Naruto: The Soaring Leaf
CHAPTER 4
IMPLEMENTATION
A Shinobi born to surpass all others
An heiress born to lead all of her clan
A Maelstrom to devastate all
and the Eye at heart of it all
When the two become One
Nothing is impossible
500 km's from Konoha
Konoha and Suna Staging Grounds
18 years since the Yondaime Fell
None but him had seen her entry but all had felt her presence and the calming effect it had on him. He had expected her sooner and that had set him on edge and it caused the argument with him and Jiraiya to escalate. With her saying of his name she had reassured him that everything was alright.
The others are watching got to be cool he thought to himself with a sly smile.
"Jiraiya sensei, I will face Orochimaru and as the chosen commander of the Konoha Shinobi and the Leader of the Alliance it is my choice. Your part has been assigned and I expect you to follow it." He spoke in a firm and commanding voice.
"If the commander falls, what then?" Jiraiya asked
"I won't fall, that slimy Snake will meet his match in Uzumaki Naruto" Naruto answered, referring to himself in the third person. While this might have been pretentious coming from someone else, when he said it was with a certainty that none in the tent could deny. He knew his skills and power and to back them up he had his Spirit, and of course you could never count out the Fox… and his Eyes.
"Naruto, the Jutsu is complete and the Hokage says they will be ready." Hinata said.
"Are you ready Hinata…chan?" He asked her.
"Yes Naruto-Kun" she answered, the quiet reply held an undertone of steel. "The Hand of Life… will reach, thanks to you".
He smiled sheepishly and his hand by instinct moved to the back of his neck. "It was your idea, I just helped with the practical side"
"What exactly is this Jutsu, Naruto?" Choji asked.
"As usual you haven't been paying attention" Ino admonished her teammate. "The Hand of Life is the Jutsu that will put us on top and it was made possible by Naruto-Kun and Hinata-Chan. To save a Shinobi on the brink of death and to transport the Shinobi to a safe place for treatment"
"Yes a truly miraculous Jutsu, was it any wonder the Hokage was so impressed" Sakura said in an obviously ambiguous tone.
The rivalry of the two was known to all, ever since Hinata had surpassed Sakura and attained the highest position in the ranks of the Konoha Shinobi. She had assumed that as the private student of The Godaime Hokage she was going to assume the position without question, but that had not been the case. Hinata under the tutelage of an excellent Medic Nin had not only surpassed Sakura but she had also surpassed the Hokage. The precision Chakra control she employed and the power of her ancient bloodline made her the most qualified and her love for healing guaranteed her position.
For him it was the goal of being The Hokage and the dream of being acknowledged by all, as a Hero, as the greatest Shinobi and as a person.
"Yes Tsunade-Sama has already voiced her appreciation of my work" Hinata said to Sakura. The previous tension between Naruto and Jiraiya was as nothing to what was building up between the two Konoichi.
"The scouts have returned Naruto-Sama" the genius of the Hyuuga Clan spoke up his voice cutting through the tension and his statement bringing everyone back to the present situation. His Byakugan was not active but Naruto knew how far Hinata and Neji had taken the Bloodline Limit of the Hyuuga. The two had worked together sharing their knowledge and testing their skills to improve their power.
Neji being older and being a genius had initially taken the lead in his and Hinata's training but her own determination and her desire to change had seen her improve. Neji had taken the offensive style of the Byakugan to an extremely high level and Hinata had taken the defensive style to an equally high level as well. For all that they accomplished the Hyuuga destiny still seemed to hang over their heads, but there was a tentative peace. Neji had resigned himself to leading the Branch House and Hinata's abilities had more then proven her as a worthy successor of the Main House. As locked in their destiny as it seemed to Naruto it did not matter, he knew that a change was coming. Hinata had on more than one occasion voiced her plans for reforming the Hyuuga and Naruto feared for any who would oppose her. Changes were on the horizon but first there was a war to win.
Neji got up and walked out of the tent to speak to the leader of the scouting party. A brief exchange of words and then Neji returned. One thing could be said for Neji and for most geniuses Naruto thought.
They wear a grave expression well. Well I can too.
He met Neji's pale lavender eyes and the look of foreboding on the elite ninja's face allowed Naruto to realize that it was true. He knew now that he was the only one powerful enough to face the Snake Sannin.
"Your suspicion was correct Naruto-Sama" Neji said. "It is confirmed, Orochimaru is in his original body"
The silence that descended was deafening and as the full import of Neji's words sunk in, Naruto knew that now was the time.
"You just confirmed what I already knew, Neji. This is the final gambit and I know that the Snake Sannin will fail." He looked at his comrades, the Rookie Nine, Team Gai and their respective teachers. "Neji, Shikamaru, Choji and Kiba we will proceed according to plan." He looked at them one by one and the significance was not lost on them and Naruto knew that even Sasuke did not miss it. "The rest of you are to fight and to keep the tide from washing over our forces. The Snake Sannin sees all this as an elaborate game of Shogi and he weighs the lives of his men with what they can give to his cause and he sacrifices them as if they were nothing. A long time ago he was one of us and so we must give answer to his evil. For the Honor of Konoha and for the Honor of the Hokage's. This then will be our goal" He finished.
"Yosh" Lee shouted "The Spirit of Konoha burns brightest and none shall smother those glorious flames" The smile he sported glinted in the light of the tent
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"Well said my youthful student" Maito Guy said. "In all of you the Spirit of Youth will never die and you inspire us with your dedication."
Kakashi looked up from his Icha Icha Paradise book and he regarded Naruto with his utmost attention and he smiled.
Asuma reached for a small pocket on the front of his jacket and pulled out a toothpick he regarded Naruto with an indescribable look. He looked at Naruto for a little while longer and then he looked at the medallion hanging on the outside of his pants. He gazed at the ancient object that marked him as one of the Twelve Guardsmen of The Fire Country. "Well said I would expect nothing less from you Naruto…." He said with a smile and silently under his breath he added "my Lord".
Kurenai fixed blood red eyes onto the warrior who had claimed her favorite student's heart. He was truly a charismatic leader, a force that pulled one it's positive momentum and allowed no doubts to enter. He had earned her support and trust through his helping of Hinata and his powerful ninja skills. "Naruto-Kun, I am with you"
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The Kazekage, Gaara of the Desert, was silent. His face was an expressionless mask, that warned most to stay away but when his eyes met with Naruto's his mask fell away and the smile that came to his face transformed him from the Leader of Suna, the Hidden Village of the Sand, into a fellow Shinobi. "Suna is with you Naruto, to end the scourge of Orochimaru and to finally close this chapter in both our countries histories."
Naruto nodded to the Kazekage, the mutual respect evident in their eyes
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Destiny and Fate were words he had grown up with thinking that they shackled him into an unchangeable future but that had all changed the day he received the hardest punch of his life. From someone who knew a pain greater than his own but did not let that pain control him. That day he had changed, he carried his burden with a lighter and so he had been saved from the darkness, by the man in front of him. "You are taking a dangerous road Naruto-Sama but of all us I believe you are the only one capable of succeeding. The power to change destiny and fate that is what you taught me and it would be an honor to fight at your side." Neji said in a somber yet gentle voice.
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He looked at him with dark, dark eyes. He was One of the Last of the Uchiha's. He remembered that day when he almost lost his Soul and he remembered the power Naruto unveiled that day. He had thought that it was the loneliness that gave Naruto his power for how could the Dead Last become so powerful but that day he realized he was wrong. There was something in Naruto that pushed him to unbelievable limits and it went beyond his pain. It was the way he was, his pain, his joy, his love, his hate, it was all of that and more. Naruto had saved him and brought him back to Konoha. He had not given up his ambition but all of that could wait… and the promise.
"Naruto I am with you" a simple statement, yet he knew the impact was not lost on Naruto. "I have not forgotten the promise you made the day you saved me, and when the time comes for you to fulfill it I will not begrudge you. It is your Nindo, your way of the Ninja.
The words were heavy between the two Shinobi but the truth of those words could not be denied and so they were accepted. Only a few had marked the words spoken on that chaotic day when they Naruto had saved Sasuke…
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"The battle will begin tomorrow and when the sun falls all will be decided." Naruto said. The meeting had drawn to a close and they all made to leave but Naruto stopped them. He had thought the kid might not make it but it seemed that he did. He turned to the entrance and in walked Konohamaru. He had in his hands a large satchel and the clink of metal on metal could be heard whenever the package shifted.
"Your late" he said to his little.
"Sorry" Konohamaru said "this stuff was a lot heavier then I expected. By now the occupants of the tent were interested in what was in the package. It seemed like Naruto had something for them.
He took the satchel from Konohamaru's hands and he unclipped its sides so that it could be easily laid out. In the unrolled satchel there were Kunai. Not the standard kunai, these were different, in the shape of mini tridents instead of the single point standard issue and with deep carvings that held an intricate and undecipherable pattern.
For the younger ninja's in the room they had never seen Kunai like these but of the older ones it was all too familiar.
The attention of the room was fixed on the Kunai and so the look that passed between Kakashi and Jiraiya was missed by most.
"Hey everyone, I made these for everyone. They are a bit heavier than the normal ones but they have other attributes that make up for this. There is only one thing I suggest that you save this kunai and use it only as a last resort." He picked one up and handed it to Konohamaru, who tested the kunai by passing it from handed to hand and once satisfied he placed it into his Kunai pouch. "Everyone grab a kunai before you leave and get some rest tomorrow is going to be a big day".
Naruto reached out to Hinata and she familiarly took his hand. The weight returned stronger than before and a bright orange and yellow Light began to form around Naruto, the light then extended to Hinata and covered her too. The Light began to intensify until the figures in it became indistinct and then they disappeared along with the light and imposed on the retina of all the Shinobi was the Orange Flash that marked Uzumaki Naruto.
THE ORANGE FLASH
The birth of a new Legend
The hidden Legacy
The Power to Lift
The Will to Love
Is it any wonder he rose above all others
Next Chapter: A Peace Amidst The Mountains and Clouds