Chapter 7: The Mysterious Shadow Village
Sakura slowly opened her eyes. As she did, a bright light struck her vision, causing her to shut them again. She waited for a few seconds. She opened her eyes again and the light didn't blind her this time. She rubbed her eyes as she struggled to sit up straight.
She looked around the room. The floor tiles were white, so were the walls and ceiling. There was a television on the opposite side of the room. On the far left, there was a huge glass window, which gave a beautiful view of the village. She glanced to her right and saw Tenten, resting on a hospital bed. She then realized something.
"I'm…in the hospital?" She asked herself, still looking around the small room. She got up from the bed and walked towards the window. She put her hand on the glass and stared through it. "What happened? Why am I here? How did I get here?" She turned around when the door to their room slowly opened.
A woman, no older than twenty, stepped into the room. Her long black hair stopped at her waist, and her onyx eyes were looking directly at Sakura. The woman had on a sleeveless black top that exposed her navel and tight black shorts. She finished the look off with a pair of black high-heeled boots. Her headband, which was black in color, sported the symbol of a skull on it.
"It looks like the Konoha Kunoichi are starting to wake up." She said, looking at Sakura from head-to-toe. "I thought you guys would be out much longer."
"Who…who are you?" Sakura asked hesitantly. "Why am I in the hospital? What happened?"
"Calm down." The woman said, holding a hand up. She pointed towards the empty bed. "I suggest you sit down and rest. You look tired." Sakura looked at the bed. She figured there was nothing wrong, so she sat back down. Her eyes then trailed back towards the woman.
"My name is Murasakki Kumiko. I am a Jōnin-level Kunoichi of Kurogakure. The reason why you're in the hospital is because I, alongside my teammate, found you and your team unconscious at the village gate. I was hoping you could tell me what happened, because I don't really know the full story."
"Unconscious?" Sakura repeated the word under her breath. She then started to remember what happened. "The guards attacked us. We managed to defeat them, but then this other guy showed up. He used some type of technique…and…his technique collided against Naruto's Rasengan…and there was an explosion. That must be how I got knocked out."
"I see." Kumiko said, narrowing her eyes. "Now…can you tell me why the guards attacked you?"
"I don't know. All we did was introduce ourselves to them and in the next second, they just attacked us." Sakura explained. "We didn't do anything to provoke them."
"I understand. It's okay, our guards are how you say…a little uneasy. Everyone in the village is. We've been getting ambushed by Rogue Shinobi every other day. It's been a mess." Kumiko explained, shaking her head. "I apologize for them. Still…you guys gave them a beating they'll never forget."
Sakura chuckled a little. She then remembered something else. She looked at Kumiko, a look of urgency in her eyes. "Where are Neji and Naruto?"
"Who?"
"My other teammates...the two guys who were with us." Sakura explained.
"Oh, them. They're resting in the room next door." Kumiko explained. "Well, I have to get going." She reached down in her hip-pouch and pulled out the Sukoro no Ankoku. She waved at Sakura. "I found this in your teammates belongings. Thank you for returning it to us. I'll take it to the Kurokage so guys can rest up."
"Oh, uh, thank you." Sakura said, surprised at the strangers kindness. Kumiko waved good-bye and left the room.
The Kurokage's office was a medium-sized room. The walls were painted black, with red trims going along the sides. There was a large bookcase in the corner of the wall that was filled with books. A large wooden desk was placed in the middle of the room. Stacks of paper were present. Behind the papers…sitting in the red chair…was the Kurokage himself.
He was a tall man with a muscular frame. His spiky long red hair was hidden underneath his Kage hat. Burning red eyes stared at the papers as a swift hand stamped multiple documents. He continued this for a few seconds until a sudden knock on his door disturbed him.
"Enter." He said in a low, deep, commanding voice. The door pushed open and in walked Kumiko, a proud smile on her face. "Can I help you?"
"No, but I can help you." She pulled out the scroll and placed it on his desk. He stared at it and then glanced up at her. "What? Did I do something wrong?"
"Where are the Konoha Shinobi I asked to bring this to me?" He asked.
"They're in the hospital."
"What? What happened? What did you do to them?"
"Nothing. The guards at the gate ambushed them. They took out the guards, but Kenji arrived and things got…complicated. They're resting in the hospital."
"That boy…always doing something. Listen; bring them to me when they wake up. I want to personally thank them myself."
"Yes sir." Kumiko left his office.
"All I'm saying is that last fight didn't count! He caught us by surprise!" Naruto exclaimed. He and Neji had just woke up from their unconscious states. "That guy…if I ever see him again…"
"What will you do?" Neji asked. "The chances of you meeting him again are slim. We're only here to return the Sukoro no Ankoku, and then we'll leave. We're not here to fight anyone."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I understand. I still want a rematch." Naruto said. Neji just chuckled. A knock at the door caught their attention. "Come in." Sakura and Tenten walked in, all dressed and ready to go.
"I told you they were up Sakura." Tenten said, causing Sakura to roll her eyes. "So, are you guys ready to go home?"
"Home?" Naruto asked. "We have to return the scroll first."
"We don't have to. One of the Kunoichi from the village offered to take it back for us." Sakura told him. "We can leave right away if we'd like."
"Oh yeah, then let's get out of here!" Naruto exclaimed.
"But I want to meet the Kurokage himself." Sakura spoke up. "I want to see how he looks, how he acts. After that, then we can leave."
"Who said you get to make the decisions? You are not the leader of this time." Tenten said, giving off a smirk. Sakura stuck her tongue out at her.
"Calm down you guys." Neji said. "I'm the leader of this team. Considering what we've been through, I suggest that we…" A voice interrupted their conversation.
"What the hell are you guys doing in our hospital?" The four turned around and noticed it was the same spiky-haired man from before, the same one who attacked them from before. He was furious. Naruto clenched his fists. "I've been waiting for you to show up!"
The man reached for his sword and Naruto reached for a kunai. Before they could draw their weapons, a voice shouted: "Kenji, what the hell are you doing to our guests?" They all looked down the hall and spotted Kumiko standing next to a man in his late twenties. He had jet-black hair that was clipped in a ponytail and dark brown eyes. He had on the standard Kurogakure Jōnin attire. The red-haired man, Kenji, glanced at Kumiko with a confused expression on his face. "Guests?"
"That's what I said." She glared at the man. "Our guests. And you are going to treat them with kindness and respect, or else you'll answer to me. Understand?"
"What the…Kentaro, did you hear what she just said? Why aren't you over here attacking these guys?" Kenji asked, confused at his friends actions.
"You don't know the full story Kenji. Be quiet and just listen." Kentaro said, leaning back against the wall. "Let Kumiko explain the story. I'm pretty sure you'll understand once she finishes."
Kenji glared at the Konoha Shinobi for a few seconds. He relaxed and glared at Kumiko. "Talk."
"Excuse me? Watch your tone Kenji; I'm not the one to play with." Kumiko said, returning his glare with one of her own. "Anyway, these are the four Konoha Shinobi that were asked to transport the Sukoro no Ankoku back to Kurogakure. They were doing their jobs correctly until you and the guards attacked them. Do you understand now?"
"Yeah, whatever." He glanced at the Konoha team. "Heh, I'm surprised that you weaklings made it this far." He walked off.
"Weakling? I'll show him a weakling?" Neji and Sakura held Naruto back. Kumiko watched Kenji walk off and then sighed. She glanced at the four Shinobi who stood across from her.
"I'm sorry about that. He's just been…a little edgy lately. Also, the Kurokage would like to see all four of you. He wants to thank you guys personally."
The six walked through Kurogakure. The mood of the village was dark and edgy, but they didn't let it get to them. They passed by some destroyed buildings and noticed that people were working on them. They received stares from the surrounding villagers. Their glares lied directly on the Konoha team. They could feel the hatred and anger in their stares. They tried to ignore it, but they could feel themselves cracking under the pressure.
Finally, Naruto cracked. "Hey! What the hell are you guys staring at?" The villagers all directed their glares on the blonde. Sakura, reacting fast, grabbed the loud-mouth and put him in a headlock. "I'm so sorry everyone! He didn't mean it! He's such a crazy boy!" The villagers stared at them for a while. They then went about their business, ignoring the Konoha team. Sakura glared at Naruto afterwards.
"You idiot! Are you trying to get us killed?" She yelled as she started choking him. "Need I remind you, we are in a totally different village surrounded by complete strangers! They will not hesitate to strike down and kill us!" She said that last line quietly. She released her grip and he took two steps back. He rubbed his neck gently.
"Calm down guys, don't kill each other." Kumiko said. "It's not your fault, it's just that our village has been getting ambushed by rogue Shinobi. Everyone is edgy."
"But if these Shinobi are rogue, why are they looking at us like were the enemy? We have the headbands on, we represent a village. What's up with that?" Tenten asked.
"You'll soon find out." Everyone had turned towards Kentaro. "The Kurokage will explain everything to you. I feel as though your mission isn't complete yet." He walked forward, not even giving them a glance.
"Our mission isn't complete yet?" Neji thought. "What does he mean?"
"Come on, the Kurokage is just a few steps forward. Please follow us." She walked forward. The Konoha Shinobi merely shrugged their shoulders and followed.
The Kurokage had finally finished all his paperwork. He sighed as he relaxed in his chair. A knock on his door disturbed him. "Come in." Kumiko and Kentaro entered, followed by Team Neji. The Kurokage opened his eyes and looked at his visitors. He stretched his arms and sat up straight.
"These are the Konoha Shinobi who returned your scroll." She pointed to them.
"The Konoha Shinobi eh?" The Kurokage gave a sly smirk. "I just wanted to thank you guys personally for returning my scroll to me. This scroll is an important document that belongs to our village, and if it fell into the wrong hands, there would be consequences."
"Consequences?" Sakura repeated. "What kind of consequences?"
"Terrible things." He answered her question. "Things that could put our entire village at stake."
"Oh my…" Tenten said, shocked.
"Kurokage-sama…" Kentaro spoke up. "…are you going to tell them the real reason you called them here?"
"Yes, I guess I should." The Kurokage folded his arms across his chest.
"The real reason? I thought the scroll was the main reason you wanted us to come." Neji questioned. "There was something else."
"Yes, there is. The scroll was important itself, but there is something else…and I feel as though your help could actually turn the battle in our favor."
"What is it?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know if you know this, but the people of my village…they don't trust outsiders anymore. I'm pretty sure you've already experienced it. My son, Kenji, the one who attacked you guys, is full of anger and hatred." The Kurokage explained. "The villagers must've given you some type of trouble as well. There's a reason why."
No one said anything. The Kurokage continued to speak: "You see, there is this group of Rogue Shinobi. They call themselves the Shadoudesutoroiyā. They are a group consisting of entirely Renegade Shinobi from the different villages all over. All of the members have a headband with a symbol that represents a different village. Konohagakure, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, these are just a few of the village headband we've seen. These Shinobi…are trying to destroy us. My people are ready to launch a full-out war with all of the other villages. At first, I was ready too, but then I realized…"
"Realized what?" Tenten wanted him to continue.
"We haven't done anything wrong to invoke the wrath of all of the villages. We've minded our own business. So I figured…this must be a nothing but a scam or something. I thought it was a joke at first, but then the attacks kept coming and coming. I've lost some Shinobi and some of my buildings have been destroyed. My village cannot keep living like this. So I went out on a limb…I asked for your help. I figured, that if they actually helped, then it couldn't be them. The scroll was stolen, yes, that part is true, but you're village captured the person who did and our scroll, so I asked for it back."
"I see…" Neji said, nodding his head.
"The real reason I called you guys here is…I want your help." He said. "My Shinobi are getting tired. They can't keep this up. So I told your Hokage what was really happening and she agreed to send some back-up. So please…I beg of you Konoha Shinobi…would you help me and my people with this threat?"
"Of course we will!" Naruto exclaimed. "Why didn't you just ask that in the first place? We would love too!"
"It sounds like you guys have a predicament on your hands." Neji said. "These Rogue Shinobi are impersonating other villages…they're trying to cause a war among the Great Nations."
"All the more reason to help the Shadow Village out and put an end to this." Tenten stated.
"Exactly. They deserve to be stopped. Kurokage-sama, we would love to help you with this problem." Sakura said, nodding in his direction.
"Thank you, my village will appreciate it. I will make sure your stay here is enjoyable."
"Do you know when they're going to attack?" Neji asked.
"No, it's always a surprise attack." Kumiko was the one who answered this question. "Either they charge directly in the village, or they set off a bomb somewhere…people will die, and it's always on our side. We patrol around the village every day and night, but we never mind anything. They're a troublesome bunch."
"I see…so you never know when they could attack." Neji said.
"Exactly. And if you ask me, I feel as though this is a set-up." Kumiko said. "I feel as if someone in this village is in their group and is slowly trying to take us down. "
"A coup d'état maybe?" Sakura asked. Kumiko nodded her head. Sakura clenched her fists. "That's a dirty move. Why would someone do that?"
"To most likely remove me from power." The Kurokage spoke up. "Either that, or they want our village destroyed."
"Well it doesn't matter what they want, just know that we have your back. We'll help you put an end to these guys, no matter what happens!" Naruto exclaimed, giving off a grin.
"Heh, what makes you think you guys will be of any help?" They all turned around and spotted Kenji standing in the doorway. "If an entire village can't take these guys down, what makes you think four Konoha brats will do any better?"
"We need all the help we can get. No matter how many we kill on their side, their forces just seem to keep growing. It's only a matter of time before they launch a full out assault on our village. Kenji, we need them." Kumiko pleaded.
"No we don't. We have enough. Besides, these guys are weaklings. They couldn't even beat me." Kenji said with a smirk.
"You ambushed us from behind. It was a sneak attack." Tenten stated, taking a step towards Kenji. He glanced at her and laughed. "Even if it wasn't, you still wouldn't be able to take me on."
"I'm tired of you running your mouth. If you want to fight, we'll fight. Anytime, anyplace, you just name it." Naruto said, glaring at the red-haired man.
"Fine, we'll fight at…" Neji interrupted them. "Hold on a minute." All eyes were on him. "I don't appreciate how you just talk down on my team. They're nowhere close to a weakling. I'm the captain of this team, and I'll defend their honor and prove you wrong. I'll fight you."
"No Neji, let me handle this one." Naruto said.
"No Naruto…" He glared at Kenji, who merely smirked. "…he's my opponent. I'll fight him…and I'll show him that we 'Konoha brats' aren't so pathetic."
"Heh, you've got spunk. I'll give you that. But I'm telling you…you will lose this fight. That can be predicted. Meet me at the Open Field around noon tomorrow. I'll prove to you just how much of a weakling you guys are." Kenji left the room.
"That boy…I'll get him for this." The Kurokage said, fists tightening.
"No, it's okay." Neji spoke up. "He wants to talk, let him run his mouth. But tomorrow is a different story…its time somebody put him in his place…and I'll be the one to do it."
[Neji accepts Kenji's challenge…who will emerge as the victor?]
Shadoudesutoroiyā (Shadow Destroyers)
