Chapter 2

Stigma

After the first day of travel, Anko's group halted themselves in a densely woodly area. After setting up traps to keep an suspecting enemies away, the team settled around the makeshift center of the camp and ate dinner.
"We're making good time. If we continue at this speed, we should be at the border by the morning of the next day." said Anko as she took a bite of her shinobi ration. Neiji tossed her a flask of water and the female nin drank deeply.
Sakura sat next to Naruto. It had been a while since the two had seen each other. Sakura's life had been threatned by some virus that an enemy ninja had given to her after he slipped into the village. Iruka lead a team to the vast east of the Wind Country to search for the cure. While in the Wind Country, Iruka and his team had the aid of the Kazekage, which greatly sped up the process of finding the ingredients to the cure of Sakura's virus. It took her only a month to get back into shape but, Naruto had been busy with Kakashi and the Ki-squad so, they had hardly seen each other in the last five months. Apprehensively, Naruto walked over and sat next to her, hoping they could pick up where they left off.
"How ya feeling?" asked Naruto.
Sakura looked into the sky, dark blue-black as night descended upon them. There were so many things she wanted to say. She settled on one thing and looked at her long time friend.
"I'm good." was her reply. Naruto hoped something like this wouldn't happen but, it looked as if it couldnt be avoided. "Well, maybe we'll finish with this mission quickly and get back to the village soon. We could all use some rest after the Chunnin exams." said Naruto.
"I bet they were tough. I'm so proud of you Naruto, you have come along way since we were kids. I mean, you actually have your own team and all..." said Sakura as she blushed. Naruto was shocked but gave no verbal sign that he saw her.
Hyjia and Tashi, the only two Chunnins on this mission were finally settling down. Both of them had heard stories about Anko and even the other jounins here with them. Being here in their collective presence was intimidating but exhilirating as well. Still, they would do everything their Sensei's say and try not to get in their way.
"You think we will have much trouble at the border?" asked Tashi to his friend.
"I'm not sure. Once we get to the border, it will be my first time so far from the village. I have no clue what that area is like so, i don't know what to expect." replied Hyjia.
Tashi, a well built, black haired kid was a close match physically to Uchiha Saskue. Hyjia for a strange reason, looked almost exactly like Neiji, save the Hyugga eyes. Both were proven genins but were stil trying to find themselves in this first mission as Chunnin. Then, Hyjia jumped to his feet and walked toward the fire. His sensei had called him.
"Okay guy, we're going to train for a bit. Come with me." said Naruto.
"Yes Naruto-sensei." replied the Chunnin and the two walked off into the darkness.
When the two were far enough from the camp, Naruto told Hyjia what kind of training they would be doing.
"Sensei, are you going to teach me the Rasengan finally?" asked Hyjia. Here was why Hyjia was Naruto's favorite student. When away from everyone, he acted just as his teacher used to when he was small but in public, he was just as calm and collect as Neiji. Naruto had to put both his hands on his student's shoulder in order to keep him calm.
"No, that technique is still a little to advance for you." Naruto held out his right hand a formed a Rasengan. Hyjia looked on in awe. Naruto added wind minipulation to it and the tress in the area began to sway. Hyjia was wild.
"I cant wait for that!!! Please sensei, teach me now!!" Naruto smiled, having reached the goal he set by doing this. Now that Hyjia was interested, he could have his full cooperation.
"Soon, but not now. We will however, be doing something along those lines. I want you to learn a new wind technique. Wind-Stigma." "Wind-Stigma? What is that sensei?" "It's a wind technique that I created and only you and I will know. When this technique is executed properly, you can stimulate all of the air currents within a fifty feet radius. Not only air currents but, particles as well. You can make them do anything you want but, this technique is really hard so watch, I'm going to show you." said Naruto, waving his student away with both hands. After Hyjia was good distance away, Naruto began.
"First, gather your chakra just as you would if you were doing one of your wind techniques but, increase it in your body so that it flows evenly throught your entire body. Keep building the chakra until you feel as though you will explode, you wont though, it will just feel like that. Then, and this is the most important part, you have to release the chakra at the same time throughout every chakra hole. This is the hardest part and not even I have mastered it to the point that I can do it at will but, I'm close. When you think that all of your chakra has left your body, hold it with your minipulation. Here it goes." said Naruto as he stood there and gahtered his chakra. Seconds later, there was a small wind storm in the area that died down as fast as it started when Naruto had control over the chakra. Naruto's eyes looked as calm as ever, drawing Hyjia's own eyes into them. He was caught off gaurd when the chakra exploded out of Naruto's body in a silent boom that knocked Hyjia off of his feet.
"Well, this is it!" said Naruto smiling after having sucessfuly completed the jutsu. Hyjia rose to his feet with a heave and looked around the area confused. He didn't see anything that was out of place.
"Sensei, I dont see anything! Where"
"Walk this way." replied Naruto. Hyjia did as he was told and walked toward his teacher. He noticed that Naruto wasn't moving at all, only speaking reassurances to him that it was okay. When Hyjia was within fiftty feet, the technique came upon him.
"What, What is this!!" cried Hyjia. Hyjia had lifted into the air, about fifteen feet and was now flying side to side against his own will. "Okay, okay, I see it now! Let me down sensei!!" yelled the chunnin. Naruto let him down and told him to walk closer to him.
"Stand directly beside me. If you are not, you can get seriously injured. Watch this!" said Naruto once his student was almost inside of Naruto's clothing. Naruto blinked once and there was a loud, earth shattering noise. Debris and dust flew into the air in all directions and obscurred Hyjia's vision. When his vision finally returned, he looked at what had just taken place. The whole area, almost one hundred feet in all directions, was destroyed. No tree stood, no ground, just a crater and broken scenery all around. Hyjia looked at his teacher and shook in fear. What the hell was that!
"You, you...want...me...to learn that?" asked Hyjia shakely.
"Yeah, of course. It's gonna take alot of...huh"
Naruto was interupted by the approach of Anko and Tashi, come to see what it was that happened.
"You idiot! What if there are enemy nin around!!! You're gonna alert everyone to our location!!! Get back to camp now!!" shouted Anko.
Tashi looked at the damage and could see what it was even in the dark. He then glanced at Hyjia and shook his head in bewilderment.
"Well, that's enough for tonight, I'll show you how to get started tomorrrow morning. Let's get to sleep." said Konoha's next Hokage with a nervous smile on his face. Naruto, Hyjia and Tashi headed back to camp while Anko continued to survey the damage.
"Damn, could this be a new forbidden jutsu? That guy has too much chakra for his own good." finished Anko and went back to camp five minutes later.

In the morning, the team of six Leaf Shinobi continued on their way to the border with the Water Country to lend whatever aid they could to their friends there. Anko took the lead, along with Neiji followed by Hyjia, Tashi, Sakura and Naruto. Naruto, being the strongest in the group, was the better pick over Anko or Sakura to be in the rear. Regardless, the team neede Neiji's sight in the front. The two chunnins were too new to do much good so, they needed protecting. One day and a half of travelling with light breaks brought the team to the country's border by the early morning hour's of the next day. Anko sent Neiji and Tashi up ahead to scout for their friends while she, Naruto, Sakura and Hyjia remained hidden until the two returned. In the weak light of early morning, Naruto could barley see Sakura looking at him from atop a branch on another tree. She looked strong and determined but, a little vunerable as well. She was looking at him in a way that he had never seen and that made him very uncomfortable. He kept thinking to himself that if Hinata was here, this wouldn't do at all. Luckily, attention was focused to the return of Neiji and Tashi but, the two were not alone. In the middle of the two, slumped down and barely able to hold his head up was Gemma. Akno summoned Sakura to where Gemma was laid down by the two and she mmediately began to evaluate his wounds.
"Don't worry," said Sakura, "You're wounds are not life threatning but you have been beat up pretty badly." Hyjia and Naruto leapt from their branch and landed on the branch with the wounded Leaf nin. Naruto surveyed Gemma's wounds and shook his head. It looks as if he barely escaped with his life.
"Anko, Raidou and Shizune were captured by the enemy forces. Erui, the other jounin with us was killed in the initial attack. There forces are...cough...huge!" said Gemma as he coughed up blood. Sakura patted the man on his forehead and told him to take it easy. While Sakura continued to heal Gemma, Anko took the others a little wasys from the two and talked strategy.
"This complicates matters alot. I will send a message back to the village via nin-bird and hope that another team can be dispatched to help us out. Right now, we need to do everything we can to rescue our village nin. This is how we are going to proceed from here on in. Neiji and Naruto will travel as a two man team to scout out the area and if at all possible, attempt to rescue our comrads. Myself, Tashi and Hyjia will set up series of traps around the area to cover our retreat later. By the time Gemma has been healed, we can all meet up at Naruto and Neiji's position to continue the mission. Understood?" ordered Anko. Everyone looked at her with solemn eyes, this was not going to be one of those pushover missions anymore. Hyjia's and Tashi's eye's were wide with shock, both being split up from the teachers that they new. How would Anko handle them?
After relaying the plan to Sakura, the team split up and headed towards danger and if they weren't careful, certain death.