Seeds of Destiny
chapter 1
Naruto jumped, traveling from tree to tree, the most common way that a ninja traveled in the forest. He traveled with two other companions, Sasuke, both friend and hated rival. His other the pride of the Hyuuga clan, Neji. There mission was simple, catch a criminal by the name of Armon.
Wanted for several different accounts of murder, and theft. He was a high class criminal, not really meant for three Genin level ninja. But the city was going through harsh times. With Kore, the leader of a highly dangerous well organized crime origination called Monster killing of hidden village ninja left and right, the city had no other choice.
Naruto himself could not have been happier that he had this mission, B rank, for a Genin was almost unheard of. But as much of a klutz Naruto was, he fought well when everything was on the line. His other teammates were simply Genius's at fighting. Both from top family's in the village.
The three paused, Neji shifting his long flowing black hair performed his blood limit Byokugun. The veins around his eyes filled up with the chakra necessary to allow Neji the site possible with Byokugun.
Armon knew he was being followed and was moving fast.
"he had knowledge of Chakra. We need to be more careful he could possibly lay a trap." Neji spoke following the ground.
"Really? Howdaya know?" Naruto asked scratching his head.
"You know how when you run, in order to move faster you concentrate chakra into your feet?" Neji asked.
"Ya everyone knows that.!" shouted Naruto.
"Well, doing that leaves a mark of chakra on the ground, my Byokugun can see that mark, and well there's an obvious trail of it moving straight ahead." Neji said before he sped on ahead followed by Sasuke, who was followed by an annoyed Naruto.
They followed the trail for hours with no sign of Armon getting tired or stopping.
"This guy has got better stamina then you Naruto." Sasuke said smiling to Naruto. Naruto merely sped up even more determined to catch this guy.
By nightfall all three were tired and ready to stop. The trail seemed to slow down, which meant Armon was tired, which also meant he would soon stop. which also meant that the three couldn't take a break, this was there chance to catch up. They doubled there speed and kept going.
After another hour or so the prints stopped completely. Naruto collapsed by a tree. A net shot up from under him and caught him in a tight hold ten feet above the ground. Sasuke and Neji got together back to back, each had out two kunai.
a man laughed, it echoed all around them, it seemed to reverberate of the trees and echoes for ever. the noise did not fade, but only got louder, more intense. It got worse and worse till all three were on the ground covering there ears.
A tall man dropped out of a tree and landed in front of Neji. Neji got up and attacked the man, the man's cloak prevented Neji from recognizing the ugly dog faced Armon.
Dizzy and shaken by the noise his attack missed horribly and Neji stumbled into a tree. Sasuke turned around and saw the man with a long dagger over Neji. Sasuke threw a kunai at him, cutting the mans arm.
A puff of smoke and the man was gone.
"shadow clone!" Naruto yelled "Behind you!"
Sasuke turned to see the man directly in front of him, the mans dagger was up ready to slice. It came down into Sausuke's parry. the parry knocked the man off guard long enough for Sasuke to kick the man in the stomach. The man fell to his knee's Sasuke put his kunai to the man's neck.
"Drop the dagger and give up, your captured." Sasuke muttered. The man laughed and dissapeared! Sasuke could not see where he went. If the man was behind him Sasuke was dead. he could here movement behind him. Sasuke whipped around with a kick and caught Naruto right in the face.
A stunned Naruto went flying into a tree. Neji was standing up panting for breath leaning against another tree.
"Ouch! He's gone! That was clone! I hit it with a shrukenin!. Chill out Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.
"But I hit him right in stomach and nothing happened!" Sasuke yelled.
"Well I don't know why it didn't dissapear before, but i saw it puff into smoke!" Naruto argued.
"Well I didn't see the smoke!" Sasuke yelled back to Naruto.
"You must have been under an illusion or something!." Naruto said walking away.
"Where are you going?" Neji asked.
"To follow Armon of course!" Naruto said.
"Do you even know which way he went?" Neji asked.
"Ummmmm, that would help. which way?" Naruto asked.
"Oh, the way you were going." Neji answered and then walked ahead with Naruto. Sasuke stayed behind thinking.
"I hit it and it did not dissapear, is this some kind of new jutsu?" Sasuke thought before running to catch up with the other two.
The fight jolted the three with some adrenaline which ran off quickly, and once against they were all very tired.
"We have to stop for tonight!" Neji pleaded.
"Right, Sasuke start the fire, we will camp here for tonight." Naruto said.
"Umm, don't tell me what to do, I was declared leader by Tsunade remember. No fire it might attract attention that we don't want, we rest for only two hours so hurry up and sleep you don't have long." Sasuke ordered. All three unpacked sleeping bags and were quickly passed out.
When they woke up it was morning. they had all overslept. Sasuke and Neji urged Naruto out of his sleeping bag and they were off running.
"Do you see any trail?" Sasuke asked Neji.
"No, if he even went this way the chakra left behind is gone, the only other option is that he stopped using chakra to run which would make sense considering that he probably was tired. he most likely walked a little ways then slept, but he was probably up hours ago and going so we need to move twice as fast as him." Neji explained.
So Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji went as fast as they could looking for a trail. they moved for hours never finding a trail to follow.
"Why can't I find a trail, we would have found one by now, we know where he is going, so why can't we find him?" Neji complained. Sasuke stopped moving.
"I know why we can't find a trail. He realized after the fight that you were using Byokugun and that was how you were tracking him." Sasuke said.
"So he stopped using Chakra for speed!" Naruto said.
"Yes, but this could be good, we know he is headed to meet up with Monster. thats to the north, we keep going that way and we will most likely find him. If not then were screwed." Sasuke said.
They proceeded north until they reached a small town. The town was having some sort of festival because there were people and carts everywhere. if Armon was in this town, than the chance of finding him was slim.
"Split up and search the town. At nightfall we will meet back here. If you see him don't fight him head on, try to hit him from behind to knock him out, then take him here." Sasuke explained. Neji and Naruto nodded, and all three of them ran off in different directions.
Naruto headed into the marketplace int he hope of finding some good food; mainly Ramen. He quickly found a suitable restaurant and sat down to get some food.
Neji went into the residential area, in case Armon decided to rob anyone while they were at the festival. Weaving from plain yard to plain yard, Neji searched but came up with nothing.
Sasuke was the lucky one. He went into the Festival, The big crowds, where pick pocketing could be very easy and worth while.
Sasuke looked at the mug shot given to him of Armon. Crooked nose, and long scruffy black hair were the most obvious features. but none stood out like the scar that crossed his right cheek. That was how he would recognize the criminal.
If the man in the cloak that they fought was Armon, and Sasuke was almost positive that he was, then Armon was easily 6 and a half feet tall, taller then most of the people in this village.
The town square was filled with colorful streamers and shops, all the people seemed to even stand out in there own way. no one just blended in, which was good because it would be easier to spot a tall man in a a brown jacket that way.
Sasuke walked back and forth through the square, and never saw anyone. But someone saw him. From a safe distance behind him a tall man in a brown jacket hunted down the young ninja. Sasuke never saw it coming. One tap to a pressure point on the neck and Sasuke was paralyzed. The man carried him out of the festivities.
The sun was setting and Neji, and Naruto were at the gate to the town waiting for Sasuke. Both were growing low on patients and ready to do something.
"He was kidnapped by Armon, I know it. Neji we need to do something." Naruto argued.
"Ten more minutes, if he isn't here by then, then we go look for him." Neji argued. Five minutes later an arrow hit the ground in front of Naruto with a letter attached to it.
"whats this?" Naruto asked.
"Probably a letter from whoever kidnapped Sasuke!" Neji yelled.
"Oh right!" Naruto said. He picked it up and opened the letter...
Dear Nina's,
I have taken your friend, come and rescue him from me, if you want. I am at the clearing two miles north from here.
Signed,
The Man You Are Looking For
"you do know that this is a trap Naruto. right?" Neji asked.
"Of course it's a trap! but what other choice do we have? We can't just sit here and leave Sasuke! We have to save him!" Naruto yelled at Neji.
"Your right but how? it would be stupid If we just rush into things, then were asking for Armon to kill us. Naruto? Naruto?" Neji yelled. Naruto was already sprinting ahead. "Damn him!"
Neji and Naruto approached the clearing. in the center they could easily see Sasuke tied up.
"Ok Naruto, use Kage-bunshin and have a clone throw a kunai to release Sasuke. Then we will see if Armon acts. " Neji explained.
"Wait I have a better idea!" Naruto said. Naruto stepped out into the clearing. Sasuke's eyes lit up with both fear and relief. Naruto smiled and waved as he ran over to Sasuke. Sasuke urged Naruto not to come any closer, but Naruto merely smiled and kept going.
Hari came from a tree to Naruto's right and hit him all up his right side. As Naruto fell from the mortal wound, Armon came out of the tree's holding three more Hari in each hand between each finger. The jacket was gone, now Armon was wearing no shirt, his skinny yet muscular body shown out. Armon also wore plain brown pants with thick black boots. Armon low croak of a voice sounded out.
"One down, where is the other?"
"Right here!" shouted Naruto. The Naruto in front of Armon that was hit burst into smoke and dissapeared. Naruto landed a swift kick right into Armon's back.
Armon went skidding across the ground. Naruto smirked at how easy Armon fell into the trap. But his smirk was quickly wiped off as another Armon ran out behind Naruto and elbowed him straight in the back!
After that Naruto was slow to get up. both Armons stood next to each other laughing. They were only feet from Naruto. Naruto got up and threw a kunai at the Armon, he burst into smoke and through the smoke the other Armon was blind. But the other Armon didn't have time to think because through the smoke came Naruto who planted another Kunai into the other Armons chest. That Armon too burst into smoke.
now Naruto was encased in smoke from the dissapearing clones. three Hari came and landed one in each arm and the other in Naruto's left leg. when the smoke cleared, Naruto was on one knee. A new Armon cam from Naruto's left and another from behind Naruto!
As they approached The Naruto that was hit with the Hari dissapeared. three shrukenin came out of the tree's from three different spots, and hit all the Armon's. they all dissapeared. Five Naruto's Dashed at Sasuke. One threw a kunai at his bonds but missed. Before any of the Naruto's were able to get to Sasuke. they were pinned with Hari.
Smoke covered the clearing. Both Armon And Naruto set the stage for the next part of the fight. When the smoke cleared, there was Armon and Naruto, and Sasuke only in the field.
"You the real one?" Naruto asked.
"Are you?" Armon answered.
"How about we show ourselves and agree to end this clone war?" Naruto proposed.
"Sure why not." Armon answered smiling. ten different Armon's came out of the forest around the clearing. Ten Naruto's did the same. They all dissapeared and there were only one Naruto and one Armon.
"Your good kid, whats your name?" Armon asked.
"Uzumaki Naruto! future Hokage of the hidden village of the leaf." Naruto Answered proudly.
"Well Uzumaki, your about to die." Armon said,
"Don't underestimate me." Naruto Said. Naruto threw a kunai, which Armon dodged. Armon used the Dodge to run and grab Sasuke. With a Hari to Sasuke's neck, Armon had an upper advantage.
"Do you think that is the real Sasuke? don't you think that I was smart enough to change him with a clone during the fight?" Naruto asked.
"You wouldn't have told me this if it wasn't the real Sasuke,so he dies." Armon said smirking.
"go ahead, but if he puffs into smoke you won't live much longer than the time it takes me to throw a single kunai. and you won't even be able to see it coming." Naruto said.
"I think that I am almost willing to take that chance." Armon said.
"Really? you got a fifty percent chance to live, and I know the answer. so which is it? do you want to risk it or not?" Naruto said smiling. Armon glanced at Sasuke, then at Naruto.
"If this is a clone, then it is a damn, good one! I can't see any visible differences in this than to the real one. so your either good at replication, or this one is real." Armon said.
"Hurry up and choose!" Naruto yelled. Armon glanced at Naruto who was eagerly holding a kunai, an then at Sasuke, he went back and forth until he threw Sasuke to the ground and charged at Naruto.
Naruto stepped aside a punch from Armon, then threw a kicked that was blocked.
"Bad choice man, that was the real Sasuke!" Naruto laughed as he ducked under another punch. Armon Looked back and Sasuke was gone. He turned back and got punched in the face.
"Good job Neji!" Naruto yelled.
"Thanks Naruto." Answered Neji, who was standing next to Sasuke. behind Armon, who was on the ground from the punch to the face.
"You three are exceptional fighters. and the blonde one especially." Armon said. Naruto smiled. "But you see I am expecting company from a friend, you might have heard of him, his name is Kore. You might be able to kill me but you won't get far before Kore hunts you down." Armon took a breath and kept talking. "So if you leave now then you may go back to you village unharmed. What's more important, Your life or the mission?" Armon said trying to persuade the three.
"You forget." Sasuke started. "We are Ninja of the hidden village of the Leaf, if we were to turn tail and run, we would be disgraced upon returning home. It is a ninjas job to put his life on the line to save the mission! So sorry to say, but your done." Sasuke said.
Naruto used Kage-bunshin and summoned another Naruto, both of them charged the Rasengan! on Armon's other side Sasuke had the Chidori charged .
"Chidori Rasengan combo!" Sasuke and Naruto shouted as they charged. Naruto hit first sending Armon spinning into Sasuke's Chidori. Blood went every where as Sasuke's arm went through Armon's body.
The bloody Armon fell to the ground almost dead. before dying, he muttered three words.
"YOU WILL PAY"