'Shinobi Odyssey' Chapter 3 Preview Scene #1

Kakashi, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino were crouching in the tall reeds lining the bank of a lake that straddled the Fire/Rain border. In the distance, the towers of Hinanjo were barely visible through the heavy rainfall. It had been nearly two days since they departed Konoha. Kakashi had been true to his word; he had run the two chuunin into the ground trying to catch up to Jiraiya. Unfortunately, their efforts had been in vain. The Toad Sannin had too great of a head start for the three ninjas to catch up. And now, they’d also lost his trail at the edge of the lake.

Kiba turned to the masked jonin with a haggard expression on his face. “So now what?”

Kakashi looked out over the lake the rain poured down the only signs of life was a lone duck floating on the surface of the water. “We cross the border. We’ve come this far, seems a shame to turn back now.”

The three shinobi and one ninja dog started to make their way down to the water. However, before they reached the water’s edge, the duck vanished in a splash. The back and head of a twenty-foot long crocodile surfaced and started to swim away, only to disappear in a thunderous explosion when the large reptile brushed against an underwater mine. Searchlights mounted atop a camouflaged lookout tower located on a small island midway between the shore and the city switched on and began sweeping the surface of the water. A boat could be seen in the distance leaving one of the city’s docks, most likely headed for the shore to investigate the site of the blast.

“Perhaps it would be advisable to cross the border at a different location,” Shino wryly suggested as bits of smoking crocodile meat rained down upon the group.

“Now why would we want to do that?” Kakashi asked while eying the boat headed their way with his uncovered Sharingan. “Especially when they’re kind enough to send a nice, big boat for us to use.”