Nori could hear one of the other ninja coming up to meet him, and worked faster. He was tying the last smoke bomb to the cables when Akira came over the edge.

"Making pretty bows, rookie?"

"I told you, I'm not--" It was only his twist as he snapped at Akira that made him catch sight of the shadow. The barest glint of moonlight off a hitai-ate. He threw himself out of the way. A senbon pinned the knot in place against the cables.

"Son of a bitch," Akira snarled, whipping his katana out of the scabbard across his back.

Yanagi froze. The hitai-ate was clear, now. A swirl across the man's forehead, with a dagger's point on one end. A stylized leaf he'd always thought looked more like a weapon. Konoha ninja. His ninja.

But not Nori's ninja.

He flung himself at Akira, shoving the larger man out of the way and nearly severing his own face on the edge of that deadly blade. Luck made the next senbon thunk harmlessly against his flak vest, and he knocked it away with the back of his gloved hand.

"We've got company!" Akira bellowed, shoving Nori off and leaping to his feet.

There was the sound of scrambling below, and Nori drew himself up behind Akira, keeping both his teammate and his countryman in view.

Damn it, he wasn't looking to kill any more ninja. Especially not one that had snuck up on him -- no chuunin, this. Konoha needed all the high ranked ninja it could get. He glared at the man dressed in shadows, as if he could force his thoughts into the other's skull.

Akira wasn't so subtle. He attacked, blades whirling.