This chapter is quite short, sorry guys. I've been busy during Christmas, after all celebrating it means loads of family time! But at least you get a new chapter for the new year, hope that sounds good to you!

Thank you for the reviews, I'd be happy to get some, again!

to Rangerfan58: I tried to make Naruto's age clear in the chapters but I suppose it wasn't obvious enough, sorry. In the prologue he is ten, as said. Then in the first flashback he is five and at the moment he is eight years old. Hope that isn't too confusing!

to Acelia Illumit: Vielen Dank für deinen Kommentar! Toll, hier mal was Deutsches zu lesen! ^^ zu Sakura: Sie spielt in dieser Fanfic keine besonders wichtige Rolle, ich habe jedenfalls noch nichts geplant... aber eins ist sicher: ich mag sie auch nicht besonders, das heißt sehr viel Positives wird hier über sie wohl nicht drin stehen! ^^ (es sei denn sie wird plötzlich ganz lieb XD)

InARealPickle: First about the attack: Masato didn't actually watch Naruto getting beaten, he only found him afterwards and wasn't sure whether to go down and help him back home or just leave him in peace. He didn't want to scare Naruto, that's why.

You're right, there aren't any explicit flashbacks on Naruto's early childhood at the moment but his entrance into ANBU might become important later on, so I'll maybe put a flashback of it in later chapters.

There actually is some action in this chapter, though you might be a little disappointed. I'm a girl and I take that as an excuse for not being able to write action-scenes well... XD Hope you won't find it too terrible!

Oh yeah, I suppose I should put a disclaimer, forgot all about that!

So: I don't own Naruto! But everyone knows that, anyway! -.-

Chapter 3

"I'm sorry to say this but I believe there still is a matter or two to be discussed before you leave, ANBU-san. I would even go as far as to say they are very important and ...vital for you."

Suddenly there were ten other Iwa ANBU surrounding them, ready to strike, only waiting for the order of the feudal lord, who was now grinning slyly at them.

"I believe a nice informative interrogation wouldn't be a bad idea, right ANBU-san?"

The five ANBU didn't respond, instead they slowly rose and got into position for a fight and, hopefully, a quick escape.

"Attack, now! Wound them as much as you want but I want them alive, especially their captain!" screamed the daimyo towards his men, effectively starting the attack.

What looked like a tumult to normal eyes was the strategy of the Konoha ANBU's who were prepared for this kind of ambush though they had hoped to get a way in peace tonight.

The captain made some handsigns which told his subordinates what to do, thus they were slowly fighting their way towards the exit.

"Don't let them escape! Get them!" cried the feudal lord and several other shinobi entered the now quite crowded place. The Konoha-nins were starting to have some difficulties with staying 'woundless', the attacks of the opponent getting fiercer with each passing minute.

The captain was just fighting off three Iwa-nins, lucky for him they weren't as well trained as himself and his teammates, when he heard a cry he knew to well. He swept around to see what was happening to fox, when he suddenly felt a fierce pain in his right shoulder. The other ANBU had rammed a katana into him, luckily not hitting any vital points because of his clumsiness.

"Taichou!" he heard the call and a second later the young man with the fox mask was at his side, ramming a katana of his own into the Iwa-nin and finishing off the two others that were looming over them.

"Taichou, are you all right?" the worried voice could be heard even over all the battle cries around them.

"I'm all right fox, no need to worry. Pull out the katana and get our group back together now. We have to find a quicker way to leave so we'll combine our wind jutsus. Let's hope that will be enough. I'll get the scroll back."

Not having any time to hesitate, fox pulled out the sword of his captains shoulder, who merily grunted at the pain, and left to help his other, weaker comrades to get back together in a group.

He made handsigns to the two who could see him and told them to get back to the small table, then he ran to his third comrade who was having big trouble keeping up with a team of four Iwa-ANBU.

"Go back to the captain now, bear!" he screamed while impaling a kunai into one ANBU's chest. The other listened immediately to the order of the second in command and dissappeared quickly to do as he was told.

Fox fought off the other three ANBU but decided on doing a kawarimi when he saw another couple of shinobi hurrying towards him. He reappeared next to the rest of his group, fighting fiercly against the overwhelming mass of enemies. Not counting the ones they had defeated, there were still another fifteen to twenty high-rank shinobi ready to kill them. They weren't only using weapons and pure strengh anymore now but instead started to use their far more powerful jutsus.

"Fox, there's no time left! We have to do the jutsu now! Reinforce it with your special chakra! You ready? Go!" screamed hawk and started to perform the necessary seals at an amazing speed. The other Konoha ANBU had moved behind the two and were now shielding them with a special jutsu.

"Fuuton! Kyukyoku heiki! Tsumujikaze! (1)" they cried out simultaneously, ramming their palms together.

Everyone in the room felt the extreme power surge around the two, especially around the fox ANBU who was now slighly glowing red. Before anyone could react, the jutsu's power was released.

It looked like a tornado was passing through the room. The ninjas were smashed against the walls, bones could be heard cracking and blood was running over many of them. One could almost say it looked like a massacre.

After the jutsu was finished, the Konoha nins saw that the feudal lord had left the room and the captain gave the order to track him.

"This event will probably conjure a war between our countries. If we manage to get their daimyo as a hostage, a desaster might be avoided. Fox, do you have him?"

The latter was looking towards the gate through which they had entered the grounds and answered "He is close to the gates and has two ANBU with him. We need to hurry."

All of them only had minor wounds, their captain having had the worst bit, so they quickly arrived at their destination, in front of the terrified daimyo who had heard the screeches and cries when the jutsu had been released.

They attacked the ANBU immediately who didn't put up too much of a fight since they were both badly wounded and hawk advanced towards the feudal lord who had gotten onto his knees and started begging. "Please don't kill me, I'll give you whatever you want, just don't hurt me, please! I'm sorry! We never meant to really harm you, it was a fluke, yes a flu..." he couldn't finish his sentence anymore since the ANBU had rendered him unconscious.

"How pathetic, to beg like that as a feudal lord." was all he said before picking the man up on his good shoulder and turning around to see his team had finished off the guards.

"We should hurry out of here before reinforcements arrive. Bear, please carry the daimyo for me. Fox, you can heal me while we're travelling. Let's go."

(1) "Wind! Ultimative weapon! Tornado!"