsus out.

He had no such luck, though, as the three pointed out at him and inhaled. Suddenly exhaling, three large fireballs flew like lightning towards Kyoji. "Shoot!" Cursing, he quickly signed as quickly as he could in response, coming to a stop as the fireballs flew right at him. "U-ugh, here goes..!" Finishing signing, he ducked and laid a hand on the ground just as the fireballs reached him. An explosion ensured and for a minute, all that could be seen was a cloud of dust, fire and smoke.

The three shinobi stood on guard, watching the cloud nervously as they waited for it to fade. Suddenly, a large ball of what looked like watery mud flew into the air, above the shinobi, before coming flying downwards and slamming into the ground between the trio. The impact sent mud flying everywhere, blinding the foes and sending them flying apart from each other as the ball collided with the ground.

As the cloud faded, it revealed what appeared to be a large orb of mud. The front had been baked as hard as dried clay by the fireballs, while the back had only been semi-hardened. A sudden impact from inside the orb shattered the front and Kyoji stumbled out. His front was singed, as was his hair, and he had a few minor burns on his arms and torso. "Ugh...didn't get the barrier up in time."

The stunned shinobi were recovering and a frown crossed Hyoji's face. "Earth Release, Mud Needles no Jutsu!" He hissed as he signed as quickly as he could.  Quickly, he stomped the ground beneath him, a cloud of dust and dirt rising around him. Sticking his hand into the cloud, the dust immediately around his hand began to change into mud. With flicks of his fingers, he send needles made of chakra-enhanced mud at the foes.

"W-we'd never fall for such a pathetic trick like that!" One of them yelled as the trio regrouped, dodging the needles with ease. A smirk crossed Kyoji's face and he signed again, before slamming his hands onto the ground.

"Talk about idiots...you just fell for the trick I had planned. Earth Release, Quagmire no Jutsu!" Instantly, the ground under the feet of the Konoha shinobi began to roil into a marshy quagmire, which began sucking the trio down into it. "Oh, and you three shouldn't have come here. We don't tolerate Konoha weaklings." Harsh laughs escaped Kyoji as he watched the three shinobi panic, struggling to escape but only sinking quicker. Once the trio had disappeared beneath the surface of the quagmire, Kyoji smirked and ran off.
---
"Where are the others?" The remaining two shinobi from Konoha looked around, seeing no sign of their comrades. It was about time for the group to move on and the leader was getting antsy.  Both of them looked up as a shadow approached as a muscular man walked calmly over, stopping a few feet away.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Some cowards who think they can reach the Village Hidden in the Swamp, eh?" The man cracked his knuckles as the leader drew a katana, both shinobi remaning calm.

"Who are you? And why are you here?" The shinobi from Konoha continued looking around for their allies as the man laughed harshly. It was clear that he didn't want them passing him.

"I don't feel like revealing who I am. But it won't matter. You two won't get a step closer to the Village. After all, Konoha isn't welcome here. Never has been and never will." The smile that had crossed the man's face faded as he watched the shinobi before him nervously begin advancing.

"S-stay back!" The two shinobi facing the man let out a yell before charging, running at high speed right at the figure. The man merely crossed his arms again, watching the duo charge at high speed. Closing his eyes as they neared, he didn't seem to respond aside from a quick sign as the Konoha shinobi grew nearer and nearer. With a yell, the leader pulled his arm back and stabbed, intending on running the man through with his katana.

However, to the shock of both shinobi, there was a snapping sound and a shower of sparks. The katana's blade shattered as the man removed his vest and top, revealing a layer of what looked like black steel. Both shinobi ground to a halt as the man grinned wickedly. "Steel Release...a metal far tougher then anything you can throw out." Holding one arm out, he watched with satisfaction as the black metal flowed down his arm, covering his hand and fist like a gauntlet as he clenched it tightly.

"Surprise." And suddenly, he vanished. Moving so quickly he couldn't be seen, as the metal receeded from his torso, he reappeared behind the stunned ninja. "Open Palm, Iron Strike!" He roared as he unclenched his fist, then slammed the palm into the face of the ninja next to the lead shinobi. The result was the equivalent of smacking someone in the face with a frying pan; there was a loud noise and the ninja went flying, rolling across the ground before coming to a stop facedown. A puddle formed underneath his head as the other ninja leapt back in shock.

"Now you see what I meant, no?" The man got up and began advancing towards the shinobi, who didn't seem as confident now as he retreated a bit. Fear could be plainly seen on his face as the man calmly strode towards him. Without another word, the man vanished again as he ran past the shinobi at high speed. As the foe turned to follow him, he leapt into the air to the point that he momentarily blocked out the sun.

"Iron Strike, Guillotine Axe Kick!" As the man dove, his leg became covered in the steel now as it faded from his arm. With a flip, the man dove towards the shinobi. As he neared, he raised his leg and brought  it down, smashing into the opponent as a massive cloud of dust rose, surrounding him and the downed foe. When the dust faded, a crater was left behind as the man got to his feet unsteadily, without any sign of the opposing ninja.

As he climbed out of the crater, Giro entered the clearing, pulling the kunai from his shoulder. And from the opposite direction, Kyoji walked over, brushing dome dust off his uniform as he did. The trio smiled a bit as they survayed the destruction around them, satisfied with their victory. "That wasn't too bad. Konoha weaklings are weaklings." Kyoji smirked as he stretched a bit.

"Still, we can't take this lightly, even if they are from Konoha." The man frowned as he stretched, the steel vanishing from sight as he did so. "We need to inform the Kage that Konoha has taken action." With grim nods, the trio ran off, leaving the clearing behind as they sprinted towards their Village.
---
"...you say that Suna attacked our forces?" A young woman with long silver hair frowned as she leaned on the wall behind her. Her arms were crossed before her, dark skin contrasting with her light hair and her lively green eyes. She was thin and curvy and yet she was very flat-chested. Her outfit consisted of a bandeau top of bandages, with a skirt that came down to barely above her knees, the sandals she wears including straps that rise up her shins. A jacket was worn, with long sleeves, big shoulders and it easily came down to her ankles. Instead of the forehead protector worn by most shinobi and kunoichi, she wore a hat with a cloth that emerged from the back and went down her upper back, with a small slot for the ponytail her hair was in.

"Yes, Lady Lunalei." A ninja knelt before her with a frown on his face. "It would seem that Suna seeks nothing more then to crush us. Their brutality in attacking our border outpost..." He trailed off as the Kage before him sighed deeply and got up from behind the desk she sat at. Though only twenty-five, the stress of her position made her appear to be older then she actually was. She had only been Kage of the Village of the Eternal Flame for a little while and thus, she was unused to the political nuances of the position.

"I-I do not understand. Why has Suna begun attacking us again?" She frowned as she began pacing before the messenger. She was deeply unsure of how to respond. "Did you send an envoy?" She asked softly. The messenger frowned and nodded with a grim look on his face.

"Our messengers never arrived at Suna, they were assaulted and killed before reaching there." He replied. A heavy sigh escaped Lunalei again and she felt tears rising inside. She knew she shouldn't and couldn't cry in front of anyone from her village, so she waved to dismiss the messenger. "Please...leave me.."

Nodding, the messenger saluted and left. Once he was gone, she sank down behind the desk, head down. She began sobbing, her slender frame trembling violently. Ever since she had become the Kage, she didn't understand why things kept happening to her and the Village. They had once been allies with Konoha and Suna and the rest but since the events of the Great Failed Uprising, things had long gone downhill. Another war was something she did not want at any cost but it seemed less and less that was a possibility.

The door then opened slowly and footsteps were heard as a figure entered the room. "I told you to g-oh. Mask." She sniffled as she tried to rub as many of the tears away as she could. Her older brother sighed as he watched her try to compose herself. The sight of his sister crying was a sadly familiar one to him. Though he had been the one to be named Kage, Mask had turned it down, claiming he wasn't the best candidate. And his sister had been selected in his place, a decison he was now regretting.

"Hey, sis. You seem bothered." He frowned and walked over to her as she looked up. Standing with hs arms crossed, he watched her sit up and sigh deeply. She looked like a mess as she got up and hugged him, burying her face in his chest.

"It i-is just...S-suna is apparently a-attacking..." She said softly. "I do n-not want another w-war. Bloodshed a-and...everything else." Feeling her tremble, Mask hugged her tightly. He knew full well the position she was in and the difficulties she faced. But the truth of the matter, or so he thought, was that she had no choice but to learn to toughen up. She couldn't afford to mess up now, when the Village needed her the most.

"I know but that's what happens sometimes. Our former allies decide we're not worthy of working with them and well, they try to cut us loose. Therefore, it might be necessary to get our forces together and prepared in case of ambush." Lunalei bit her lip at his words, though she knew them to be true. "You know that's what we have to do." Mask said with a serious nod.

"Fine. Go get our forces ready. I will compose myself." With a nod and a bow, Mask smiled softly as he turned and left the room quickly. Behind him, Lunalei frowned softly as she looked out a nearby window. Clenching her fist, she quickly turned to follow her brother.