The ghastly sight of burning human flesh. The putrid stench of dry blood in the air. Mounds of corpses littered all over the landscape, random eruptions of artillery, screams of pain. Tis yet another day on the battle field. Chaos is the norm.
None of this makes sense to me. It is yet another pointless war, started by egomaniacs who think they know what is best for us all. They march us out here to die, pawns on their life sized chess boards. I look around me, friends and comrades have fallen. I try not to panic, but it is difficult when enemy attacks are hurtling at you from all directions.
When I joined the Konoha Ninja Academy, I did so out of obligation. Obligation to a family tradition that had been in place for centuries. My great grandfather, my grandfather and my father had all served in the Academy. It was only customary that I do the same.
At the time, I thought it would be service without hassle. Konoha was the greatest nation in the world. Large scale wars had become a thing of the past. In my mind, I'd do my time and get on with my life. Probably serve with the border guards, no big deal. A few patrols here and there, nothing out of the ordinary. I would never have to lift a weapon or make a seal; little did I know I was woefully wrong.
It started with Orochimaru's brazen attack on the village, killing the 'third' in the process. It was a dark period for Konoha, the third was well liked. He was a man of principle and he lost his life trying to protect what he loved so dearly - the people of the village.
Orochimaru was defeated and we returned to a period of peace. Normalcy returned, building back what was destroyed, getting back to the process of living.
Sadly this did not last long. With Naruto being in the village, things were never going to be normal. The Akatsuki wanted him for their nefarious purposes. They had already attacked villages with Jinchurikis; it was only a matter of time before they came calling. We were told to be on high alert for anyone/thing that looked suspicious. Naruto was to be protected at all costs.
All would be attacks on him and the village was thwarted. We lost some great warriors along the way. Asuma and Jiraiya to name a few. Tough losses for us all, we Konohans pride ourselves on the bonds we all share with each other. When such bond is broken, we are all affected.
The worst and most devastating attack came from the leader of the Akatsuki 'Pain.' It was a dark day and will forever go down as one of the most devastating attacks on Konoha. Words cannot begin to describe how terrifying Pain was. His abilities were indeed god-like, and he came with a host of bodies to wreak havoc on the village. I might not be here today if not for the valiant efforts of Naruto. He defeated Pain and convinced him to perform a restoration jutsu on all the people that had been killed.
Something about that Naruto guy inspires people. I have never talked to him, but I have seen him around the village. I cannot believe just how powerful he has become. Maybe if he were here, things would have been different. Alas, he is not. I understand he is to be protected; the future of the next generation will be decided by this battle. I just wish I was elsewhere.
I am a peace loving man, who only wanted to make music. At this rate, that dream may never be realized. I did this to make my ailing father proud. Sadly I am not sure the same will be done for me. I have no wife, no children and will leave nothing behind to be remembered by. It breaks my heart thinking about this, but the odds are against me. Madara and his cronies are using the undead to fight us. Their numbers keep swelling whilst ours continue to dwindle.
I blame no one but me for not being prepared for the battlefield but I question why we need war to settle our differences. What does it solve? In the end millions of lives will be lost; both sides will be forced to find a solution to stop the bloodshed.
BOOM!
Dust rises up all around me. Foolishly I have been caught in one of the enemy's traps. All I see is smoke and at that very moment I realize my time is up. I was expecting the blow any moment now; I just hoped it would be painless and swift.
SWISH!
I heard it, and I knew it was too late to react. The sword was coming from my left side; this was the end for me it seemed. But then something weird happened, the blow never came. I stood there transfixed to the spot, unsure of what to do. I had closed my eyes reflexively, not wanting to see the face of my killer. I had no idea what had happened. Was I dead? Was the blow that painless? I slowly opened my eyes and there standing in front of me, was this being basked in a radiant sheath of energy. A dozen enemies laid spread out in front of him. He turned around to look at me, speaking with authority. "Stay Alert, I will end this."
And with that he jumped into the thick of things. Naruto was finally here. His words kept resonating in my mind. Maybe we had a shot at this. Maybe we could actually win this. I believed him, I knew he was going to end this. For the very first time on the battle field, I felt like fighting. Fighting for my life, fighting for the lives of my loved ones. I reached into my satchel and pulled out a few Shurikens and my ever trusty Kunai. It was time to fight!