Inept Empiricism
Disclaimer / I don't own it. Sadly.
"Two Oto-nin battalions, grid reference, November-Echo-two-two-three-by-eight-four-niner. Enemy concealed and fortified, send in additional ANBU squads to reinforce ANBU squad five, 'Kitsune', over."
"'Kitsune', we read you loud and clear, reinforcements on the way, over."
"HQ, additional request."
"Speak."
"Requesting to start initial assault on Oto-nin forces."
"Request received . . ." silence "request granted.."
"Orders received, over and out."
Uzumaki Naruto, the squad leader of ANBU squad, 'Kitsune', motioned to his position with his hand, and six shinobi appeared in front of him. "The plan?" one of them asked. She had a hummingbird mask on, with shoulder length bubble-gum pink hair, sticking out of the sides.
"Two by two, you'll enter, Chouji and Shino, Sakura and Hinata, then Kiba and Ino, I'll stay back and suppress with long-range wind jutsus. Go."
They sprinted into the dark abyss of a forest. They stopped ten minutes later at a small clearing. "Kiba, grid reference?" Naruto asked.
"November-Echo-two-two-two-by-eight-three-one."
"Chouji, Shino, North-by-Northeast, two minutes, then next group. I'll cover the area with fire. The enemy is dug in a mile or so over, after ten minutes I'll join you."
Chouji and Shino gave a slight nod, and disappeared in to the darkness. Two minutes later, Sakura and Hinata got up, and disappeared, Naruto ran through some handseals and then stated, "Fuuton: Senpuu Ya, Ripito Bakuha." Wind Style: Whirlwind Arrow Repeat Blast.
An invisible blast shot out of Naruto's mouth in a three round burst, then again five seconds later. He continued this process until Kiba and Ino had been gon for two minutes, then sprinted toward the position that they had marked before the mission started.
He met the rest of the team there, with stragglers from the ANBU squad, 'Neko'. Sakura was the first who spoke. "We encountered three chuunin - genin enforced squads on our initial push, but as we tried into two-two-three-by-eight-four-two, we encountered a company, and had to move back to the fall-back position."
"Where'd you pick up these two from the 'Neko' outfit?"
Shino answered first, "They were split up from the main group, your barrage saved their lives. We saw three platoons on their heels, then your assault cut them down."
Chouji, "They retreated with us to this point, we have eliminated about four platoons of nin, not including those you killed with your arrows."
"Good," Naruto said, "now we need to plan our next assault."
"And report to HQ," Hinata added, "our casualties and theirs."
"Alright, Kiba take the radio and rep to HQ. Shino, Hinata, scout areas two-two-two-by-eight-four-eight. It's close to the main installation. Be careful, I want a detailed recon, meet us at two-two-three-by-eight-four-five at 2300. Go."
The Hinata and Shino ran swiftly away. Naruto smiled at the diligence of those two, and the rest of his men. They had enough grit to last two days of combating the Sound forces, and still come to fight them with all they have.
"Alright, Sakura and Ino, we're pushing into two-two-three-by-eight-four-two. Chouji, with me," he looked over at Kiba, "get our orders, and fall out to Hinata and Shino's position."
"Yes sir," Kiba said.
"Sakura, Ino, take the right flank, improvise, Chouji and I will travel down left flank, stay at least fifty-mets away," he looked toward the two 'Neko' troops, "you two, stay down the middle, ten-mets behind. Move out."
The six of them moved through the dark evening, searching for enemies. They heard a rustle of a bush and paused. Five soldiers walked out in front of them."Friend or foe?" Sakura called out, with a kunai poised to attack.
"Friend."
Naruto stood up and said, "What outfit are you five from?"
"We're split up from the rest of our group, three of us are 'Taka' and the rest are 'Neko'."
"Good, we have two from 'Neko' also," He looked backwards, "you two, formation change, front and center. The five of you have been absorbed into 'Kitsune' three of you go in front with the 'Neko' troops, one come backward with each flank group."
A 'Taka' spoke up, "Where are we moving to?"
"Grid Reference November-Echo-Two-Two-Three-by-Eight-four-five, by 2300."
"We just came from there . . . when there were twelve of us." He replied.
"Well soldier, you're going back."
"But–"
"Soldier, are you afraid of the enemy? If so, turn back, but, I'm an ANBU Black Ops. And last time I checked, so are you. If you are Black Ops, Charlie is waiting. So pick up your shit, and move into formation."
No one replied afterwards, or broke formation. By 2200 the nine of them entered Two-Two-Three-by-Eight-Four-Three. The brush in front of them rustled a bit. Naruto moved to the sound, and checked into the tree line. A small cylinder object was stuck in the ground with a deadline sticking out of the sides.
"Senbon trap," he turned to the boys from 'Neko', "anyone of you a demolition, or trap expert?"
They shook their heads, 'no'.
"What about you guys?" Naruto said, gesturing to the boys from 'Taka'.
One of them stood, "I am," he said.
"Check this out," Naruto said as he bought him to the trap.
"Disable or recover?"
"Recover it, that trap might come in handy."
"Alright, five minutes," he stated.
Ino appeared right next to him "Sorry, boys, but we don't have five minutes."
"Why not?"
"Hinata and the others got to the rendezvous point early, and they were pushed back by a company of Oto-nin. They're closing in quick, probably with more numbers than originally seen. We're going to be surrounded."
"How long till they get here?"
"Two, maybe three minutes."
He turned to the sapper from 'Taka', "That's how long you have," he turned away, "Shino!"
"Yes?"
"Take control, you have everybody except the sapper and Chouji."
"Yes sir."
"Chouji, with me, sapper, when that trap is ready, meet us."
Naruto and Chouji ran through the moonlit forest. In the distance, marching could be heard. "Those fuckers don't even care about stealth, they're just going to ram a bunch of soldiers up our ass," Chouji whispered.
"Shut up."
"What are we going to do then?"
"Nikudan Sensha, right into the middle of 'em, I'm gonna screen behind you, and hit 'em with some earth jutsu. Plow straight through them and then retreat back to Shino."
He nodded and formed the seal of rooster. He, in his "Meat Tank" form rolled straight over a group of Sound, and twenty others were crushed by a huge boulder, that fell from the sky.
After Chouji's run, he ran past Naruto, "Alright, see you back there."
Naruto pulled back beyond the eyesight of the Oto-nin. The sapper appeared next him, "Give me the trap."
The sapper handed him the trap, "Once I throw this, you run like your ass is on fire." He shoved a kunai into it. He threw the senbon trap into the enemy contingent and sprinted away into the silver night. In the distance, screams could be heard.
As they reached the rest of the battle group, Shino stated, "They never reached us."
And Sakura added, "Man, I didn't even get to have fun on this mission."
". . . Yes, I understand, I'll report to my team leader. Yes ma'am. Over and out," Kiba looked at Naruto, "we're being pulled off the line, get your shit together."
"Who's being put in our place?"
"'Ookami' and 'Tanuki'. Also, Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama are bringing in the main force. Anko, Kakashi, and Gai have been forcefully absorbed into ANBU. Shizune, has been pulled into the back lines to HQ with Shikamaru. And Kazekage-sama, is also joining with us to push sound into their own territory."
"Heh, Gaara finally has the balls to act."
"Tokubetsu Jounin, Hyuuga Hanabi and Hyuuga Tenten have been placed as heads of the two forces. Hanabi, under Hokage-sama, and Tenten under Jiraiya."
Naruto looked wistful, only Sakura knew why.
"Let's move out."
Naruto grabbed his wrist, "Don't worry Naruto."
"Move your asses! If you haven't packed for the front, do it now!" said a twenty-year-old Hyuuga Hanabi.
A Chuunin ran up to her. "Ma'am! An Uzumaki Naruto has shown up returning from the front line! He is reporting at Division HQ!"
"Thank you, now proceed to your business."
"Ma'am!" He gave her a crisp salute, then ran away.
Hanabi walked to the Division HQ, where she heard Naruto's voice, ". . . Large group of Oto dug in at November-Echo-two-two-three-by-eight-four-seven through nine. We disrupted two battalions, but many of them are still left, 'intact'."
"Alright Naruto, you're dismissed . . . and, good job."
"Thanks Shizune-nee-chan."
Naruto walked out of the tent, but was instantly pinned against a tree by a woman six inches smaller than him. The long black hair and definite aggression was a dead give away to her identity. "Wow Hanabi-chan, so forceful."
"Shut up." she said as she brought her lips to his.
"I hear that you're going to the front lines."
"Yeah."
"Don't die." And another kiss.