Hello, internet! Welcome to the official re-launch of the Hokage's Hand! The previous version was a little... lackluster in my opinion, which is why in this incarnation, I'm planning on pulling out all the stops this time, making sure I provide the best entertainment possible. Also, I can indeed confirm that my main villain is in fact based upon the Batman villain known as the Scarecrow, because inner fears is really something that, as far as I know, the Narutoverse has yet to touch up on in a serious sense, although they touched on it a little bit in the beginning. Well, that's enough blabbing out of me, let's get this party started already!
Chapter One: Shadows In The Moonlight
In the treetops outside a heavily-guarded compound where a business leader who sold drugs and contraband items under the table lived, four shadows were moving swiftly and silently. They had received word that this gangster had gotten his hands on a nerve agent that could lay waste to all of the Land of Fire if it got into the wrong hands, and it was up for sale to the highest bidder. These ninja had been given the task of taking out this gangster and destroying the nerve agent before it got out into the open market and killed hundreds if not thousands of people. Finally, they came to a stop, hiding in the trees near their designated infiltration point at the North Gate, where there were fewer guards. A beam of moonlight shone through the trees, revealing that these ninja were dressed strikingly like Anbu Black Ops operatives from the Village Hidden In The Leaves, clad in black pants, grey sleeveless flak jackets with black sleeveless shirts underneath, metal arm guards that had hidden kunai and dart launchers built into them, black fingerless gloves, shinobi sandals with spikes on the bottoms, three pouches on the back of their waist, katanas in their scabbards on their backs, and they wore white porcelain animal masks with markings on them. However, upon closer inspection, it could be discerned that the usual swirling tattoos on their left arms were very different from the ones usually found on the Anbu, which identified them as members of Konoha's secret service, known as the Hokage's Hand, who received their orders directly from the Hokage herself.
"All right, my Jogan's tracking the target. Everyman, Shadow, you guys set up the explosives. Moon Serpent and I will take care of Bakura and his men," Boruto Uzumaki, codenamed Dark Fox, said into the communicator built into his mask.
"Good luck, guys," said Inojin Yamanaka, codenamed Everyman.
"Same," said Mitsuki, codenamed Moon Serpent, before the team departed to perform their separate tasks.
...
Inojin and Shikadai Nara, codenamed Shadow, soon found themselves in the most secure area of the compound. A small squad of soldiers stood before a large vault that the two ninja were willing to bet everything held the chemical weapon they had been tasked with destroying.
Shikadai let out a frustrated growl. "That vault has a hand print and retinal scanner. The only way we're gonna get in there is if we get someone with authorized access to let us in."
Inojin smirked. "Well, then I'd say it's a good thing I happen to have master my clan's mind techniques. But, with all those guys around, they're gonna know something's up when I bodysnatch one of them."
"Not if they can't do anything about it," said Shikadai.
Inojin nodded. "Well, here's hoping this works. Ninja Art: Mind-Transfer Jutsu!"
Inojin's body collapsed onto the ground, seemingly lifeless as his spirit energy took up residence inside one of the guards. Using the guard's body, Inojin placed his hand on the scanner and allowed it to scan his eye. When the vault's locks opened, the other guards turned to look at Inojin.
"Hey, Nagi, what're you doing?" one of them asked.
"Release!" said Inojin's borrowed body, which crumbled to the ground at almost the same second a smoke bomb was thrown into the area where the guards were standing.
...
Elsewhere, Boruto and Mitsuki were silently silting the throats of the thugs who were guarding the compound. Being agents of The Hokage's Hand, it wasn't long before Boruto and Mitsuki found themselves in the bedroom of their target, who was sleeping soundly in his bed.
Boruto hesitated for a moment before he activated the concealed kunai knife mechanism inside his guantlet.
"You want me to do this?" asked Mitsuki.
"No, no, I got it," said Boruto before he silently crept over to the sleeping man and slit his throat, right there in his bed, a river of crimson sin flowing from his swollen throat to form a river on his sheets.
Inojin's voice came over the radio. "Charges are set. Bakura been dealt with yet?"
"He has been now. We'll meet up with you soon," said Boruto before he and Mitsuki made their escape. Making it to the outside wall of the compound, Boruto and Mitsuki met up with Inojin and Shikadai.
"Ready for the fireworks?" asked Inojin, the detonator for the explosive charges set.
"Ready when you are," replied Boruto.
With a push of a button, Bakrua's entire compound went up in flames and smoke.
…
A short time later, Boruto, Mitsuki, Inojin, and Shikadai were standing in the Hokage's office, where Sarada Uchiha, a beautiful young woman with long black hair and onyx eyes wearing a red dress, black shinobi sandals, and the Hokage's robes was sitting, waiting to hear the information on how their mission went.
"It's done. Bakura is dead and the manufacuring lant has been destroyed. The Land of Fire is safe from threat of chemical attack," reported Inojin.
"Good," said Sarada. "Go home and rest up, all of you."
Inojin, Mitsuki, and Shikadai nodded and left the office. Boruto, on the other hand, stayed behind, sat down on the Hokage's desk, and gave Sarada a mischeivious smile.
Sarada looked up at Boruto. "Not tonight, Boruto. I've got a lot of paperwork to do," she said as Boruto crept up behind her and planted a few kisses on the side of her neck.
"Is that so? Because I could swear that's what you were doing this evening, this afternoon, and this morning. You know, it's kinda a turn-off when your girlfriend is such a workaholic. I mean, we haven't had sex in three weeks. Is it because of what happened with our parents?" Boruto whispered in her ear as he placed his arms over her shoulders.
"No, and you know that," snapped Sarada. "Being Hokage's not all fun and games, Boruto, as you ought to remember from my predcessor and your father."
Boruto held up his hands in defeat. "All right, fine. I'll see you back at home, then, shall I?" he said before climbing out the window and onto the balcony.
Sarada heaved a sigh and walked over to the balcony. "Boruto," she said, before kissing her boyfriend fully on the lips. After a few moments, they broke apart. "I love you."
"I love you too. See you back at the house," said Boruto, before he leapt off the balcony and traveled across the rooftops.
...
Later that night, a group of Shinobi kicked down the door of a warehouse on the south end of Konoha. The Police Force had been summoned to investigate a disturbance in the warehouse, but when they didn't report back in, the Shinobi were sent over to investigate.
Just by looking around, it quickly became obvious why the police hadn't reported in. Someone had burned them alive, and then moved on past that, reducing them to burned, faceless, nameless corpses, using a combination of Fire and Lightning Styles.
"Sweet Jesus," said one of the ninjas, a kunoichi with short brown hair.
"Spread out, and put this son of a bitch down," said a Shinobi with black hair.
"No need, ladies and gentlemen."
The Shinobi turned towards the source of the voice, which sound smooth, slick, almost velvety. Out from the shadows emerged a man with short black hair wearing a white mask that brought to mind not the ones who visit for birthday parties, but the ones who were after someone named Georgie. He also wore a black overcoat, underneath which was a black shirt, a black leather belt, black pants, black leather gloves, and black dress shoes.
"I'm right here," said the masked man.
"Nice mask, freak," said one of the Shinobi, a kunoichi, as she and her fellows surrounded him. "Why'd you do this?"
"Because I needed test subjects made of stronger stuff, and as fate would have it, here you are, right where I want you," the man said. "You know, it's actually kinda funny you mention my mask, because while I'm sure Shinobi aren't fazed by it, most of my previous test subjects couldn't stand it."
With that, the man held out his hand and released a cloud of white vapor from a concealed mechanism inside his coat directly into the face of the kunoichi who'd spoken, forcing her to inhale it.
Almost instantly, the woman started screaming her lungs out as the world around her changed into something out of a horrific nightmare. Her fellow ninja turned towards her in concern, but they had been transformed into demons, blood oozing from their eyes and mouths, which were turned up in twisted, impossible smiles, apparently led by the demon with the white face.
"ThEy ScReAmEd AnD tHeY cRiEd,"the white faced demon said. "VeRy MuCh LiKe WhAt YoU'rE dOiNg RiGhT nOw."
"Suchi, are you okay?" asked one of the Shinobi present as he cautiously approached the terrified woman.
"Get back!" the Kunoichi yelled, pulling out a kunai. Looking at the kunai, the Kunoichi, in her drug-addled mind, she realized there was only one way out of her situation. Shaking with fear, the Kunoichi promptly took the kunai, and rammed it into her throat, much to the horror of the rest of her fellow ninja. The masked man, meanwhile, shook his head in disappointment.
"Another failure. Seems the formula needs a bit more work."
"The fuck did you gas her with?!" yelled the Shinobi who'd spoken to the now-dead kunoichi.
"You see, I'm of the belief that all things that breathe and move upon the Earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man. And I believe that weakness stems from fear. We get married, because we're afraid of dying alone. We go to the doctor, because we fear death and disease. We have children because we fear of leaving nothing behind that truly matters. It is for this reason, I've come to believe that fear is a cage, and I've dedicated myself to unlocking that cage and setting humanity free," explained the masked man.
"You're bat-shit insane!"
The man in the mask laughed. "No, it's you who are insane… assuming you don't tear each other to pieces first. Tempus fugit."
At this last phrase, the same white vapor that had resulted in the kunoichi's suicide began filling the room, poisoning the rest of the Shinobi with in it as the man in the mask left through a side entrance. Removing his mask and putting it into his pocket, Ashitaka Mitsurugi let out a sigh. Clearly, he had a long night of work ahead of him, especially if he wanted to free humanity from its chains. And for that, he needed stronger test subjects, and an improved formula.
Such a shame that I have to do this to my fellow man, Ashitaka thought as he took to the rooftops. However, if humanity is to be truly free of fear's chains, sacrifices must be made for the benefit of all.
And… cut! Well, I think that was a pretty good start, wouldn't you say? Or, at least, better than the original version. Anyways, join us next time as we get a look into the daily lives of the Hokage's Hand. In the meantime, be sure to fave, follow, and review!