Prologue
We are Shinobi, and we fight in the dark…
== Somewhere along the border of the Fire Country ==
-panting—"I have got to get out of here, fast". That is the only thing that pops up in the man's head right now.
In the last twenty minutes, nothing was out of the ordinary. Everything was the same, as he is one of the high ranked and most feared ninja among the rogue nins in the elemental countries. That was until he took up this—one mission that seemed to be a normal B or maybe a little bit higher B-ranked assassination. However, not long after he dismissed those thoughts out of his mind, a sense something, something of savage beast hunger for blood sends a chill down his spine. His body to reacts to its own instinct just likes any situation in which a prey meets its predator—run, run as fast as you can.
Just then he became aware of the sound of cracked wood branch just behind his back. By that moment, he knew whatever he has just encountered is not just any ninja that would hunt his or her hunt down to check up on anything that would dare to infiltrate or even spy on their territory... it was something else, something that even him, someone who had experienced the cruelty world of the Shinobi, could not put words into describing it.
"Damn it... I've used up all of my weapons, not to mention any more exploding notes just to distract this guy", and that was what a ninja would fear most, trying to escape from a battle that is catching up to your tail with empty arsenals. "But I still have my final card to draw out for this one, that if it works I would survi-", and that was the plan that he'd never even had a chance to finish.
He could feel it now... the cold object that had just sliced through his neck, or was it? Maybe it was something that a dying body would feel when his blood vein was cut off and would end his final breathes in any seconds.
A figure emerges from one of the trees in the surrounding, with two short daggers in each hand. Strange, isn't it? From what he could remember from the day he started his life as a Shinobi to the high rank that he is now, not once that he ever knew one would use daggers instead of kunais or even swords that symbolize the identity of hunter-nins as the one in front of him. It does not matter now; he could see that blood, none other than his own blood dripping from the tip of those daggers, which only means that the cold feeling on his neck was what been done by the daggers in this man's hand.
The image of his killer started to become clear as the man moved closer to him. Now that he could see who his killer was, there would be no regret in dying in situation as his. Rumors had been spreading all over the elemental countries that one of the Hunter-nins from Konoha, the hidden village of the Leaf, had single handedly disperse of a few high rank rogue nins in the Bingo Book. From what was heard, the hunter-nin was recognized of the red scarf on his neck and a white mask of the Konoha Anbu Black Ops, only it differs from others with the faces of animals into blank white with 3 stripes that run down from the upper to the lower level of the mask.
"Farewell shinobi... For if there is next life, do not live yours with the path of this cruelty".
Konoha, Hidden Village of the Leaf
(A few years ago)
"What? I swear I'm going to beat the hell out of you for what you've done!"
From that shout alone made all of the people on the street to stare at the source of the loud sound that disturbed the morning peace of the time that most people would start preparing stuff for their business, and others who might just want to walk and enjoy the fresh breeze of the new day... Well, at least until the moment it was destroyed by a certain red head brat—and guess who, the brat again... And not surprised at all, almost all of the adults who present at the moment might just have the same thought.
Realizing the stares from people around him, the brat paused for a moment as tried to calm down a bit, just to erase all those stares... Not that he never had those stares anyways, it's just that every times he face such situation he would at least have a little bit of annoyed.
It's something he promised himself a long time ago, and how could he let it get to him for a moment there? After that he just continued to shoot up his words at the guy in front of him, "What's with the look? Like hell I care about what people think of my action, because I am the awesome Hisaki Takashi!" and yes, Takashi is his name, not that he is famous or anything... He was known throughout the village from the moment he was born for the pranks he had pulled, in which were in a very huge amount that he can't even bother to count them himself.
Without even stop to catch up to his breathe Takashi started again," Do you have any idea how hard I tried to get those scroll? And I had to - ". SMACK!
A small red hill already formed on his forehead. And that did it, just enough to stop the loudmouth for a moment. The blow was sent by the other boy in front of him, his only best friend that grew up from the same orphanage. Still, he can't really remember the times he tried to ticked the temper out of this guy ... One might question 'why would you want to tick him off? The guy might lose his temper and beat the ass out of you...' But this is somehow different, because it came from this friend, Uzumaki Naruto, dumb and all-time-happy idiot, with cheery smile glued on his face all the time. And why is that? Because the blonde boy is very angry and had just hit him, hard!
"Would you just quiet down a few second?" with that Naruto saw the shocked that can clearly see on Takashi's face. With a small sigh, Naruto decided to talk in which he hopes to get into the thick skull of Takashi "Yes, I burned down that Basic ninja scroll", then noticed changing mood from his friends who just got the news that he burn the beloved scroll down.
"I know that you want to become a ninja so much that you had to went into many troubles just to get the scroll", just as he wanted to continue his words Takashi interrupted with a sudden anger," If you know that, how could you still burn it—".
"It's because you still don't get that it will be the worst path that you would face as a human being!" that was the sentence he shouted back at Takashi's face... By then, an image of blood splash on the wooden floor of a house, painful cries of helpless women, and screams that stick in Naruto's mind took him out of the conversation for short moment... This time in a low yet firm voice, "It's just... I don't want you to step into something so dangerous while you can live a normal life as other civilians".
Takashi also paused, in a way that also took a sudden shock on him with the way Naruto just changed from into someone he never knew of and puts his idea into such image. However, he doesn't just stop now, not just by words like that. Though Naruto has been his friend since the time he could not every remember himself, he would still stick to his idea, his dream to become a Shinobi of Konoha, to avenge the one who murdered his whole family. He was small, but he could remember the image of the man who held kunais in both hand with blood of his mother... The monstrous eyes and the headband the man was wearing, which showed that he was a ninja from somewhere that he didn't know of; because he was still a small child that he didn't know anything about other villages except for headbands of a symbol with a slash across it. The memory alone could be enough of a reason for him to step into any dangerous path that Naruto just mentioned, and obtain the power he would need to avenge his family.
He'd known Naruto for a long time, long enough to know that when Naruto would give any words like this into his idea, he wouldn't change it and Naruto would still does so to stop him from going down the path. So, Takashi just turned to the other way and started to walk away, a few steps from the spot he stopped and said, "No matter what you say or try to stop me, that has always been my dream and my goal... I have to become a strong ninja so that I can kill that man someday", with that Takashi walked off to his apartment.
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With his mind somewhere else, Naruto just wanders around the village, at least which would get his mind off the argument that he had with Takashi. Without even knowing the he just arrived, Naruto took a quick glance around his surrounding and knows that he'd arrived at place when once he promised himself that he wouldn't have any business attached to the place at all. The memorial stone... the place where names of fallen heroes of the village would be carved onto its surface. His eyes are caught in one of the names, the name of his precious person, the one he strives to survive for. His only friend…
Flash Back
People are gathering, even under the sorrowful clouds that pour down their sympathy tears down to the fallen ones. How it happened, the only thing he had always wished it wouldn't come across him. Glancing to his left stood a few of the Konoha Jounins. Among one of them, a man in standard Konoha Jounin vest, held his head down since the moment he arrives. Even with a mask covering half of the man's face and the headband protector hiding one of his eyes, Naruto could still see what that face holds. It was guilty.
His hand tightened, his teeth clenched, and blood is boiling up from the core of his heart. Naruto, would not forget this moment, the hidden face of the masked Jounin, the one visible eye of his; Naruto swears on his fallen friend, Takashi, that he would never forgive the Jounin, Takashi's own sensei. He was supposed to protect his genin team in any situation, even the cost of his life. However, this so-called sensei let Takashi died in vain, his only friend who actually cared about him other than the old man Hokage.
The funeral was rather quick. For such life as a ninja, you do not get much. You sacrifice everything for your leader, and your leader sacrifices everything for the village. Nothing more, and nothing less.
Naruto had arrived at his apartment for a few hours now, but besides moving from the door and entering his room, he had also been sitting still staring at the wardrobe in his bedroom. Just then he decided to stand up and open that wardrobe. His hands are on the handles, ready to open it anytime but why can't he? Nothing seems to be a problem for only opening a damn wardrobe... "If I cannot get on with the past, I would not be able to help my friend... One way or another, the time would come... Just like the others... death...".
In his hand, is a Konoha headband protector used by his friend Takashi. Naruto locked his eyes down at the piece of metal, there he saw reflection of his eyes, his memories with Takashi; his mind kept on repeating the same words muttered from his fallen friend again and again, "No matter what you say or try to stop me, that has always been my dream and my goal... I have to become a strong ninja so that I can kill that man someday", that were the words he always heard from the loud mouth mate of his when he was alive.
Putting the metal plate aside, Naruto stands up and look at himself in the mirror. He promised himself to never back down, and live his friend's dream till the end of his meaningless life. To avenge his friend's death in any ways he could find, no matter how hard or dark the paths are.
End of Flash Back
Even so, sometimes he had to take his mind of from the sad memories, which reminds him… "I've a matter to take care of. Now where is that girl at?" Naruto said to himself, as he wore an evil smile on his face. And yes, a depressed guy who lost his friend, can also get to hang out and have fun, right?
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==Sometime later in the Hokage Tower==
"Paper works"... Since the day he took title, stepped down from it and passed on to young blonde prodigy, and took it back the day the blonde hero sacrificed his life for the village, not one single day that he ever get used to the damn pile of paper works.
Straighten his back a bit for sitting too long for an old man like him, and then he stood up and walked to the window of his office. Blowing a small amount of the smoke from his mouth, the old man Sarutobi thought back to the day that he would never forget. The day that the innocent boy came to his office and pleaded the old man to register him into the rank of Konoha ANBU. Even the boy never had any academic education from the village or any team with a Jounin sensei, he had been personally trained by the war hawk of the ROOT Anbu, Danzo.
Sarutobi does not like the systems that his old friend, Danzo, to train ninja as tools in harsh ways and method of the old days. And in every power he had in his hands, he was sure that he would do anything to prevent the war hawk to corrupt boy's mind into a mindless Jinchuriki. However, the young boy decided to be trained in anyways to obtain the abilities to be a full fledge ninja. Without even realizing the situation, he had let Danzo took him under his wings. Though, the Sandaime made a deal with Danzo and the councils to register the Jinchuriki as an Anbu, and not the ROOTs.
It was decided right then and there. Under the command of Danzo himself or not, he would still take the offer satisfactory, for the reason that the Kyuubi brat can finally serve his purpose. From the day, the Kyuubi was sealed inside the boy, Danzo tried to offer Sarutobi Hiruzen to turn the boy into something useful, rather than a normal civilian as the old man pleaded for. But now that the brat had willingly decided to become the main weapon of Konoha, Danzo promised himself to set things back right to what they were meant to be.
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The civilians of Konoha are walking happily along the busy street, filled with laughter and joyful in from their spirit. Even the merchants are taking their time as well, selling their products with welcoming face, to civilians, and shinobi alike.
Haruno Sakura, a proud chunnin of Konoha, just completed her mission along with her teammates. It wasn't any dangerous or anything like that, her team just needed to scout an area along the border of the Fire country for a group of bandits, eliminate their leader and make sure to disperse of their group as well. For normal soldiers or samurais, it might not be considered this simple because the bandits consist of a quite a number. But to shinobi of chunnin like herself, it's just another simple mission to get herself busy.
"Damn it, why did they have to choose a place this far and confusing just to have a bite?" Sakura silently mumble under her breathe for her teammate. It would be much simpler to eat somewhere near the Hokage tower, so that they can go report in their mission brief to the Sandaime easier.
After a long search throughout the other side of Konoha that she rarely came across, Sakura finally found the place. A big name of "BBQ For You" hung down from the upper floor down the ground floor. The entrance is well designed, as a ninja she does not take much interest on such elegant of a restaurant like this, but she had to admit that it's a rather nice place after all. But who would say anything against it, this is the rich and well-known residence side of the Konoha. And that is also the reason why she rarely step foot in the area unless there are matters to do here, for example, taking a bite with her teammate which is quite stupid of a reason to even be here. And it's not even a promotion party or anything important to choose such a place to eat.
Walking in, a waiter immediately came to greet her with respect and as polite of a manner as possible. If she's a customer here, then that means either she's rich enough to afford it or her friends are rich enough to support it, that's maybe what the waiter thought, to showed her such respect.
"Oi! Sakura!" An annoying shout could be heard from the left part of the restaurant, near the window tables. And she recognizes it to be no other than one of her teammate Kiba.
"I heard you already, so don't just make a high pitch calling in a place like this, idiot!" Sakura told him off, as she has no intention to disturb other customers. There she noticed, as always… Sasuke, her old childhood crush, sitting on the opposite side of Kiba. Over the years, she had managed to overcome the useless childhood love over the guy, for she started to understand more about the depressed Uchiha. Though he always show no interest in anything at all, he really does care and has warm heart from the inside, which is also the reason why he even come to this place to meet up with his teammate. And that was enough for her, to be his trusted friend, and to be at each other's side.
"You're late Sakura. I didn't know you took half an hour just to drop off your stuff from the mission" Sasuke mocked with his trade mark smirk. And yes, over the years he even opened himself up little by little to the others that he thought of people who are less –annoyed-… Well, that's what he would admit out loud, but even Kiba knew what he meant was people that Sasuke considered as friends, rather than a mere less-annoyed word.
"Oh cut it out already, it's not easy finding this place. You have no idea how confusing the directions are in this area. And why would the rich people have to have so many signs and stuff?", she whined out a bit of how frustrating it was for her to reach the place, but what Sakura got for a response were a laugh off from Kiba and a "Hn" from Sasuke.
"And why isn't Kakashi sensei here? I thought he was the one came up with the meet up and have a bit idea." Kiba said after he started to order something from the menu. After that, they talked about this and that, about some old times and how things could have happened if they changed their tactics for the last mission. Even Sasuke joined the chat, until Sasukra heard a low whimper from behind her seat.
"How can you do that? I thought you liked me, since we've seeing each other for quite some time now." She knew it was a voice of a girl, probably getting hurt by someone… or a guy in such circumstance as this.
Sakura and the rest of her team turn to look if there is any problem with the girl behind their seats. And for what she caught up with the situation, it seems that the girl's boyfriend had broken up with her for a reason that she is not fun and he's already fed up with her boring attitude. When she heard the disgusted words coming out from the guy's mouth, Sakura's blood seemed to start boiling down from its core. She got up from her seat, and received a glare from Sasuke to show that they shouldn't bother with other's affair. But she would take no for an answer, and yes to this bastard who rejected a girl's heart over a selfish and non-sense reasons like that.
"Hey you prick! How can you say such words to a girl?" she talked down to the guy in front of her, whom she only notice that he has quite the look for the girl to fall for him. Blonde hair, blue oceanic eyes, nice and manly shaped face. However, that doesn't matter now for he would be beaten to a pulp if he does not give an appropriate apology to the girl.
The blonde guy turns his face up slightly to meet her eyes. He gave her a smirk and said with an attitude that always seem to come out from a play boy bastard like himself, "Look here-" he took notice of her headband, which she thinks that the guy might feel a bit nervous talking down to a ninja but that what she didn't expect was, "-Ms Kunoichi, just because you some flashy moves, doesn't mean you can butt in other's business like that." He continued, "And even if you can step in other's business, a ninja such as yourself can't do anything about this small civilian matter. I would back down and enjoy the meal quietly if I were you, lady."
Just before she readied herself a high kick on the guy's face for his rude words, Sasuke put his hand on her shoulder and shake his head, a signal to stop her from making the matter worst.
"I'm sorry about the way my teammate steps into your business, but you should consider a wiser words then what you just said to ninjas like us." Sasuke said in a monotone, as if it was not a request but a warning to the guy.
Not wanting to get involved in a situation anymore more serious, the girl who got rejected from the blonde stood up and ran out through the main entrance, though her eyes still wet of her tears from the blonde bastard.
"Tsk. This black haired guy can really show some manners, though it deserves you ninjas right." Naruto continued as he stood up, "You people think that you're so great with all your flashy techniques, but without high class people like me to pay for your missions you wouldn't even be able to stand here. Besides-" before he could even finish the sentence, a fist came right up to his cheek and made him stumble back into his seats. Regaining from the shock, Naruto look up to see another guy from the pink haired girl's teammates, still holding his fist up in the position where it hit Naruto's face a second ago.
"I just can't take stupid non-sense coming out from a spoiled brat like you, blondie! And what gives you the right to talk down to people like that? Everybody deserves such respect, and you, I think you're just another brat from a rich merchant or some high officials who knows nothing of the tough life we shinobi had gone through!" The hot headed guy, kept on spitting insult after insult, but Naruto didn't seem to care.
Decided that it would only drag more trouble as it is, Naruto rubbed his now red cheek and stood up. With a quick glare at the team, he said, "Hn, I'll let it through this time. I don't want my image to be thrashed by loud mouth like you any further." Naruto dropped his money on the table and walked pass them, still wearing an arrogant smirk as he left.
Kiba almost launch another attack on the bastard until a hand rested on his shoulder. "That's enough, Kiba." He turned to see a silvered haired man, looking right at him with the usual bored eye of his. "Kakashi-sensei, but he-", Kakashi held up his hand and simply calm Kiba and the not so well looking Sakura, who's been standing with steam blowing out from both ears. "He maybe a bastard at that, but it looks like he really is some high ranked official that you don't want to be bothered with."
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What is it today's Shinobi of the village he treasures more than his life? The old man just keeps promoting people out of nowhere to be a shinobi. Though that Uchiha guy would at least fits in the name of someone who would use his strength to protect the people, those are other two- well he doesn't even have a word to describe those two. Naruto sighed, then he noticed an eagle flew above his head and kept on circling him before heading off to other direction. "What does he wants with me now? I still haven't finish my matter yet ( which involve walking hot chicks around Konoha or relaxing at a nearby hot spring)". Naruto giggled a bit before taking off to his usual meeting place.
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"What the hell was that Kakashi-sensei!" Kiba shouted at the one-eyed Jounin as sat down and crossed his arm around the chest.
Holding his forever orange hentai book, he simply said "Well, first thing is that you shouldn't shout out like that." Then he glanced over his shoulder to show the reaction of other customers at their table. "Beside, that was Kurosaki Kenji of the Fire Feudal Lord's advisor adopted son. We could get in trouble getting involved with such a guy."
With the satisfied yet annoying answer from his sensei, Kiba just scoffed off a bit and continued on with his meals. (It's an expensive food alright, who would want to waste it?). Sasuke on the other hand, just frown and mumble something with a "hn" afterward.
"Never mind that jerk, but why the hell are you late again sensei?" before she let the boring sensei said anything she held up her hand and said, "-and don't even try your lame excuse, because it's been a very pleasant day up until now."
Cough- "I got a new mission for us. And yes, I know that you guys just returned from one. This is an important one which involves political stability among the lords and our village." He handed the payment that they got from the last mission and told them to finish off their meals and report back at the Hokage tower as soon as possible. With that he vanished off into thin air, well, a slight giggle stilled rang through the three chunnins' ears even after the silver hair sensei left.
After paying the meal, team 7 left the restaurant and head toward the Hokage tower direction. Sasuke walks calmly without taking much attention at the civilian girls who kept staring at him, whispered among themselves and started to giggle about any nonsense to they were talking about. For whatever it was, he didn't put any thoughts into it. On the other hand, he was still thinking back at his previous mission that team 7 took. The mission was easy enough, though it was marked as A-rank mission. The task was to infiltrate into a camp of a dozen rogue nins, to steal some forged document that the rogue nins made for whatever scheme they were planning. But when they got to the camp, was dead quiet and they acquired their target quick enough to get out and back to Konoha. Before they left, Kiba told them that he could smell blood miles ahead of them and that was probably a few days old already and any battle which produces such blood smell miles away could have already ended in days too. Therefore, the first code of infiltration mission, to get in and get out as quickly and stealthy as possible after one gets a hand on what one was coming for. These results in team 7 turning back to Konoha without taking any chance on checking out the smell that Kiba knew of.
Sasuke was pulled out of his thought as team 7 reached the tower, by the same time he noticed Sakura still mumbled cursed and un-lady like words about their sensei and the jerk that they met a while ago. They were handed out information, and were told briefly about the mission by Iruka who was sitting beside the Sandaime. The mission is to escort a representative of the Feudal Lord, who would be attending a meet at main city of the Fire Country, and back to Konoha.
The Sandaime cough to get the attention of team 7 and said, "The information that was mentioned earlier, was to assist you into cooperating well with our representative, and to avoid any conflicts between the Feudal Lords and our Konoha's council member." He made a hand gesture to signal for the client to come into the office. "This is the client that team 7 would escort for the mission."
"I'm Kenji. My mission is very important for the Fire country itself, so you ninjas better serve me right."
Kiba looked shocked, and Sakura's jaw almost dropped to the floor.
It's going to be a long trip ahead. Sasuke thought as he massage his temples and left without a word.
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Their destination was quite far, as to travel out from the bottom of the Fire country into the center where all the nobles and lords residence. The first day came out a little bit silent, well for a normal escort group it wouldn't be so out of the usual. However, from how Sasuke look at the client and his team, it just doesn't feel right. The event in the restaurant from the other day should at least make Kiba erupts into an argument or demanding for an apology from the blonde guy walking beside them. Still, Sakura glance over her shoulder at the guy from time to time with an annoyed look. Besides that, the trip was rather uneventful.
After a full day of travel –on foot- for the reason that the their client can't just hop from trees to trees like ninjas do, they finally get to find a place to rest up and gather up some more supplies for the full journey to their destination. From what Sasuke had suggest was to have two rooms; one for Sakura as she's the only girl of the group, and the other one is for him and the other two. With a slight bigger room than Sakura's they'll rest just fine for a single night. Unfortunately, their client –namely the blonde bastard- kept demanding on having a room for him. Having no purpose to push the argument any further, Sakura finally snapped and get to the blonde's demand with an advice from Sasuke that their rooms would be beside the blonde representative's room, everyone was satisfied.
His room was in the middle, between his other bodyguards, with a wide balcony and a nice view to the valley at the edge of the town he couldn't argue more. The blonde started to take off his noble coat, brought up his bag and began to unpack stuff from the bag. Out from the bag were a few set of highly made clothes which only meant for high-class people, then a few scrolls that are normally seen carried by such people like the him, for the reason of contracts or some other document to the higher ups that are always needed to be sealed into scrolls. But then, after he unpack the last scrolls which is at the bottom of the bag, reflected by the low brightness of the moon night coming through the window beside his bed, revealed a white mask with three stripes stash down from to the lower chin of the mask.
The man picked up the mask and attached it onto his face, as he dropped the high and mighty face of a noble into a cold emotionless one. "It's time for my real mission." Sensing that all of his escort ninjas were all asleep, he slipped out through the window and disappeared into the night, left nothing behind but stillness along his way.
A/N: ahh… the first chapter, though it might be a little short, but I wanted to make sure whether the story should be continued or not since it's as well written as other stories. So, I welcome all kinds of comment and/or praise that I should continue on with the story.
And this is not a story where Naruto is a god like killing machine or anything like that... So I wouldn't recommend those who want to see the almighty-one-hit Naruto to read this story. Finally, Thanks for your time in reading this first chapter! –And Pairings are for later decision-