AN Disclaimer: I own nothing of Naruto and all its properties belong to its respective owner. I'm just a fresh hand at this kind of work and would appreciate any form of suggestion you could send too me. No flaming please for this is my very first time at this and I'd appreciate any reviews. Thanks.
Chapter 1
The night was calm for the spring season in The Land of Vegetables which was usually fraught with storm after storm whose torrential rains threatened to drown any one who strayed from the village. Instead, a thick fog had begun to shed its snow white cloak over the lands moving with such speed that the villagers believed it to be the spirits of the dead visiting for a brief spell for the fog had begun within the first two hours to seep into the houses and local establishments. No one dare travel outside for the fog was so thick and concentrated that doing so would make a troop of men completely disappear within thirteen feet.
As Haruna looked through a window in her bedchamber she watched as the fog, like an army of specters made its way towards her manor. Watching the swirling mist make its way past the gates, the young daimyō couldn't help but feel a mysterious mixture of both sadness and fear. Even though, she knew she had survived many perils at the hands of a brutal master called captivity, she realized that not even she was impervious the feelings of an empty heart. She let out a sigh of frustration as she allowed herself too fall back onto her bed.
Looking through the skylight at the full silver moon, she thought too herself, "Oh, heavy is the head that wears the crown .Everything is just so difficult not that I expected such a thing to be easy it's just-such a fatiguing thing. Our recent trade agreements with The Land of Water are fine and the Leaf promised to help us in our reconstruction but really… "
She didn't go on for the stress of running the village itself had worn her down completely. In truth, she had done exceedingly well for the village's wealth had begun to grow, the people themselves were jubilant, and with that she was content. Her subjects adored her for she had brought back social order and the very village's life when she returned and assumed her title. Haruna sighed contentedly as she let her head fall upon the pillow. Within minutes, the gentle embrace of sleep enveloped Haruna taking to a world without worry or care.
At the gateway too the village, the fog made it so that the twenty shinobi, didn't see any point in staying at their posts. Yet, they remained entertaining themselves with games of dice and the more than occasional nip of sake.
At one section of the gate, a shinobi named Jun asked his comrade with a slightly slurred voice, "Y-you know I really can't see why we're here. I mean the plateau offers a great protection. The only way up is the steps and we have ten men along each side so, there's no real reason for us to even stay."
"Well," his friend responded "while I do see your point, we're here under Lady Haruna's command as well as Captain Yoshida's command. So, like it or not Jun we're stuck here till' morning."
"Yeah, Captain Yoshida's great Renga, I mean think about it" Jun began after taking a swig of sake from a sleeping neighbor's flask, "who else would be so great as to let us have sake, roasted pork, and some good quality tobacco from the Hidden Leaf? I swear we're lucky Renga to get a captain as good as that."
With this last statement, from the village's greatest drinker, the remaining conscious shinobi rose their flasks in agreement and after drinking too the health of their captain, Jun grabbed a flute and began playing a merry jig. The shinobi were nervous at first since they were supposed to be on guard duty but seeing the fog and the only avenue of approach guarded, they figured, why not? So, the merriment began one could swear that every shinobi on duty even if they were too drunk, were having the time of their lives.
Under the cloak of the mist in the forests beneath the plateau, a young man hooded and cloaked in black, sat astride his horse surveying the dancing shinobi by the light of their lamps and fires. Closing his spyglass, he chuckled as he thought about the merry group. He reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled out his gold time piece which read a quarter till one. Putting it back, he gave a sharp low whistle.
"Yes, my love." Whispered a silvery voice directly in his ear. To which he responded by whirling around placing the fine double-blade of a poniard at the throat of the woman who spoke.
"Will you please stop-doing that?" the man asked breathing a quick shallow breath for the shock of the response was so close that he could have sworn if she were too kill him, he wouldn't have noticed until his head was severed from his body.
"I was taught not to be seen nor heard, sweetheart." The woman responded taking the poniard's blade and with a gentle quick movement, took it from his hand and quickly returned it to its scabbard on his belt.
Having recovered from his shock, the man asked her, "Michiyo, is everything ready for the move tonight?"
"Yes, don't worry Yusuke. At the far river, there's a small fishing steamer we've commandeered for transport once we've completed the mission. After that, we can begin our trek too the Hidden Leaf. Shall I call the rest of our assembly?" Yusuke nodded as he checked his weaponry and its condition. Michiyo heeding the order took a great raven perched on her shoulder who served as her familiar saying gently, "Go now, Emi gather the others and tell them to meet here." The raven blinked its scarlet eyes once and responded, "As you insist, milady." With a toss into the fog, the great creature flapped twice and was gone. Yusuke now satisfied with the condition of his weaponry turned to Michiyo who was tying a homemade paper bomb too the handle of a kunai.
Yusuke couldn't help but smile beneath his mask for he was truly smitten by the kunoichi's beauty. Michiyo was a woman of imposing stature standing five foot eleven inches which generally gave her much a position of reverence. A distinct feature of her clan was that unlike so many women of her native village, she had the most beautiful hair of all the women he'd become acquainted with for her hair was that of a towhead being nearly white save for the blonde streaks which swirled throughout her hair as the leafs in an autumn breeze. Her eyes were entrancing and terrifying for one glare from those pools of amber could freeze most men in their tracks and if cornered, could entrance them with a few flutters and with her skin of alabaster, she could easily seduce an emperor.
Yusuke lost in his musings snapped out of them immediately for his team had arrived. In a horse drawn wagon, a team of nine kunoichi, cloaked in white awaited their orders. Yusuke, rather disappointed by the turnout asked without turned his head too address her, "Michiyo, where are the men?" Michiyo, in the process of cleaning her katana responded, "The men commandeered the fishing steamer and are waiting for your signal when the raid's complete." Yusuke, content with this, smiled beneath his mask and looked once again at the village's defenses. After being thoroughly convinced of what maneuvers to make, turned too one of the kunoichi and asked, "Hatori, did you bring the necessary equipment?"
The young chunin responded with a shaky nod for the very aura in addition to the appearance of her leader was one that terrified her. She took a large sack tied with rope from the wagon and lay in on the ground before him. Yusuke's ice blue eyes shifted back to Hatori as he motioned for her to cut the sack open. Hatori looked into Yusuke's eyes but saw only an emotionless glare from the young man.
Hatori backed away and whispered harshly at him, "I'm not going to do it, demon. He doesn't deserve this disgrace."
Yusuke growled slightly as his smile stretched even broader beneath his mask. Soon, the growl turned into a laughter almost mocking the chunin. "Very well," he said "if you won't do as I ask, you'll share this so called disgrace."
Hatori placed a hand on the handle of her katana. She snarled, "Scoundrel, You infamous demonic scoundrel!"
"Shut up, Haotri we'll be spotted." One of the kunoichi whispered in her ear taking her hand from the handle as she said this. Yusuke simply sighed and said rather calmly, "Kumiko, take Haotri too the steamer with the men and have her kept under watch, we don't need her here. She's too emotionally fragile right now. After she's there, I need you too meet us back here immediately."
Kumiko nodded and with a blow to the back of the head, incapacitated Haotri and began her trek too the steamer. Yusuke looked at his pocket watch which read eleven twelve. Twenty minutes until the attack was too be launched. Yusuke stepped back, drew his kilij, and with one swift slash, severed all the ropes which bound the sack. The sack's fabric fell apart revealing the uniformed body of a dead Suna chunin. Yusuke sheathed his sword and after a relatively swift disrobing ceremony, proceeded to cut an opening into the cadaver's back.
As his work began, a kunoichi next to Michiyo asked her in a whisper, "By Kami, what on earth is he doing?"
"Oh, he knows what he's doing." was the reply "He was a seasoned medical corps field medic before he became an Anbu. He was also trained by the Legendary Kunoichi so; he knows perfectly well, what his jutsues are capable of."
By this time, the cut had been made and now, Yusuke's true art form began. Taking two specialized tags from the folds of his cloak, he inserted one into the right section on the rib cage with another attached too the spine. Once this simple procedure was complete, the body was sealed back with such precision that if anyone didn't know it was cut, there wasn't any sign of a cut there.
Yusuke, content with his work, flipped the cadaver and placed a seal upon the chest. Making a cut across his finger, he made the signs, horse; snake; dragon; tiger pressed his hand too the seal, and then, the chant began, "Sto ad ianuam vite et mortis. Veni spiritus! In virtute enternal messor mando vobis servire denuo rogasti Surge!" Following these words a dark red glow eminated from the blood-stained seal and after a moment of silence, the cadaver's eyes shot open. Yusuke smiled grimly as he rose from his crouching position. The reanimated corpse, looked around very confused but in a moment was given the command by Yusuke, "Very good, now go too the gates and fulfill your purpose."
At the steps, the twenty men sentry watch was fast asleep their naginata's serving as a crutch holding their sleeping forms upright. None of them were alert enough even those who were semiconsious to notice the man approaching them from the mist. Yusuke, who was watching from his position realized that the time had come, signaling the rest of the group, they proceeded stealthily towards the steps. Within ten minutes, their main entry weapon was at the gate while the kunoichis took their positions behind the sleeping shinobi. Yusuke, now looked at his pocket watch which read 12:32. Yusuke now, set the final move in motion. With one loud clap, a blast equivilent to twenty paper bombs thundered throughout the village. The kunoichi recognizing this signal, immediatly slashed the throats of the men they were standing behind and before the bodies hit the ground, confiscated the communication radios.
On the gate's stations, the shinobi, shaken out of their sleep and merriment prepared for battle. Struggeling to see through the fog, they saw nothing but suddenly, several cloaked forms landed on the oberservation deck and in seconds, half the security team was dead or dying. The remaining ten shinobi left the decks and began alerting everyone in the village to come too arms against their invaders. Yusuke entered the village and after seeing the devestation at the observation deck, he summoned Mishiyo and gave her the order, "Alright, now that we're in, destroy the armory here and spare as many lives as you can. Remember, we're just here for the sake of delivering a message." Mishiyo nodded and with her team, headed off.
Yusuke now prepared to deliver his message, made his way too Haruna's villa. Naturally the commotion, had rallied her security and the gateway too the villa was swarming with able bodied men. Anticipating this, Yusuke took four small green balls from a pouch on his belt and threw them upon the ground before the men. The balls burst in a explosion of smoke. When the smoke cleared, all opposers present were unconsious. Moving through the gate, Yusuke approached a guard who was attempting to hide himself behind a pillar. Grabbing the man, Yusuke asked, "Where is Lady Haruna, sir?" The man paralyzed by fear, made no response. Frustrated slightly, Yusuke groaned and with a quick movment knocked the back of the man's head against the pillar and proceeded to head into the establishment.
The silence within the manor was deafening as Yusuke eased the door open, whose hinges squeaked so that he might as well have kicked it down. Unsheathing his kilij, Yusuke silently made his way down the great hallway from which nothing came forth. Cautiously, he sheathed his kilij and drew his poniard before ascending the great spiral staircase which was at the end of the hallway. Midway through his ascension, Yusuke stopped for a noise alerted his attention. The silence of manor was so intense that ringing in the ears began to ensue but nonetheless, he heard it. As soft as breeze, the sound of a cushioned footstep.
Knowing the potential danger of his situation, Yusuke rushed his pace while at the same time maintaining the volume of a specter. At the top of the stairs was a long hallway which branched off in a T formation. Yusuke analyzed the hallway and was amazed at the tapestries that lined the hallway. After surveying the hallway and determining its safety, Yusuke headed down the hallway on tip-toe. Upon reaching the T, he stopped abruptly as he surveyed the walls for any shadows which would have been visible by the oil lamps which lit the establishment. Hearing and seeing nothing, he peeked around the right corner and saw large set double-doors towards which he made his way with the utmost caution.
Yusuke reached the doors and in listened for any movement on the other side. There was nothing that was heard save for the commotion in the distance and with that in check, Yusuke began to very cautiously open the door after checking the corners, he made his way into the far part of the room. The room was itself was black as pitch with the only light coming from the flashlights from the villages scurrying hither and thither in a panic. Yet, this light was enough as Yusuke made his way towards the bed. Taking his poniard, he positioned himself ready too strike when with the speed of a leopard, he ducked dodging a sword whose blade barley missed him, cutting into the bedpost.
"You're as vigilant and alert as I thought, Lady Haruna." Yusuke said smiling "You know, I'm not here to hurt you just for you too give an old friend of mine a message."
"Sorry," Haruna replied Afterwhich giving a kick which knocked Yusuke too the ground, "but I don't take messages from would-be assassins." Yusuke looked at the brown-haired woman and replied, "You know it's not going to matter because as I speak, your village's armory is set to be destroyed and I know you don't want your people to be without arms, do you?"
Haruna smirked, "Do you really expect me you could destroy the armory? Please, you may have been able to infiltrate us by night like cowards who wouldn't dare attack from the front but, I seriously doubt you have the necessary means to do…" The sudden deep blast stopped her in mid-sentence. Haruna's expression changed from that of a skeptic to sheer terror at the realization that what Yusuke said was true. Taking advantage of her shock, Yusuke took a fine grain powder from his pocket and threw blew it in her face. Haruna tried to stop her intake of air but found it impossible. Within seconds, she fell too her knees and then the floor, completely unconscious and unresponsive.
When she awoke she found herself tied to a pole overhanging the manor's courtyard. As she tried moving, she felt the rope continue to tighten. She gave out a sigh of frustration and let her head hang low. "You know, Haruna as long as you're just hanging around, pay attention please." Haruna looked to the right and saw her assailant sitting on the edge of the eaves facing her.
"Look," Yusuke continued "I don't want to keep you here any longer than need be so, here's what's going to happen. I know that in light of this incident, you'll most likely go too the Leaf for help since they are your only real forms of aid military-or otherwise. Now, I know Tsunade is going to want to know if you know of anyone that would do such a thing especially in this early redevelopment of a former power. The response for that is simple; the reason is there is no reason. Besides, she knows me well or at least, she should remember me, as all she needs to do is survey my work here to jog her memory."
Yusuke looked at his watch and after two minutes, he rose and jumped on top of the pole. Taking his poniard, he lay down on the mass of ropes which held Haruna. Then, with two rapid movements made two slashes from the edges of her eyes down to the jawbone and as a final touch, poured a few drops of saki on the lacerations which caused Haruna too writhe and scream in pain. Yusuke jumped from the pole too the ground below and yelled towards her, "I know it hurts but, this is my form of retribution."
With that, he threw a smoke bomb on the ground and when it cleared, he was gone. When he reached the village's gates, the kunoichi were there waiting. Yusuke, greatly fatigued thanks to the hour mounted his horse and headed off with his squad towards the river. The boat was prepared and soon after boarding, Yusuke went down into the hold and before drifting off too sleep, he thought, "Well, that's done. Word will surely spread as to this action but I care not. Now, I'm on my way…oh, my darling Shizune you will be back in my arms soon and only then will I be at peace."