AN: Thank you for all the kind reviews. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story!

Chapter 6: Battle

Hiruzen waited patiently under cover of his Meisaigakure no Jutsu (Hiding with Camouflage Technique). It was a jutsu that many Iwa shinobi favored during espionage missions. The technique modified how light passed through it effectively turning someone invisible. It also eliminated scent and damped their chakra signature. The jutsu would not last once battle began since the need to mold chakra and quick movements would cancel the effect however for now it made the Hokage as untraceable as a ghost.

It also provided him plenty of time to place a number of explosive tags all around the area. As Gamabunta was summoned and Jiraiya annihilated the docks the Hokage patiently waited until the Kumo shinobi arrived and began to engage Jiraiya and Gamabunta.

Gamabunta jumped high in the air as Jiraiya used his hair to launch attacks at the arriving shinobi. As more Kumo nin arrived Jiraiya dropped down to the ground and used Doton: Yomi Numa (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld). The ground turned into swamp and two shinobi were caught in it. They quickly tried to use Kawarimi but the special properties of the jutsu prevented it from working, they were well and truly stuck. What it also did was cordoned off part of the battlefield.

One of the Kumo shinobi threw a number of kunai at Jiraiya, some of which went deliberately wild. The metal glowed slightly after missing the Sannin. The enemy jōnin fired several more and the one's that had previously been fired and in the ground were yanked toward the newly thrown kunai.

'Magnetism, this must be the Jiton (Magnet Release).'

His current location wasn't ideal to strike at Toroi but he was confident his student could handle the attack. It was now time to reveal himself.

He dashed forward without making a sound and buried his kunai into the spine of a shinobi preparing to unleash a Raiton jutsu on Gamabunta. The motion and kill attracted notice. Sarutobi exploded into motion firing off several jutsu and attacks within seconds.

First he used Kage Bunshin in under half a second. Then he threw a shuriken which multiplied into hundreds and hundreds of shuriken using Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique). His clone meanwhile used Futon: Reppūshō (Wind Relesae: Gale Palm) to double the speed of the thrown shuriken. Normally even a powerful throw of a shuriken can be dodged by most shinobi but with the unexpected added velocity several Kumo nin were caught completely off guard and were shredded by the high speed projectiles.

Before the shuriken had even struck the living legend was already moving to attack again. He moved fast and the distance between him and the enemy shinobi disappeared in a blink. His kunai slashed toward a jōnin's throat and only his quick reflexes with his tanto saved his life. Even so the blow pushed him back and away from the Hokage.

Sarutobi drew every eye to him as he unleashed his killing intent. His hands flashed through the hand seals for Doton: Ganchūsō (Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spears) even as most were still stunned by his chakra presence. One unlucky shinobi was impaled while three others were moderately wounded by the attack. More importantly however was that nearly all of the shinobi in that area leapt into the air to avoid the wide area jutsu. The one Doton specialist who saw the attack stared wide eyed at the range it encompassed, normally the attack was a fifth the size.

Now in the air and vulnerable Hiruzen once more fired another set of jutsu. This time he used the Uchiha favorite Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique). Only instead of just a massive fireball exploding out of his mouth, it became a firestorm when his clone used Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough). The massive firebomb incinerated huge swathes of the enemy. The jōnin who had managed to block his kunai strike used an adrenaline fueled Kawarimi to get away at the last second but even with his impressive speed he still took some nasty burns to his face and hands.

Despite the brutal onslaught the Kumo shinobi were not completely unable to counterattack. A barrage of projectiles was launched at the Hokage and a ball of electricity whizzed toward him. The Shinobi no Kami (God of Shinobi) was on the defensive but every defensive move he made was doubled as an attack. The kunai were kicked, slapped or knocked aside with his weapon or his hands and feet. Instead of merely deflecting them he actively redirected them at shinobi attempting to use their own jutsu. One genjutsu user had almost completed his string of hand seals when a kunai impaled itself in his throat.

The Raiton attack was dodged by the Hokage completing Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique). He tunneled through the earth and ripped a shinobi into the ground. He gutted him before rising back up from the earth and triggering the explosive tags he had previously set around the buildings and streets leading up to the docks. Explosions rocked the area and line of sight was temporarily obscured by the thick smoke from collapsing buildings.

Hiruzen bit his thumb and completed the Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique) and brought forth the great Monkey King Enma. Enma roared and instantly pounced on an enemy shinobi through the dust and ash in the air. Hiruzen sensed chakra build up around Gamabunta as the huge summon used Suiton: Teppōdama (Water Release: Gunshot). From a human mouth it could shoot bullets that could pierce flesh from a toad many orders of magnitude larger it created a massive explosion of water as it splattered a kunoichi sending water and blood spraying in all directions.

As the smoke and dust cleared it revealed Hiruzen finishing Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique). Normally the technique required forty four hand seals but for him it only required five. The dragon arced down and broke limbs as it roared through the enemy.

The shinobi of Kumo stood in awe and horror at the devastation around them. Gamabunta had taken a smattering of minor wounds. Jiraiya had a bloody knuckle and a scorch mark on his shoulder. Even Enma had gotten nicked. But Sarutobi Hiruzen stood untouched around the shattered and broken bodies of their comrades.

Toroi called for a retreat and Hiruzen dashed after the fleeing shinobi.

***BREAK***

Anko grinned in delight as Hoheto signaled them to get ready. He held up for fingers and then completed the corresponding sign to indicate they were likely chūnin level. Even with the Byakugan being able to see the entire chakra network it didn't allow for someone to instantly know what rank someone was. A shinobi could have a massive chakra pool and still fight like a genin. However since it was the Byakugan it gave away more than just chakra. It also assessed how fluidly someone moved, their muscular structure and the types of weapons and tools at their disposal. Hoheto like all Hyūga had been trained in reading someone with the Byakugan to determine their level of skill. Mistakes could still happen but most of the time the assessments were correct.

The four of them waited silently for their prey to draw near. There were four shinobi. One of them was a kunoichi armed with a katana. Two others had the 'normal' shinobi gear of kunai, shuriken and soldier pills. The figure in the middle of their formation only had a pair of kunai but had several additional pouches which were filled with medical supplies.

As the shinobi walked past Shibi he gave the signal to strike. Anko lashed out with a pair of kunai while Shisui used his Shunshin to strike right into the enemy formation. Anko's kunai were deflected while Shisui's attack was halted right before it could slice into the enemy's throat. Shisui wasn't done however as his eyes locked onto the Kumo shinobi and instantly put him into a genjutsu using his Sharingan. With the enemy's guard lower he sliced again and ripped into the man's throat.

The katana wielding kunoichi lashed out at Shisui and the Uchiha was forced to dodge backward. The medical nin instantly dropped beside his fallen ally and green chakra pooled around his hands as he hoped to save his comrade's life. Anko and the Hyūga pushed forward into melee combat.

The kunoichi's kenjutsu was superb and her sweeping strikes forced Shisui and Hoheto back. Anko clashed with the final shinobi and made use of her Hebi (Snake) style of combat. Her opponent was clearly unfamiliar with the contortions her body could do and she had soon sliced her opponent several times in the ribs, the shoulder and the thigh. None was critical yet but she was enjoying herself immensely.

Shibi entered the fray by unleashing his swarm of kikaichū on the Kumo medical nin. Why? Because medical nin typically had less chakra reserves than the normal shinobi. The Aburame knew there was an inverse relationship between chakra control and chakra reserves and so he sent his allies toward the target that would take the least amount of time to drain.

The medical nin probably knew this as well but already hundreds of the bugs had swarmed over him and he hastily used a Kawarimi in an attempt to get rid of them. Unfortunately for him the kikaichū remained on him much like clothing doesn't disappear when someone uses the substitution jutsu. Shibi than calmly and professionally drove his kunai into the heart of the bleeding shinobi who had been partially healed.

Shisui dodged another sweep of the katana and rolled past the kunoichi and used a Shunshin to accelerate right behind Anko's opponent and drive his kunai into his spine. He gave Anko a wink which caused her face to twist in a most unhappy expression.

Shibi's swarm had finished their work and the medical nin fell unconscious from chakra exhaustion. The lone kunoichi was soon overwhelmed by the four Konoha shinobi and Anko reveled in her first victory of the war. Yes that little shit Shisui had ruined her kill but she knew it was a solid tactic to do what he had done and their taichō would back him completely if she raised an objection.

Aburame ordered Anko and Shisui to burn the bodies with their Katon jutsu, select another ambush spot and wait for more enemies.

***BREAK***

Hizashi was pleased with his squad. After dealing with the three genin they had crushed the four chūnin with little difficulty. None of them had been able to stand before the terrifying powerful of his taijutsu, Noritaka's ninjutsu and Itachi's genjutsu. All three primary arts of shinobi warfare were on display and the battle had lasted less than a minute.

From there his Byakugan identified another Konoha team having trouble with a larger group of enemy shinobi and they had arrived like with the stunning impact of a meteor. Shuriken and Katon jutsu rained down on the shinobi and as they attempted to protect themselves from the onslaught Hizashi ripped into them. His Byakugan allowed him near 360 degree vision that had allowed him to avoid the whirling shuriken perfectly while dealing death.

His younger cousin gave him a nod in thanks. The team had bitten off more than they could chew and could have even lost the battle. Instead they ended up with only minor casualties and the Uchiha of their group suffering some nasty electrical burns from an enemy Raiton jutsu. He had paused and allowed Kitō time to heal the Uchiha before moving on to their next target.

With a signal to his team he rushed northward toward a pair of genin and chūnin. It would be another easy victory. He noticed the signs of shock in the enemy as contradicting orders were called out. The enemy was badly shaken and with his dōjutsu he could see why. The man he literally owed his life to, the Sandaime Hokage had just routed the enemy. They had scattered which would make them even easier picking for the ten wolf packs that could easily identify where they were running to thanks to the Byakugan in every squad. It wouldn't be long now until the shinobi of this city were slaughtered.

***BREAK***

Toroi's heart clenched in despair at what he was seeing. His shinobi were being massacred and there was nothing he could do about it. With it just being Jiraiya he had been certain he could be driven off with their numbers and perhaps even killed if they were lucky. When word came of more Konoha shinobi entering the city his hopes had dwindled. It was to his shame he had been frozen with indecision on whether or not to split his force. Eventually he spit off half of the gathered chūnin to deal with the invaders while the rest dealt with the Sannin.

That dwindling hope turned into soul crushing shock as the Shinobi no Kami entered the battlefield and blasted his forces apart with a combination of Doton, Katon, Futon and Suiton ninjutsu. The legends had all been true.

The city was lost at this point but perhaps some of his force could be salvaged. He ordered a group of twenty shinobi to hold off the perusing Hokage while he gathered what paltry numbers he had left. They would rush toward where the genin should be evacuating the civilians to the shelters that had severed them well in previous attacks originating from Kirigakure. There he would order them to leave the city while he tried to cover their retreat.

***BREAK***

Shimura Danzō wondered how the battle was progressing in Tahara. The fact that he even knew the location of the battle was only a matter of luck. The information security around the Hokage's plans was damnably good.

'He isn't letting me know the full extent of his plans. I can guess much but without the specifics it will prove difficult for me to harvest the Sharingan.'

Normally a war would have been the perfect opportunity to ambush Uchiha out in the field. The limited flow of information was making it nearly impossible to find any vulnerable squads. He supposed he had to be content with the knowledge that he had been given a freer hand in engaging the enemy. Hiruzen allowing him to send his ROOT forces to hunt down genin teams was a refreshing change of pace and had promised access to a whole slew of tantalizing new abilities.

Sadly, so far only one captured genin displayed a kekkei genkai worth harvesting. The boy was twelve and had access to an interesting ability to kill plant life with a touch. While not particularly useful on the surface Danzō was deeply curious about how it worked and what abilities his potential offspring would have. The inverse of the Mokuton (Wood Release) greatly interested him.

'After Tahara what is your next move Sarutobi? The northern seaport of Abashiri is hardly a tempting target. My spies tell me that they only move a tenth of the goods of Tahara. Where will you strike next and how can I get my agents in position to acquire more of the Sharingan?'

The Shinobi no Yami (Darkness of the Shinobi) sat and pondered that while the battle raged in Tahara.

***BREAK***

Twenty shinobi attempted to bar Sarutobi Hiruzen's path. And twenty shinobi left the mortal coil.

Hiruzen and Enma blazed forward their speed swifter than even the enemy jōnin. Enma was a chief summon such as Manda or Gamabunta, while he lacked their sheer size he made up for it with his raw power and immense skill.

The Kumo shinobi attempted to slow down the Hokage with a barrage of projectiles and jutsu. The aging Hokage easily dispelled the hasty attempt of a genjutsu and continued on only slightly slowed. Any one foolish enough to get within close range fell to his superior speed, strength and taijutsu skill was dealt with swiftly. Enma continued to smash heads and break necks with his long arms and innate agility.

One Kumo shinobi got as close as he dared and attempted to use Raiton: Jibashi (Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder). The jutsu should have sent a potentially lethal amount of lightning arching from the shinobi's hands. Someone with enough fortitude and good chakra control could survive but they would be severely wounded.

It only took the man known as 'The Professor' an instant to recognize the jutsu and without stopping his forward advance he unleashed his own jutsu on the Raiton user. Wind gathered around him as his Futon: Uchikubi Retupuu (Wind Release: Wind Decapitation) roared into life. The blade of air smashed into the Raiton jutsu and due to its elemental superiority it collapsed the halfway formed ninjutsu attack. Its force still not fully spent it pushed onward and instead of decapitating the enemy shinobi in ripped him in two at the waist.

In a last desperate action the remaining eight shinobi all attacked him at the same time. Hiruzen was finally slowed for a few moments but eight broken bodies were left in his wake. The rear guard had bought very little time for the commander of the city.

***BREAK***

By the time Toroi got to the genin the most were already dead, slain by the invading shinobi who had ruthlessly hunted down anyone with a chakra signature that signified them as shinobi. Toroi felt a fresh way of shame and failure come crashing down on him. He ached to accomplish one final useful thing but that too was denied him as Hiruzen, Enma and Jiraiya arrived on the scene.

"So this is my legacy. Death and destruction of my city at the hands of the Sandaime Hokage himself. What did I do to deserve such an honor?" He spat out the words angrily as he turned to face the men would surely kill him.

The Hokage's gaze was sharp. "You did nothing. It was your Raikage who brought this on your head."

Toroi bowed his head in defeat. He knew it was pointless but his warrior spirit would not allow him to die like this, meekly accepting death. In a blur his hands moved and he hurled his shuriken directly at the Hokage. The Hokage batted them aside and Toroi used his Jiton (Magnet Release) to send them directly back at the Sandaime.

The end came swiftly. Jiraiya and Enma both pounced on him and he felt a rib crack from a brutal punch followed by a final strike at the back of his neck. In his last moment of consciousness he realized that it wasn't a mortal blow. They wanted to take him alive and he had foolishly let them.

AN: And that's a wrap. This was a very heavy combat chapter so those of you who are into that I hope you enjoyed it. Those of you who aren't will be glad to know that the next chapter we will get to see some fallout as well as what Hiruzen plans to do next. It was fairly anti-climatic at the end however in truth there was little chance the Shinobi no Kami was going to be done in by some A ranked scrub.

What was your favorite battle so far? Also which of the two squads do you like reading about more? Hizashi and Itachi's squad or Anko and Shisui under Shibi?