Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, no smart-ass comment this time.
I got somethings to clear up later on after I write this out. Bear with me and then let me know what you think.
Sono Saishuu Konwaza
Chapitre 11
It was about a half hour since the gang preformed their 'extraction' operation in the middle of Suna's market district. Back in the residential areas, in an empty building, the house was dead quiet. It was intact, but there was no furniture, items, or any personal effects that would show that someone actually lived there. In one of the rooms, there was a doorway sticking out a bit of the wall, and opening it, one would find stairs leading to the house's cellar. The cellar was carved out of the stone and clay that one would find in the deeper parts of the earth. And just like the rest of the house, it was laid bare, save for three items.
The first one was a lone light bulb, hanging like a cliffhanger off of a dingy little chain, which led up to the support beam for the room. The next item was a man dressed in Suna garb, tied securely to a chair, slowly gaining his perspective. The last item was in the shadow of the light hanging above the two, who appeared to be sitting with his back to the cellar's cold stone wall.
The man slowly was coming too, and the first coherent speech he awoke too went as the following: "You waking up on us?"
"Where the hell am I?" asked the bound man.
"This," said the man, lifting himself off of the floor, and started to pace around the prisoner. "It used to be a house with a family, until the cout leaders decided to demolish it, and the people they called 'traitors to the village' along with it. Since then, they've built it back up, but as you can see, it's yet to go up again on the estate market."
The shadow entered a bit into the light, showing the man a few tufts of his blond hair. The bound man could see in the dim light a hint of blue in the figure's eyes, his own adjusting to the low light.
"My crew figured it would be a great place to hold such a man as yourself, Harkuri-san," said the man, saying the last part in a condescending manner.
Hakuri attempted to free himself of the rope bonds, but they refused to budge even the slightest inch.
"Ah come on," spoke the condescending man. "Surely you've seen a shinobi knot before? You know its tied in a way that only the man who tied you up can untie you right? Oh, and don't bother trying to brandish any tools, my friends and I searched every crevice of your body," the figure chuckled, "and I do mean every one of the them."
Naruto was pacing there in the cellar, taking his time and keeping himself out of the light for the most part. He was to keep this man in line, but keep him at least conscious enough to talk once the others arrived. For Naruto's part, he despised the type of man he was seeing in front of him. Thugs like Hakuri never usually showed mercy, and Naruto wasn't the type to give any to those who don't deserve it. 'Treat people the way they treat you,' his old master Futeki used to say. 'Respect is something that comes along afterwards.'
So, to keep himself from giving in to his zealous way of life, to keep from exacting on this man his own nindo, Naruto was given the advice from Shikamaru. He was rather surprised that Shikamaru knew interrogation techniques: he didn't seem the type to use such personal methods. And interrogation was about as personal as it can get, as the object is to break another human being. He still remembered Shikamaru quick breakdown of the rules he wanted Naruto to abide by until he was released:
Rule 1: First thing to do is to show your victim how hopeless the situation is. Tease him, insult him, and let him get angry and frustrated. If he tries to get uppity, shake him up, and let him know who's in control of whom. Tell him what the situation is, without giving out too many specifics. Tell him how helpless he is, and use detail as to how you and/or others have completely left him without any options.
"You bloody son of a bitch!" spat Harkuri, "do you have any idea who you're dealing with!?"
That remark rewarded the Suna shinobi with a hard, swift backhand, and Naruto hit him right across the face, fist clenched and all. He let his knuckles dig into the skin a bit, causing some abrasions to appear on Harkuri's face.
Naruto knelt beside him, tutting in his ear as he still recovered from the blow.
"Now that," he said, "isn't the way to get what you want around. Why not a 'please' or something?"
This was seeming to really irritate Harkuri, as Naruto continued to talk down to him. Even in such a situation, Harkuri wasn't one to let anyone disrespect him.
"Do you think you can get away with this?" he roared. "When I'm done with you, they won't even find one of your fingers!"
Another backhand, and then Naruto dug his palm into the man's neck, giving him a 'soft' choke-hold. Not one to damage him, but one to make him work for his oxygen.
"You really are as stupid as you look," said Naruto. "How many times to I have to hit you before you get it through your thick skull? Mouth off, and next time I just might break your jaw to shut you up! Now, sit down, stay calm, and shut the fuck up!"
Rule 2: Intimidation can go a long way, but try to let him know what you want out of him. If the victim is let in on the rules, and if he is rewarded (or not punished) for his cooperation, then it lets him think he has some degree of power. This works further down the road, and makes getting what you want out of him easier. Sometimes they might do it out of their own free will (or so they think). Many think interrogation is treating a person like a dog, but just like a dog, positive reinforcement compliments negative reinforcement.
After a few seconds, Naruto let go of his hold, letting Harkuri gasp for air hungrily. Harkuri looked like he was ready to shoot his mouth off again; but a quick look in Naruto's direction, as Naruto cracked his knuckles in the shadows, made Harkuri think twice. Naruto smirked to himself: bullies like Harkuri are easy to tame.
"Here," said Naruto, as he grabbed for something behind him, and showed Harkuri a water bottle. "I'll pour it in your mouth, seeing as your tied up. Besides, you need something all that booze in your system."
Harkuri glared at the gesture, but he had no right to complain. He was bound, and he was starting to feel a bit queasy. What he was too stupid to know it was more Sakura's medicine than the alcohol. He opened his mouth, and Naruto slowly poured some down his throat. The bound man gulped it down, a slight look of appreciation seemed to show on his face.
"So," said Naruto, sitting himself against the wall again, "how's a slob like you get to be part of cout?"
"What's it to you? I don't even know your name cheese dick," said Harkuri, instinctively expecting another slap. Surprisingly, Naruto didn't budge.
"You can just call me Koki," said 'Naruto'. " And I feel better when I know why I'm someone's enemy. Since I'm fighting against the cout, I was curious as to why you would join them? Don't you love this village?"
"I hate this village with every unbroken bone in my body," he spat grimly. 'Naruto' stared right at the man.
"So, is there a reason, or do you just like to hate things?" he prodded Harkuri.
"My life in this village was at best, tolerable," he explained. "I never was considered part of society. I would go through my days trying to just get by without being ambushed, or bullied, or humiliated. Even when I made Chunin, this village had the gall to think of me as just 'lucky'. So when the cout took over, I saw my chance to finally have some payback."
"That's the worse excuse I've ever heard in my life," spat 'Naruto'. "Why don't you do something about it instead of sitting on your damn cross."
At this retort, Harkuri growled in a primal way. He tried to lunge at Naruto, managing to move the chair quite a few feet, despite having no real leverage. He didn't need any, he had pure, unadulterated rage.
"Do you think I've spent my last 26 years not trying to do exactly that!?" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "That's the kind of thinking I'd expect from someone who doesn't know a goddamn thing! Listen up you ignorant slut, its hard to get off your cross, when society itself has nailed you to it!" He halted, breathing like a man who hadn't breathed in five years. Most people might be taken back by such an outburst.
Naruto just kicked the man, sending him falling back onto the unforgiving stone floor. He placed his boot right on the man throat, and pushed down on it with slight force: he'd be no use if he was dead.
"You think you're the only outcast, with his little piss-poor-me story?" said 'Naruto', in a deathly tone of voice. "Listen up you twit, I know all you've said, and then some!" he applied a bit more pressure on Harkuri's throat, gaining a wheezing sound from the man.
"I've got my own cross pal," continued 'Naruto', looking down at his abdomen. "And I'm still carrying it to this day. You think I've wanted to change as well? Damn right I have, and I was stupid enough to think I could. You can't change what you are, but you sure as hell, have a say in what you do with it. So find a nun or something to listen to your little tragedy, or call you mom, I'm sure she can fix you a bowl of soup or such." He let off of Harkuri, and returned back to the wall. He slid himself back down to a sitting position.
"Great speech genius," he thought to himself, "but you left out a few things. Unlike you, he doesn't have a demon inside him. He doesn't have a secret so horrible that it keeps him from getting too close to anyone. That means anything past friends. No lovers, no wives, no children, no life beyond being an outcast." He rubbed his head bit, his own line of thinking giving himself a headache. He headed for the stairway.
"Stay put, asshole," he said to Harkuri, knowing full well he wasn't going anywhere. He wanted to get in one last cheap shot at the guy. He ascended the stairs, and paced himself for a while. After a bit of time passed, he heard a knock at the front door. He approached the door, but not before making a quick stop in a nearby corner. He picked up his weapon: Tezamuteki. He carefully opened the door, and relaxed when he saw Sasuke and Shikamaru.
"About time you guys got over here," he complained to them.
"Had some things to do, so bite me," said Shikamaru. "I trust you kept him alive."
"I struggled with that part," said Naruto, "but yeah, he's perfectly fine. He's in the cellar."
"That's good," said Sasuke. "Did he say anything useful?"
"Not for you guys, but certainly for me," replied Naruto. "If all the other cout officers are like that guy, I'll have no problem taking them out," he punched his open palm in symbolism.
"Get back to your house Koki," said Shikamaru, using his cover name. "Me and Kai here can do the rest."
Naruto let himself in, finding no one in the foyer, nor the reading room. He didn't feel much like socializing right now anyways, so he went up to his room, took off his vest and undershirt, and sat himself on his bed. He laid himself down across the bed, staring at the wall, like it was the most important thing in the room. He closed his eyes, just trying to calm himself down: not just from Harkuri's rant, but also from his own line of reasoning. Naruto usually didn't try to focus on keeping himself down, but when he did, it really hit him hard. After all, they say that you're your own worst enemy.
He heard a knock at his door. He twisted his head at the door, not moving from his bed.
"Come in," he said. The door opened, and Naruto saw Sakura on the other side.
"I heard the door, and I figured you'd be the only one who'd be coming back," she explained. She sat herself next to him, taking the opportunity to stare at him.
"You've certainly grown up since then," she complimented.
"Makie, you remember the day I told you?" he asked her.
Sakura quirked a brow at that, but it take long for her to know what he meant. She always was the smart, rational one of their little trio back at the academy.
"Yeah, and I told you I was okay with it," she said.
"Makie," interjected 'Naruto', "you've never been good with lying to me. I knew instantly when you did, remember?"
Sakura sighed in defeat. "Alright, the whole truth was, I remember being completely shocked when I heard it. I mean, I almost lost my parents to that demon during that day."
Naruto, knowing she was now being honest, allowed a small smile to come to his lips: the first one he had in a while.
"You ran away instantly after that," he said. "I was so hurt, I was almost ready to end it all right then and there. I guess I was scared to die though, because I just ran back to my house and cried the whole day."
"But you know the rest right, Koki-kun?" 'Sakura' asked him. The blond nodded to her question.
"How could I forget? I opened my door and was tackled immediately. I almost had whiplash from that. Anyways, I looked up to see you there, muttering 'I'm sorry' a million times."
"I don't get it Koki-kun," said 'Sakura'. "Why bring it up now of all times?"
"That Harkuri guy got me thinking about my life," replied 'Naruto', hitting himself in the stomach. "I was thinking about how I'll miss out on a lot of things because I've got to carry around this bastard until the day I die."
"Oh, you don't mean that Koki-kun," said 'Sakura', patting him consolingly.
"Oh I do Makie," he told her, causing her to freeze. "I'm just thinking how much it pains me to know what I'll never have. Sure, I can still become Hokage," said 'Naruto', chuckling a bit, "being alone for the rest of my life might make the job easier actually..."
He was stopped, as he felt the hot sting of a hand striking him on the cheek. He turned to Sakura in shock, as she wore a stern expression on her face. Stern, forget that, she looked pissed.
"After all this time, and you're still dumping on yourself like this?" she asked him. "Didn't that Futeki-sensei of yours teach you anything about how great you really are?"
"Makie," he said.
"You need to stop thinking that no one has changed their opinion of you since you left Koki," she said, dropping the honorific. She was serious about this, and she wanted to let him know. "People change Koki, and they change for the better mostly. You've seen for yourself haven't you? Take how Kimiko used to treat you."
"Yeah," said 'Naruto'.
"And how does she now?" she asked.
"She acts like...a friend," answered 'Naruto'.
"That's my point Koki," she said, "so don't make up your mind about things. Especially on matters such as the ones you're talking about."
She had a point. All day long, Naruto was convincing himself that he was destined to be alone. Did he already forget that he was fighting such thing since he was a child? He probably did, but he was grateful that someone had the guts to tell him otherwise. He shouldn't be thinking the complete opposite of who he is.
"Thanks Makie," he said,wrapping a arm around her, and giving her a hug. She pulled back after a few minutes, a tint of red on her face: not that Naruto noticed.
"So," asked 'Sakura', "speaking about 'such things', is there anyone like that?" Naruto looked at her: who knew Sakura to be a gossip? Then again, he had his assumptions as well.
"Do you really want to know?" he asked her. She nodded at the question.
"Well," said 'Naruto', scratching his chin for a minute. He wanted to really think this one out: his answer shouldn't be half-assed.
"I have two people in mind," he told 'Sakura'. The pink-haired girl looked at his with wide eyes.
"Who knew you were such a pervert Koki!?" she exasperated.
"What the hell does that mean?" he asked. He was honestly about the 'connection' that 'Sakura' just made.
"You want two people? That's just..dirty," she said to him.
"Psh," he replied. "I've never been held to same ideals as everyone else, so why should I now? If I love two people equally, I should be more than free to have them both."
"But how would that even work? Did you even think about how something like that would be for the other two involved?" she asked 'Naruto'. 'Sakura' was honestly as to how 'Naruto' thought this would even work, if he even thought that!
"I'd find a way," he answered simply. "You know me Makie, if I make a promise, I intend to keep. And if I promise to keep two people happy, then I'm going to see it done."
"Well, what do you see in them?" asked 'Sakura'.
"Well, the first one," he started, "the first thing I notice about her is her hair. Its short, and I think it just goes great with her face, her eyes, her whole. Now I'm not shallow, but I'll admit, she's quite a looker too. She's got just the right curves and shape, and that athletic build of hers lets me know that she knows a thing or two about working to get what she wants. I guess the thing that hooks me is that she's just so easy to talk to. I can talk with her for hours, and we'd be talking about nothing in the end. If I had one other best friend back in the days, it would definitely be her."
"As for the other well, now that I think about it, there was always a flame there. When I was banished, it almost died out to be honest. But when I came back and saw her again, that flame kicked up again. Now that I'm back for good, I'll make damn sure that no one or nothing forces me to kill that flame ever again. She was important to me back then, and she's even more so now." He turned to Sakura, who looked like she was off in space. "Any other questions?" he asked her.
"Yeah," she said, "who are these two?"
"Well, one of them I won't tell you," he said, getting a huff of anger from Sakura, "and the other..."
It hit Sakura before she could react. In an instant, she was on her back, on the bed, and Naruto had kissed her. She was literally shocked! It was unexpected, it was uninvited, and he was so totally invading her personal space, and he...
Okay, she had to admit, Naruto knew what he was doing. He was forceful at first, but he quickly became gentle and slow with it. She emitted a groan out of the side of her lips, and Naruto just smirked a bit.
She felt an intruder trying to break her lips, and she knew all too well what it was. Who knew Naruto could be so persuasive? She let him inside, and he moved his tongue around gently, getting a feel for her mouth. After another minute, he pulled back, a goofy grin on his face. He looked like he just got away with killing his mortal enemy or something along those lines: the kind of look of pure confidence.
"Take a guess," he told her, and with that, he let himself out. Sakura was just left to lay there, taking all in what was no doubt the best moment of her life...
Tenten, after washing up after her little scrap with Harkuri's squad, was quietly reading in her bedroom. The door opened up rather abruptly, and Tenten looked over to see Sakura, looking a bit roughed up, or so she thought.
"We need to talk," she said. Tenten simply closed her book, placed on a nightstand near the bed, and looked to Sakura.
"Is it important?" she asked. The pink girl nodded. Tenten approached Sakura, passed her, and closed and locked her door.
"Okay, what's on your mind Makie-chan?" asked 'Tenten'.
"It's about Koki," she said. Tenten nodded in understanding, and let herself sit back on the bed.
"Something going on with him?" asked 'Tenten'.
"Yeah, a lot actually Karuga-chan," replied 'Sakura', "he, he said he's in love with me."
'Tenten' didn't show much evidence, but 'Sakura' with her intelligence picked up on the few signs she gave out. She twitched slightly, her left eye widened a bit before retracting, 'Sakura' heard her take a quick, sharp breath of air.
She knew it then: Tenten was keeping in more than she let on. Sakura had her suspicions, as Tenten and Naruto have gotten really buddy-buddy lately, and now she saw it: Tenten was in love with Naruto.
"Well, that's great Makie-chan," said 'Tenten', who got up off the bed. "I've known you had a thing for the guy, so it's only natural that he like you..."
"Karuga-chan, there's something else," started 'Sakura'.
"Oh no need Makie-chan, I'll keep my distance and stuff. It's not right for me to drool over your boyfriend right?"
"Karuga-chan..."
"Still, it hurts a bit..."
"Karuga-chan!" shouted 'Sakura', interrupting 'Tenten'. No one ever knew 'Tenten' would be the type to rant nervously about something. Then again, she never had bad news of this type in her life. Of course, she only thought it was bad news, and Sakura wasn't cruel enough to leave her friend in the dark.
"He's in love with you too Karuga-chan," said 'Sakura'. 'Tenten' looked at her friend like she was having a loss of brain function. What did she just say?
"You're serious?" she asked to confirm.
"Yes I am. He didn't say your name, but I knew. Koki loves you and me the same," she explained.
At this point, both young ladies were standing up in the middle of the room. They both helped themselves to Tenten's bed, plopping down on it, trying to drown themselves in the awkward silence that followed.
"So, now we got a problem right?" spoke up 'Tenten'.
"Depends Karuga-chan," said 'Sakura'. "He said he promised to make both of us happy."
"And what do you think about that? I know most people have trouble just keeping one significant other happy, much less two."
"I know it's not the usual, but I believe him," said 'Sakura'. "How about you Karuga-chan, would you be willing to give it a try?"
"I suppose so," said 'Tenten'. "I mean, I have no reason to think he can't do it either."
"Guess that makes us partners in crime, so to speak, then," said 'Sakura', extending her hand to her friend.
"Guess so, and if one of us goes down, the other does too," said 'Tenten' accepting her friend's hand.
"So Karuga," said 'Sakura', "I guess that means you should know about Koki's secret."
"Which would be," said 'Tenten', wondering what 'Naruto' would have to hide.
She didn't get chance though, as Naruto came barging in, he had a devilish grin on his face.
"Meeting at Shikamaru's place," he told them. "They made the canary sing it all."
The three rushed over to the diplomat's building, meeting up with Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, and the three Sand siblings in Shika's reading room.
"Come in," welcomed Shikamaru. Sakura, Tenten, and Naruto obliged him.
"So, what's the situation?" asked Naruto.
"Harkuri, after squealing to Sasuke's persuasion, is unconscious, and recovering in Suna's medical facilities. Sakura's medicine and the fact he was drinking will lead the doctors to think he's being a bit delusional we hope."
"And the information he had?" asked Ino.
"Oh its good," said Shikamaru, a large smirk on his face. "Seems the tension between the cout and the village is increasing to the point that they can't control it for long."
"That's good right?" asked Naruto. "If the village revolts, the cout can't do anything against the overwhelming numbers."
"Not so fast Naruto," said Shikamaru. "While it is true that the villagers outnumber the cout leaders, they are only shinobi in the lowest sense. Some of them are full-career shinobi, others chose a different career. The cout, however, is made up of only hardcore, veteran shinobi with a bone to pick."
This caused Naruto to look rather deflated, but Shikamaru wasn't done, fortunately.
"But nevertheless, the cout sees their reign in jeopardy, so they've come up with a large-scale operation. Tomorrow night, at midnight to be specific, the cout has decided to instigate a large-scale assassination routine. They intend to wipe out major protesters to the cout, and thereby keep the rest of the public wary of taking any severe actions."
"How would they go about doing something like that?" asked Tenten. "Seems rather too big a group to do such a thing without leaking out some information."
"My guess is that only the leader knows the full plan, and keeps even his most loyal soldiers in the dark," said Shikamaru. "It's the only explanation as to why he could do such a large-scale operation without raising a bunch of questions from his subordinates. Now, as to what we will do about it..."
Shikamaru walked over to Temari, who nodded and handed Shikamaru a large scroll. Shikamaru returned to the gang, and unfurled the scroll to reveal a map of Sunakagure.
"We're thinking that they are going to split into separate cells, and then assassinate a specific number of subjects in their given area. This would also make it easier to keep it under wraps. The leader gives separate orders to each of his officers, who then carry them down to the others."
"So he sees them separately, then they think they're on different missions altogether," said Sasuke. "Pretty clever for someone who just became a leader."
"He plans to have them attack simultaneously, preventing the chance for a counter-attack," said Shikamaru. "So we're going to attack pre-emptively. I want Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro as one group; Sasuke, Ino and myself will go as another; Tenten, Sakura, and Naruto, I want you to go as one group as well."
"What are the targets?" asked Gaara.
"Your group will be taking out this one," said Shikamaru, placing a marker on the map. "Harkuri squealed as to each groups relative strength. This one is fairly strong, six Chunin and a Jonin leader."
"That many for one assassination?" said Kankuro.
"You don't get it," said Shikamaru, placing his finger on the map, drawing an imaginary circle. "That group is to strike all the targets in that area, so that's why they have a lot of members."
"That's almost a third of the village!" complained Kankuro.
"Deal with it," said Gaara, "I'm more than capable of taking them on, and you have Karasu. We're going to get this done, we don't have a bloody choice."
"My group will take out this bunch," said Shikamaru, placing another marker. "This lot is going to be a challenge, 2 Jonin, and 2 Chunin captains."
"Now I see why you wanted me on your group," said Sasuke.
"You can handle them hon," said Ino, giving Sasuke a quick peck on the cheek for encouragement.
"I know I can, and you're capable Ino, but how about you Shikamaru? Aren't you still just a Chunin?" asked Sasuke.
"I'm more than capable of handling myself, Jonin or no," said Shikamaru. "Just because I don't have to expect combat with my job doesn't mean I can slack off, even if I wanted to."
"And finally, I want Sakura and her team to go for this one," said Shikamaru, placing a marker on the map. "This is the largest group in the bunch, hence you have two Jonins and a Jonin-elect going after them. They consist of 5 Chunin captains, 3 Jonin, and about a dozen Chunin."
"Are you insane Shikamaru?!" exclaimed Sakura. "You know damn well that even elite Jonin would struggle to stay alive against such a large group!"
"I've made my decision Sakura, but if it'll make you feel better," said Shikamaru. "Those guys are to circle around the village outer walls, and flank any escaping targets in a pincer attack. So if you can surprise them, you can take out a half-dozen of the Chunin if you're lucky."
"This isn't about luck!" shouted Sakura, but was stopped by Naruto placing a hand on her shoulder.
"We'll do it," said Naruto.
"What?!" shouted Sakura. "Naruto, its suicide."
"Sakura, we'll be fine. You may not know it, but gambling is one of my specialties," said Naruto.
"Oh god," groaned Sakura, gaining a chuckle from the others.
"Prepare yourselves guys," said Shikamaru. "When you leave this house, we can't stay in contact while we operate. You have your assignments, now lets get this done so you all can go home."
It was about nine in the evening, and the moon started to get high in the dry, clear desert air. Naruto was busy making sure his equipment was tight and secure. He didn't have much to work with anyways, but it never hurt to be careful. He changed into his red outfit that he bought in Konoha, as it was the darkest shade he had. He wasn't planning on concealing himself long anyways, as he strapped Tezamuteki to his back. He adjusted his gloves to make sure they were snug, and gripped them tightly to let his fingers settle inside the fabric.
He heard a knock at his door, and then it opened by itself. Naruto turned to see Tenten. She was apparently ready as well, she removed her other garb, and was dressed in her usual shinobi gear.
"What's up, Karuga-oujusama?" asked 'Naruto'.
"Just a quick question Koki," replied 'Tenten', as she took a seat on his bed.
"I had a chat with Makie-chan earlier today, care to guess as to what it was about?"
"No need," said 'Naruto', "I had a feeling she'd want to discuss it with you. Makie is like that, she can't stand having guilt of any kind weighing her down." He turned around to look at 'Tenten'. "Are you okay with this? I can understand if you wouldn't. It is kind of a bombshell, and we've got a mission to preform in three hours."
'Tenten' answered 'Naruto's' question by mashing her lips to his. He quirked a brow at the gesture, but hey, this was okay right? If they loved each other, it should be fine to do such things. He took a minute to enjoy Tenten a bit more before she pulled back.
"As for my question," she continued, "Makie-chan said you had a secret you should tell me. What is it?"
Just when Naruto was getting happy and pumped up for the upcoming mission, Tenten's question hit him like a sack of bricks...wrapped in lead. But nevertheless, she had a right to know, and if she wanted out, who was he to keep her?
'Naruto' took a deep breath, trying to gather his wits again. He turned to 'Tenten', took her hands in his, and looked her dead in the eye.
"Just so you know, if you want out of this after I tell you, I totally understand. But Makie was right, if I kept it from you, it wouldn't be right," he explained to her. 'Tenten' nodded her head in understanding.
"At this point Koki, it would have to be a monumental secret, and even then I would be able to overlook it," she assured him. The gesture calmed 'Naruto' and brought a small smile to his face.
He opened his mouth to explain, but his door spoke up with a loud slamming of it. The couple looked over to see Ino at the entrance. A look of embarrassment overcame her face. One could say it was embarrassment, of course; one could also say it was a look of someone with dirt over your head.
"I'm sorry guys, did I interrupt something?" she asked them. The two looked at each other pondering that question.
"I guess we'll have to continue later," said 'Naruto'. 'Tenten' nodded in agreement.
"So I'm guessing you're here to get our asses in gear eh?" asked 'Tenten'.
"Yep, we're all moving out now. Good luck guys, come back safely," said 'Ino', giving the two a thumbs-up.
"Same to you," said 'Naruto'.
Darkness was alive and well, as midnight rolled around over Sunakagure. The moon providing the only real light source, with a few faint torchlights here and there illuminating a few choice spots throughout the village. On the village wall, three shadows took position, overlooking the vast desert that stretched out among them. Of course, there was only one entrance to the village in the canyon, so it was more like a vast carpet of sand, brightened by the moon, that stretched out beyond the human eye.
"Any sightings yet Karuga?" whispered one of the figures, turning its head to the right. One of the other shadows had a small spyglass out, inspecting the outside.
"Not yet, but soon there should..."whispered 'Tenten', before she paused. "Here they come."
"Lets get into position, if we're not concealed enough, this ambush will mean nothing," whispered on of the unidentified shadows. The other two nodded, and they all vanished from sight.
The dust and sand kicked up violently, as a large band of marauders approached the village. The shinobi in the outposts saw the cloud, but soon found themselves with a few kunai in their throats. As the only night observers slumped over dead, the cloud dissipated, as the band found themselves at the main gate.
They slowed themselves down, ready to commence their operation. They knew only of the watchtowers, and guards inside to be the only threats to their operation.
A faint tone echoed in the canyon. It sounded like a bell at first, but the tone was too thick, too grainy to be from a bell. Before they had a chance to contemplate the noise and prepare for an attack, it was commenced in an instant.
Three figures simultaneously appeared before them. One cracked her knuckles, and with a swift straight punch, sent one of the Chunin flying into the hard canyon wall, breaking him on impact.
Another at the same time brandished a katana, and took three horizontal swipes with it, hitting two more Chunin in the throat, and one deeply across the belly.
The last one brandished his axe, and with one swift swing, decapitated two more Chunin, before the others were able to pull back in defense. In one instant, the ambush was successful in cutting the enemy's power down by one-fourth. The others, either by luck or instinct, had managed to gather in defense, and try to assess this new development.
"What are you idiots waiting for?!" shouted one of the Jonin. "Start fighting back!"
With those few words, the Chunin and Jonin rushed the three.
Sakura found herself against 3 of the Chunin, flanking her hoping to give her even more of a disadvantage. The first one began his attack, coming up on her left side. The other two began some kata. Sakura was busy keeping the first off her, using the taijitsu she knew, not to mention her obvious strength advantage, to put a few strikes on the guy.
One of the others finished his kata, and a thin, sharp, layer of wind overlapped his right hand. He then began his attack. Sakura; looked over her shoulder, and saw the incoming threat. The other ninja tried to use the distraction, and swung a right hook at Sakura's head. Sakura blocked the hit, used her strength to break his arm at the elbow joint, and then sidestepped around him, landing another straight punch on his jaw. The force of the blow and the direction it came from was enough to twist the guy's neck, breaking it in the process. Sakura had enough time to dodge the other's blow, a faint cut appearing on her arm.
The next opponent turned to strike again, Sakura doing her best to block the blow by the man's forearm, seeing as touching the hand or wrist would result in her losing her limbs. The other man had finished his kata, and opened his palms toward the two combatants. A small dust storm started to develop, but soon became a sizable dust devil, approaching the Sakura and the man's ally. The swirl engulfed both of them, as their bodies were lifted by the strong upward gusts. They were elevated quite a distance above the ground, before the devil started to lose its power, until it died out. The two bodies fell to the ground, unable to move, still stunned by the whiplash of the dust devil. The two shinobi crashed into the ground, both looking dead.
However, one of the bodies dissipated into smoke. Sakura had managed to put up a bushin in the fray, and now the man had really screwed up: a big move like that, and he only succeeded in killing his own teammate. He had little time to think about it: a pair of hands came behind him, and twisted his neck in an instant.
Sakura cleaned her hands by clapping them together. She was quite satisfied that she was able to beat shinobi at their level. She had little time to celebrate, as a Jonin snuck up behind her, and knocked her out, dragging her limp body with him.
Tenten was going one-on-one with one of the Jonin leaders. They were simply staring each other down at first. As shinobi get stronger, they can determine the outcome of a fight by simply looking at each other. Both were emanating a very strong killing intent, as they both played out the scenario to come in their heads.
It was a bit after that the Jonin took the initiative, throwing a small volley of kunai at Tenten. The weapons master simply charged at them, blocked all of them easily, and struck at the Jonin, making him dissipate into smoke. Tenten tried to sense the man, her vision showing no signs of her opponent. She finally got a bit of his killing intent, and it was right above her, as the Jonin tried to dive on top of her, kunai in both of his hands. Tenten sidestepped, and then defended herself from the Jonin's strikes, as he used both kunai to try and break her defense. Tenten swung from under her, and managed to disarm his left hand. The Jonin blocked the sword with the remaining kunai, and was strong enough to keep Tenten from pushing the leverage. He quickly used his other hand for kata.
"One-handed kata," she thought. While it was odd, it certainly wasn't not possible. The man she was fighting certainly had his talents. He finished his kata, and made a wind blade on his left hand. Tenten wouldn't be able to block such a weapon, so she ducked as the man tried a horizontal strike, and jumped back a bit to gain some distance from the blade. The man dropped the other kunai, and used his now free hand for some more kata. Tenten charged at the man, hoping to kill him before he could pull another technique. The man gave a audible laugh, as he stopped making kata suddenly, and drove his fist into Tenten's gut.
She groaned at the blow that caught her off guard. The Jonin released his wind blade, wrapped Tenten in his arms, and leaped into the air to attempt a dangerous shinobi technique: the Izuma drop.
Tenten struggled to break the man's lock, but his arms were too strong. Trying to think as quick as she could, she remember that men have weak spots women don't. She wriggled her left leg free of his leg lock, and drove it backwards into the man's crotch. The man, completely at her mercy as he was busy with the technique, cried in pain as his arm-lock weakened. Tenten used the opportunity to break free, pull out a kunai from her belt, and slit the man's throat. They both landed on the ground below: Tenten on her feat, the Jonin on his head.
She wanted to continue but once again, another one of the Jonin preformed a sneak attack, and carried her body off...
Naruto was, for the most part, taking his time. He just stood there, as six of the remaining Chunin tried to overwhelm him. He stood there, Tezamuteki in his hand, waiting for their next inevitable failed attack. I mean, they tried to attack him several ways, but he would just decide to bide his time. They first tried to flank him, but he was most than ready to take on more than one. They tried to rush him, and he would push them all away, them being scared of being smacked across the head with his giant axe. They tried the techniques they knew, but since Naruto knew earth techniques, he would just endure the attack either by neutralizing their method of attack, or preventing the attack from connecting.
"He's just one man!" shouted a frustrated Chunin. "Someone please wipe that smirk off his face."
"What do you think we've been trying?" shouted one of the Chunin captains. "He's almost impenetrable."
"Almost," spoke up one of the living Jonin. Naruto looked over to the man, and his eyes widened at what he saw.
There were Sakura and Tenten, tied and with kunai to their throats. They were disarmed, gagged and bound, and at the thug's mercy.
"Sakura, Tenten!" shouted Naruto, too panicked to care for their cover. His lack of attention gave one of the Chunin enough guts to smack him upside the back of his head, causing Naruto to crash to the cold sand below. Naruto struggled to keep from blacking out from the blow, as the Jonin chuckled at what they saw as 'weakness' in Naruto.
"You may be a great fighter, but you can't do anything with your bitches in danger, huh?" taunted one of them.
Ba-dum
"Hey can you blame him?" spoke up the other. "It seems to be just a waste to kill them outright."
Ba-dum
"You have a point there," his friend replied, pulling out a kunai, slashing at the girl's torsos and revealing them to the other boys, who just sounded their approval with cat-calls and the like.
Ba-dum
"Let's have some fun with them," spoke the Jonin sadistically, "then we can kill them right in front of him."
The Jonin were about to have their fun, until a sudden explosion of power erupted behind them. In an instant, the two were grasped by their heads, their eyes bulging at the situation. The amont of energy unleashed flung Sakura and Tenten out of the Jonin's clutches, as the landed in the sand, a grunt of pain from both of them as they tried to then free themselves. The Jonin looked down to see Naruto, and got chills of fear, as they felt the ungodly rage emanating from him.
Naruto looked up to the two Jonin, and opened his eyes. His blood-red, slanted eyes.
"It is time," spoke Naruto in a deep, husky, and above all, terror-inducing voice. "The seal is broken, and I walk the earth again."
This was a big one. I was glad to get this out, as I'm feeling pretty good about it.
Footnotes:
(1)
One of my loyal readers, Scottyboi, thought I might be tired of writting this story. This little diddy took me 3 straight nights, and about 3-4 hours a night trying to piece together, so if that doens't convince you otherwise, I don't know what will. As far as I'm concerned, this is my most sucessful work to date, so no, this one is getting finished. However, he did have a point: I wasn't using my full potential. I have a lot on my mind recently (taking care of the house for a month while mom/dad celebrate thier 20th in New Zealand, Finals coming up with desperate need of good scores, taking care of the bloodthirsty new puppy of the house, etc.) so I wasn't exactly in the moment. Still, I will, from now on, do a LOT better about that, because its not fair to me, and definately not fair to my readers.
"Thank You!" To the Following:
St. Alicon
the-eighth-sin
sportygurl2006
The Rouge Stallion
Scottyboi
KPAAF
