So, I'm thinking that I need to get more reviews. What do you guys suggest I do to get that? But anyways, I'm getting this chapter posted and I hope you all enjoy it.
Chapter 7
Shadows flickered across the earthen terrain. Small pebbles were slightly displaced at the speed the four man cell was moving. The two two-eyed members were barely keeping track of their surroundings, yet the two one-eyed members were keeping an eagle eye out on the situation.
Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze was running in the rear of the formation, a distinct feeling somewhere in the back of his mind. He knew something was going to happen, what he didn't know was whether it'd be good or bad. He looked forward, noting the other members of his team and how Sakura and Sasuke were chatting it up. His eye darted behind his mask, taking in their changes and he mentally reviewed the Junior Bingo Book that was put out that had all genin of all villages entered into it.
Name: Sakura Haruno
Alias: Screaming Cherry Blossom
Birthday: 28 March, Age 16
Ninjutsu: C
Taijutsu: C, no known style
Genjutsu: High C, Low B
Kenjutsu: D
Shurikenjutsu: C
Genin Team: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi no Sharigan
Genin Haruno Sakura of Konohagakure of HI no Kuni hails from the Haruno clan.
Kekkei Genkai: Roaring Banshee - This bloodline is unique in the Haruno clan in a sense that it gives them extra air sacs in their lungs, increasing their breathing capacity, which allows them to naturally scream at levels Otogakure shinobi need tools to use. This causes disabling effects for all shinobi unless one is given a nullifier for this. If you meet one in combat, please make sure that you have earplugs handy. Approach with caution.
Name: Sasuke Uchiha
Alias: Last Uchiha of Konoha
Birthday: 23 July, Age 16
Ninjutsu: High C
Taijutsu: High C
Genjutsu: C
Kenjutsu: High D
Shurikenjutsu: A
Genin Team: Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi no Sharigan
Kekkei Genkai: Sharigan - A bloodline that allows the Uchiha to copy any and all ninjutsu with but a glance and perform it perfectly everytime. Placed with Hatake Kakashi as his jounin sensei for this reason. Believed to be a prodigy amongst his peers. Has a possible grudge against his elder brother for the assassination of his clan. Approach with caution.
Now Naruto had laughed when he read his JBB entry as there was next to no information on him or his skills. They only had listings of his academy skills and he knew they'd get trashed into the ground on this mission.
Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Alias: Number One Unpredictable Knuckleheaded Ninja of Konoha
Birthday: 10 October, Age 15
Ninjutsu: E
Taijutsu: D
Genjutsu: E
Kenjutsu: E
Shurikenjutsu: C
Genin Team: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi no Sharigan
No known Kekkai Genkai. Can engage and demolish at your leisure.
Naruto began running faster, catching up to Kakashi and looking at him. Kakashi glanced towards him and nodded. Naruto began making handsigns, signing a message to Kakashi using Konoha handsigns, known only to Chunin and above.
'We're being followed.'
Kakashi's lone eye narrowed slightly, a growl emitting from his throat. He signed back, his hands a blur, yet the Uzumaki understanding every signal.
'How many?'
'Fifteen. There may be more hiding ahead of us. I sense two or three high signatures, possible jounin. Eight mid-high chakra signatures that I believe to be high genin to high chunin. Then four low signatures. I believe they are genin. Advise?'
Kakashi thought for a moment before he made a choice.
'We'll halt here. Prepare to engage.'
Naruto nodded as he skidded to a stop. Sasuke and Sakura looked at them as they each drew a kunai.
"What's going on Kakashi," Sasuke asked, a demanding tone to his voice.
"You'll address me as Kakashi-sensei or Jounin Hatake, Genin Uchiha," Kakashi said, his voice taking a serious tone that it lacked before. "Few people are ever allowed to address me by my first name, Naruto being on of them."
"Oh really," Sakura said, crossing her arms under her small bust. "What makes the baka so special?"
"Be quiet!" Naruto hissed, his voice muffled by his mask.
"Don't tell me what to do dobe!" Sasuke said. "I could wipe the floor with you!"
Naruto scoffed. "You're only alerting the approaching enemies to our position. Shut your mouth and maybe we'll live through the night. What's the play sensei?"
Kakashi looked around, his sharigan eye flitting around behind his headband quickly.
"We'll set up traps here," Kakashi said. "That's your job Naruto. Delay them and follow us quickly." Kakashi pulled out a map. "We'll wait here. You have two hours. If you are pushed back, take care of as many of them as you can and leave clones here and haul ass!"
"Hai sensei," Naruto stated as he began pulling out ninja wire, explosive tags and kunai.
Sasuke began to protest but Kakashi halted that when he spiked his killing intent. Sasuke gulped slightly, never feeling it directed at him before. Sasuke swallowed his pride - if that's even possible - and nodded, following the pinkette as she raced forward. Kakashi nodded to Naruto.
"You better live otouto," he stated. "You know Kushina and Minato will kill me if you die before I do."
Naruto nodded. "Of course aniki. I'll see you soon."
Kakashi nodded as he ran off, not casting a glance behind him in the event he jinxed the Uzumaki heir.
-With Sasuke and Sakura-
The Uchiha and Haruno had slowed to a slight jogging pace for shinobi and allowed their sensei to catch up, not like it'd have made much of a difference. Kakashi sped past the other two, the pace set at mid-jounin speed, causing the inexperienced chunin level genin to struggle to keep up.
"Kakashi," Sasuke asked, slightly winded at the pace. "Where are we going? And why'd you leave the dobe there to take care of traps? He'll only get himself captured and give away our position."
Kakashi growled low in his throat, a reaction that went unnoticed by the two genin. "I'll ignore the insubordination because I need you for the mission, but if it were any other time, I'd pound your ass into the ground. But I left Naruto there because he's the best at making traps and hiding in plain sight."
Sakura snorted. "Yeah right. Naruto-baka stealthy? I'll believe it when I see it."
Kakashi chuckled. "You'd be surprised. I was an ANBU captain back in the day, and I was assigned to a special detail that would protect Naruto and find him if need be."
"What kind of trouble does he have to cause to get his own ANBU detail?" Sasuke asked, somewhat interested.
"S-rank secret only known to Tokuchu and above."
Sasuke growled in response.
"But as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, he could hide from platoons of ANBU and the Hokage for days on end if he really wanted too. Twenty Iwanin is nothing to him. Just wait and see."
-With Naruto-
Naruto growled as the Iwanin got closer and closer to his position. He may not have chakra anymore, but at least he could sense the signatures coming his way. He smirked as he finished laying down the final explosive tag for his trap and jumped behind some boulders. He mentally chuckled as he knew the Iwanin would have to find him by line of sight instead of using chakra.
He turned his head, looking in the direction the nin were coming from as he heard the sound of their footsteps disturbing the gravel. About a year ago, Hiruzen had assigned him a new Jounin sensei in the form of Tsume Inuzuka. She'd been a slave driver, worse than Yugao and had driven him into the ground. But her physical training only trained the senses so he went home every day, his body okay and his mind drained.
He smirked as he saw the nin getting closer and closer, the ninja wire going unnoticed.
A little bit closer. Naruto thought. Almost there.
Three nin crossed the wire, their feet snapping it clean in two. Explosions reigned and debris blew in all directions. Rocks were turned into sand and gravel and the Iwanin that survived started regrouping. From the initial explosion and those who weren't killed by shrapnel, eleven were left. Two jounin and one genin was killed by the explosion and the third jounin, who was in fact close to Naruto's position had received shrapnel to the chest.
Naruto snuck up behind him, using the confusion to slit his throat.
Ten left. Naruto thought as he drew a second kunai.
He ran around, beginning to fight and dispatch the nin with relative ease, at least until a lucky nin found a chink in his armor, a kunai lodging into it. Naruto ignored the pain and spun around, slashing the blade across the boys arm, drawing blood and making him hiss in pain. Naruto kicked him back as he threw a kunai with an explosive note attached, stabbing the boy in the neck with it. Two chunin caught the boy and they all exploded, a shower of gore and meat raining down.
"Seven left," Naruto muttered.
The two inexperienced genin were sitting there, dumbfounded and frozen solid by the battle going on around them.
"What are you two doing!" a chunin said as they prepared for battle. "He just killed your comrades! Stand, fight and avenge them!"
The genin gulped and hardened their eyes, drawing two kunai each and readying their chakra. "Yes sir," one said, his voice hard.
"Konohanin," Naruto assumed that was the leader. "You're outnumbered and outgunned. Give up now and report to our Tsuchikage at once and maybe your punishment will be swift."
Naruto chuckled as he reached for his ninjato that were strapped across his back and smirked beneath his mask. "I am never outgunned Iwa shinobi."
One growled. "Konoha..."
Naruto drew the blades and ran at the two genin, cutting them down quickly. The final nin, six chunin growled and prepared jutsu.
"Doton: Doryuuheki!" one yelled, sending a lowpowered Earthen dragon towards the descendant of Slade.
Naruto ducked under it and stabbed the one who created it in the chest and quickly flipped his blade backwards, slashing a nin across the chest, leaving a shallow wound. Naruto kicked one back and sheathed his blade, quickly drawing a pistol and shooting him in the head. Naruto drew his second pistol and began firing rounds into the nin, quickly finishing them and leaving one alive, but his knee destroyed, bullets riddling his leg and robbing him of his ability to walk again.
"Iwanin," Naruto said, his voice cold and remorseless (Teen Titans version). "You and your comrades fought admirably. But you were dead from the start. The only reason I let you live was so you could tell the world of who I am."
The nin gulped, faking his reaction as he considered who he was dealing with, hoping to distract him long enough to plunge a kunai into this mans throat. It didn't work as Naruto noticed the movement and shot him in the elbow.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, the Demon Deathstroke."
With that, Naruto knocked the man out, leaving him amongst his fallen brethren and a small medkit by his side. He quickly raced for where he sensed his team to be and made his way there in a few minutes.
-With Team 7-
Naruto quickly ran up beside his teammates, keeping pace despite the battle he just went through. Naruto quickly signed to Kakashi what had happened in the battle, causing the silver haired jounin to shake his head.
"You realize they're going to find you correct?" Kakashi asked. "You've literally painted a target on your back."
Naruto shrugged. "Eh. It's only slightly bigger now. But as more come for me, I've a greater chance of gaining experience."
Kakashi nodded at the truth in that statement and Sasuke and Sakura were irritated at being left out of the loop and Sakura let it be known.
"HEY! There aren't secrets on this team dammit!" she yelled.
Kakashi looked back at her, his lazy eye forming an unnerving glare. "This is business of those with skill levels that surpass yours. Do not get into matters you do not understand."
Sakura gulped as the icy tone pierced her to her core and wisely shut up. Sasuke grunted, wondering what secrets the two were hiding. He didn't care about whatever they were talking about, but he did want the power that Naruto had gotten. He didn't know where it came from, but he'd force the blonde to teach him his skills, or he'd take them by force, maybe even forcing the counsel to get it if he needed too. After all, they were privileged to serve an Uchiha.
Naruto had an inkling of what Sasuke was thinking and by the glances Sakura kept giving Sasuke, he scowled. He knew that these two weren't ready for this mission, Sasuke being stuck in his avenger attitude and Sakura probably willing to do anything to make sure Sasuke is okay, even possibly leaving Kakashi and Naruto to die if it meant protecting her "Sasuke-kun."
Kakashi looked at his "younger brother," wondering what was going through the boys head. Unlike the other two, he knew that all the training that Naruto had received the last three years had probably made him realize that he'd get more kills under his belt. Hell, the kid had probably killed most, if not all of the nin that had chased them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come back alive.
The rocks they started passing started getting more pronounced. They got larger and more jagged, mountains dotting the skyline. Naruto stopped running, causing the others to halt and look at him questioningly.
"What are you doing dobe?" Sasuke growled. "We need to get to the village and kill this Danzo person!"
Naruto looked up, the moon slowly making it's descent, giving way to daylight. Naruto began removing his armor and weapons, sealing them in a scroll he pulled out. Naruto began putting on civilian clothing and taking out paint and taking out a mirror (Naruto grimaced at this, realizing that people, especially Sasuke in all his high-lord Gayness [Authors Note: I do not mean to insult any LGBT people reading this. I SUPPORT YOU ALL] would think this was feminine and unnecessary) and began painting over his whisker marks, giving him a slightly lighter complexion. He then took out contacts lenses from his pack and placed them in his eyes. He then took dye and placed it in his hair, turning it a light blue.
Kakashi eye smiled at seeing what he was doing and started doing the same, even taking off his headband, out of the view of Sasuke and replacing it with an eyepatch. Kakashi applied a minor Henge and changed his hair color to a light blue.
"What are you two doing?" Sakura asked, genuinely confused.
Naruto chuckled. "If we go into Iwa with major Henges applied, chances are that a shinobi will detect the chakra and we'll be apprehended. If we physically change our appearance, the chances of that happening are slim."
Naruto threw a pack at Sasuke and Sakura. "Now both of you get to work. Your hair needs to be a slightly darker shade of blue than mine and Kakashi's Sasuke. Your hair needs to be the same shade of blue as mine and Kakashi but keep a few pink streaks if you want Sakura. Add a few scars to your body, mainly your hands. We're gonna make it look like we're a family of smiths, with Kakashi being the older brother and me being the middle child and Sakura as the younger sister. Sasuke, your cover is that you married into the family and are just getting into the business."
Sasuke scowled at this. "I'm an Uchiha. I don't have to do this."
Naruto looked at him, his lone eye glaring into the Uchiha's coal ones. "All your name does is paint a target on your back. Yours is slightly smaller than mine because at least 95% of Iwa, 10% of Kumo and a small 1.3% of Kiri and Suna all hate the Namikaze or Uzumaki name for one reason or another. We're going into enemy territory and if you do not disguise yourself, Konoha will deny your involvement and will black list you. Then Iwa will torture you. Then they'll collect blood, saliva, hair, skin, fecal and semen samples and kill you. If you do not want that... Put. The. Damn. Disguise. On."
Sasuke growled as he realized that Naruto was right and quickly began dying his hair, then discarded his clan clothing, opting out for black pants, regular walking sandals and a brown shirt. He slightly tore the collar open and then tied his hair into a ponytail. Everyone slipped some form of a weapon on their person. Naruto chuckled as he just took out a deck of cards and started shuffling.
When Sakura loudly questioned his lack of a weapon, Naruto said two things.
"The deck and me Sakura," he stated, chuckling. "That's all I need."
Naruto walked towards Iwa after storing their things in a hole that he covered with a rock. Naruto kept a small bag with him, one side filled with ryo and the other with metal working gear to at least sell their cover.
"Let's go," Kakashi stated.
The began walking at a sedate pace, or at least what they hoped was one as they made their way into Iwa. Soon, they made it to the gates and all were in awe of what they saw. Most of the village was literally carved from the rock in the mountains and interconnected through a bridge system. Naruto and Kakashi looked up, noting a tall building in the side of the mountain that appeared to have the symbol for earth etched into it, possibly being the Kage's building.
The group was stopped from entering by a chunin. He looked at them skeptically as he checked their papers.
"Why are you in Iwa today?" he asked.
Kakashi smiled. "Just a bunch of blacksmiths looking for work."
The nin nodded as their papers checked out. "Welcome to Iwa, Mr. Okina."
Kakashi nodded as he took the papers and IDs and redistributed them to the others. Kakashi looked at the others, silently checking his suroundings and making sure no shinobi were around. When he saw that none were present or in a hundred yards radius, Kakashi spoke.
"We need to find a hotel first and a place to start searching. Sasuke and I will take the streets, Naruto and Sakura, I'd suggest you two find a job of some sort. Keep your ears to the ground. We have six days so we need to be gone by the night of the fifth. Find out as much as you can and keep everything in a scroll on your person at all times."
Everyone nodded as they looked around. Sasuke was the one to find a hotel, Sakura congratulating her Sasuke-kun with a cry of Ikuno-kun.
Sasuke smiled at Sakura in mock happiness, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Naruto and Kakashi went wide eyed at this as they looked at each other, slight fear in their eyes. Sakura nearly fainted as she blushed red, barely managing to keep her footing and wits about her. Naruto quickly signed something about it being a sign of the coming apocalypse, but Kakashi signed back about the sky not raining fire on them, so they should be safe... for the moment.
Kakashi got them signed in and quickly made their way to their room, unloading their things. Kakashi looked at them all, his voice losing it's serious quality. Naruto quickly slapped silencing seals to the doors, walls and windows and chakra surpressing seals, not allowing anyone within a hundred yards of the door or windows to use chakra to listen in to their conversations.
"You all ready know the details of the mission. Do not get caught because if you do, Konoha will deny all knowledge that you were here and you will be blacklisted and left for dead, Uchiha or not. Now let's get to work."
Everyone nodded as they left, each taking a copy of the room key.
-With Naruto-
Naruto was walking around Iwa, his ears taking in all the sounds. He quickly cancelled most sounds, only listening for key words, including that of Danzo's name. He heard the clang of metal hitting an anvil and entered the building he thought it came from. He saw a red haired man leaning over an anvil in a forge, banging out some type of weapon before returning it to the fire and heating it and then returning to hammering it into the shape.
Naruto knocked on the wooden frame, alerting the man to his presence. The man calmly set down his hammer, placing his hands on his lower back and pushing outwards, his spine realigning and the man groaning and mumbling about old bones.
"Yes young man," he said. "What can I do for you?"
"My name is Okina Uzu, I'm here with my siblings and my sisters fiancee. My siblings and I are blacksmiths and I'm here looking for work. I was wondering if you could help me?"
The old man nodded. "I'll see what I can do. My name's Uzumaki Seijiro, councilman and shinobi of Iwagakure. Please to meet you Uzu."
End.
So that's the end of this chapter. Naruto's just met a link to his target. What could this mean for his mission? Or could this possibly affect the outcome? Find out next.
