Naruto Fanfiction: Legend of Wind
Chapter 6: Mission Impossible! Begin!
Six months had passed. Naruto had completely delved himself into training with his ANBU members, Kakashi and Jiraiya only coming out of the NABU headquarters to return home at night and to hang out with his friends during the weekends.
Talking about his friends, Sasuke had been re-inducted into the Shinobi program and had quickly earned a field promotion. His humility that he had learned had changed him a lot and now, instead of vowing to kill Itachi, he had vowed to find itachi and beat the reason of why he had killed the clan out of him. His other rookie nine friends had also been training hard and from what Naruto had heard, they were going to participate in another chunin exams. And from what he had seen, Gaara, who along with his siblings had decided to live in Konoha as Konoha ninja, had also joined the ANBU after having his seal repaired by Jiraiya. But thinking of Itachi, Naruto frowned. He had not heard from Itachi in almost a year now. He had no idea what he was doing.
Talking about the village, Hiruzen had stepped down as hokage and had given the title to his student Senju Tsunade who had indeed turned out to be Naruto's godmother. After his first ANBU training session she had literally dragged him to the Senju compound to live in. The locals and villagers themselves had opened themselves up to Naruto, albeit a little reluctantly and were willing to give Naruto a chance after his feats in the last chunin exams. That was more than Naruto ever expected.
But dark clouds were brewing. The conflict between Suna,Oto and Konoha was turning into the Fourth Great Shinobi War. No one could deny that fact. The air was always tense, as if another invasion were to occur the very next second. Already alliances were being formed. Sunagakure (sand), Iwagakure (Stone), Kumogakure (Cloud), Otogakure (Sound), Kusagakure (Grass) and Ishigakure (Rock) had formed what was called the Triple Alliance denoting Suna, Iwa and Kumo.
Seven other minor villages had formed a coalition and had also made a pretty huge alliance themselves consisting of Amegakure (Rain), Shimogakure (Frost), Yugagakure (Steam), Jomaegakure (Lock), Soragakure (Sky), Getsugakure (Moon) and Yumeigakure (Dreams). They called themselves the Righteous Alliance.
Finally seeing the danger in staying alone Konoha had made three alliances with Takigakure (Waterfall), Tanigakure (Valley) and Yukigakure (Snow). They called this alliance the Alliance of Fire.
Heizugakure (Haze), Hoshigakure (Star) and Kirigakure (Mist) had decided to stay neutral though the latter had decided so because of the civil war going on amongst themselves.
I have no doubt that in your life time you will see war, Naruto-kun.
Itachi's words still kept ringing inside of Naruto's head as he remembered the alliances being formed between the elemental nations. EH shook himself as he concentrated on his ANBU team.
His ANBU team was unique in a way. It had two co-captains, one of them was none other Naruto's Neko-neechan herself. The other captain was Kuma (Bear) who possessed the famed Mokuton or Wood release. While on off-duty Naruto had found out his name was Tenzo and that he had received Mokuton as a lab rat of Orochimaru which disgusted him to no end.
He had four other team members. First among them was Washi (Eagle). He was skilled in lightning ninjutsu and had a summoning contract with the eagles, which was why he had an Eagle mask. His real name was Akihiko Higa and he was a tokubetsu jonin off ANBU duty.
His second team member was Wasupu (Wasp) who was obviously an Aburame. He had a wasp hive inside of him unlike other aburames who used normal bugs. He was also pretty skilled in Earth ninjustu. His real name was Hiromasa Aburame and he was a normal Jonin off ANBU duty, His third team member was ratto (Rat) who was pretty skilled in Bukijutsu (Weapons Techniques) and Fire ninjutsu. Her real name was Cho Hirose and she was a chunin like him off ANBU duty. She was also a sensor. His last team member was Tanuki (Tanuki) who was pretty much Gaara, no sense explaining anything there.
Every one of them stood at alert as Captain Neko explained the mission.
"Team, today we are embarking on what could possibly be an impossible mission." Neko said as she gazed at her team members.
"We have received this mission straight from godaime-sama and sandaime-sama and we will not fail their expectations." Kuma continued impassively.
"What is the mission, Neko-taicho, Kuma-taicho?" Washi asked.
"Recently in a border defense attempt, eight of our Konoha shinobi, three Taki shinobi and one Tani shinobi were taken hostage by Kusagakure and were sent to Hozuki Palace or otherwise known as Blood Prison." Neko answered. The other details of the mission could easily be discerned. They needed to save those twelve ninjas to prevent Intel from leaking.
But the name Blood prison had brought a silence so deep you could hear nothing. "Blood prison…you've got to be kidding me tiacho!" Ratto exclaimed.
You could already see Kuma and Neko's posture go rigid. "This mission was handed to us because the two Hokages had faith in us. And we will prove their faith right." Kuma said in a steely voice.
Ratto sighed as she nodded.
"We work in the dark." Neko started.
"And protect the light." Kuma continued.
"We are the unseen protectors." Neko and Kuma said together.
"We are ANBU." The whole ANBU team said in unison saying the ANBU quote. Neko nodded before she said "Very well Delta platoon squad three move out!"
The seven ANBU simply disappeared.
X.X.X
After two days of travelling Delta platoon squad three had reached the border between Hi no Kuni and Kusa no Kuni (Land of Grass). It would be four hours of travelling from here to Hozuki palace. The border was being guarded by twenty to thirty Kusa nin. The team looked at Neko and Kuma. Both of them nodded as they quickly communicated to them in ANBU signals.
They would create a distraction and quickly leave the area undetected.
Tanuki clasped his hand together as he whispered "Subaku Soso"
A huge sand waterfall erupted from the ground as the Kusa nin looked at it in surprise and got ready for anything to happen. Quickly The sand swept the thirty nin inside of it as the Kusa nin cried out in surprise and pain. Tanuki quickly kept them inside as Kuma threw a seal tag on the sand that contained the Kusa nin. The sand took a shape of a pyramid as the seal sealed the Kusa nin inside.
The captains nodded as the ANBU team pretty much left unscathed. Four hours later they stood in front of the Back wall of Hozuki palace.
"Alright, now here's the plan." Kuma started. "We already have the fake papers read that says that three of you are bandit ninjas caught by Iwa. The three of you will infiltrate the palace while we other four will scout the area. Then the three will most likely have their chakra sealed. Kage (Naruto if you forgot), you have studied seals with Jiraiya-sama, so you will be going among the three and will break the chakra seal. Then you three will scout the area and then deliver the Intel to us using Morse code. You will also find these 12 ninjas and then the escape will take place. Is that understood?"
The team nodded as Neko said "Alright, Tanuki, Kage, Ratto, you three will be infiltrating the castle."
The three said ANBU nodded as they took of their weapons and ninja clothing. Ratto and Tanuki gave their weapons to Kage who sealed them away along with his own weapons in a sealing paper that looked ordinary.
"Mission Rescue: Hozuki Palace, has started." Neko stated.
X.X.X
Kuma who was disguised as an Iwa nin was talking to the head of the Hozuki palace who was named Mui. Mui had agreed to the papers and thought that they were not false. Kuma had discreetly wished them good luck as Mui had smashed the Katon: Tenro (Fire Release: Heavenly Seal) on their bodies. The seal was agonizingly painful and it took them all their ANBU training to not cry out aloud. They were subsequently kept in a same prison cell with three rooms for three prisoners.
"Alright, Naruto, can you get these seals of us?" Cho (Formerly Ratto) asked in a hushed voice.
"Yes, it is imperative for the mission that you release the seals quickly." Gaara (Formerly Tanuki) agreed.
Naruto nodded as he took out the slip of paper and unsealed a sealing pad from the seal. He took out a brush from the sealing pad and quickly started to examining his own seal and the seal on Cho and Gaara.
"These are seals of maybe level three. They originally cannot be broken by anyone who does not possess Fire Release it seems. Cho, you have a fire affinity do you not?" Naruto asked as he examined the fire seal.
"Yes, and so do you. Cho answered.
"Good, that should be enough chakra for us to break the seal."
"What do you mean, we can't use chakra until the seal is off." Cho asked a little confused. Gaara also looked at Naruto with a questioning gaze.
"Yes, but I can squeeze some of my chakra out without much pain due to my jinchuriki ability. With my ability I will squeeze out fire chakra from both me and you, though it may be a little painful Cho." Naruto said a little sorry. Cho nodded as she said "Fine, I can handle a little pain."
"The seal on me should break first due to my massive reserves then yours Cho. Then usinmg our fire chakra, we will need to apply it to Gaara. Gaara, you will need to squeeze out some Earth chakra that you possess to stop getting burned to death, is that understood?" Narut asked as he had already started to draw a seal on the sealing paper from his pad.
Gaara nodded as he said "Fine, let us do it then. It is almost midnight anyway, they will not know."
The other ANBU operatives nodded as Naruto started to meditate as small thread linings of chakra appeared around his body slowly taking on the orange color indicating his Fire chakra. Cho herself had started to leak out small amounts of Fire chakra though you could see the painful grimace on her face clearly. Nartuo had quickly set to work as he took out his brush and had started to paste the Shirubureika Fuin (seal breaker seal) on his and Cho's gut.
"Naruto, if you dare peak right now, I will smash you to the ground, do you understand?" Cho asked sweetly as Naruto drew the seal on her stomach area. Naruto gulped as he nodded furiously much to the amusement of Cho and Gaara. Bringing out more fire chakra Naruto's Heavenly seal broke first with a slight twitch and after two minutes so had Cho's seal. The two panted as they then looked at Gaara. Soon minutes later Gaara's seal had also broken.
The three heaved as the seal breaking process had taken a lot of chakra out of them.
Cho then asked "Alright, how about we make clones of ourselves and leave them here and go and scout the castle?"
Her teammates nodded as Naruto made a Kage bunshin (Shadow Clone), Cho made a Kasai Bunshin (Fire Clone) and Gaara made a Suna Bunshin (Sand Clone).
The three nodded as they substituted with three rocks outside of the cell and they looked around. A row of cells filled with sleeping criminals. Naruto looked around as he said "Cho, how many guards do you sense?"
Cho nodded as she put her hand into the ram seal as she said "Forty guards are prowling this section of the castle. Fifteen of them are asleep or about to sleep."
Naruto nodded as Gaara asked "So what now?"
Naruto grinned as he said "ANBU hidden jutsu #1, my friend."
Cho smirked while Gaara's lips twitched a little. They went through the hand seal sequence of Tiger-ram-snake-tiger-ram. As they softly said "Konoha Hijutsu: Fukashi no Jutsu." (Konoha hidden technique: Invisibility technique).
The air around them rippled as the three ANBU turned invisible to all others except themselves. Cho led the way as they scouted the area. They quickly came out of the cell division as they saw large amounts of Kusa, Iwa and Suna nin guarding the castle.
"So can you locate the Konoha, Taki and Tani nin, Cho?" Naruto whispered.
Sweat beads fell from Cho's forehead as she concentrated. Cho's eyes flew open as she said "I found them."
"Where are they?" Gaara asked softly.
"In the deepest layer of the castle apparently after a secret passage from Mui's office." Cho answered as she tried to catch her breath.
Naruto nodded as he said "We need to convey this to the others. According to mission perimeters they are at the south side of the castle. Once there we will pass on the information in Morse code. If the Konoha ninja can hear it, then all the better. They will understand that help is coming."
The other two nodded as they raced towards the south corner of the castle. This was the least guarded area of the Hozuki castle thus making it an ideal spot for rescue and espionage missions. There were four guards on duty but the three Konoha ANBU smashed them on their necks making them unconscious. Naruto then looked at Gaara and asked "Can you send this document I am about to write with your send towards them?"
Gaara nodded.
"Good." Naruto said as he started to write the Intel in a piece of paper. After he was finished he said "Send it over."
Gaara nodded as he created a small sand platform and made it hover to the other side of the wall and slowly down where the other ANBU where undoubtedly waiting.
"Good. Tonight's mission is done. Now let's go back to our cell. Our mission resumes tomorrow." Cho said as they shunshinned away.
END OF CHAPTER
ANBU File.
Name: Cho Hirose.
Codename: Ratto (Rat)
Physical attributes: dark blue hair, violet eyes, 5 feet six inches.
Age: 14 and a half.
Ninja abilities: Taijutsu: Chunin level
Genjutsu: Can cast low level genjutsu and break out of them
Ninjutsu: High chunin to Tokubetsu Jonin level
Bukijutsu: Tokubetsu jonin level
Class: Sensor