Warning: Mature rating for violence and liberal use of coarse language. You know the drill by now. There is a single girl-girl kiss in this chapter, but that is it. I can't say anything else or I'll give the whole thing away, but I'm asking readers not to fuss too much over it.
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Chapter 12: Strategic Intrigue
"Where the hell is that idiot?" Sakura demanded, and not for the first time. The agitated kunoichi ran a dirty, sweaty hand through her recently shortened pink tresses. She scowled, recalling the earlier fight that forced her to trim her lovely hair in such a crude fashion.
"For once, Forehead Girl's right. Why are we still waiting for him? Shika! Where's that stupid teammate of yours?" The other female member of Team 7 wasted no time in pouncing on her friend and punching bag. The Nara boy groaned, cursing his absent teammate for putting him in this position.
"I don't know."
"We don't have time for this. Sasuke-kun is hurt!"
"We know, Ino, we know," Chouji muttered, nursing a bruised wrist. His voice contained a hint of irritation, noticed only by his teammate. Shikamaru shook his head. Enough was enough.
"For the last time, we are not abandoning our teammate!" The intensity and conviction in the Nara genius's words knocked the wind out of the two kunoichi's tirades. Ino, in particular, looked stunned at her childhood friend's transformation. Chouji, however, nodded in silent support of his teammate.
"Look, Sasuke's stabilized, right?" Shikamaru asked rhetorically. "Why don't you girls go ahead and we'll catch up later. The others should go with you as well."
"I'm waiting for Naruto-kun," Hinata stated in a quiet, nearly trembling voice. The shy girl's uneasy, but very clear declaration turned more than a few heads. If the rest of Team 8 were surprised by their teammate's unilateral decision, they made no move to override it.
"Ahm, what she said," Kiba immediately answered, giving Hinata a nod of approval. Naruto had single-handedly saved Team 8 from the unknown assassins who had killed the Lightning ambassador. There was no way they were going to abandon him. The Hyuuga heiress offered Kiba a grateful smile in return.
"Fine. Team 8 will stay. Can you guys accompany Team 7 to the tower?" Shikamaru asked, turning to Gai's students. Tenten and Lee nodded at once, enthusiastically in Lee's case. Off to the side, Sakura shuddered involuntarily. The last team member, however, was another matter. Although he didn't hold his cousin in high regard, Hyuuga Neji recognized Hinata's station as the heiress apparent of the clan. As the only branch member on scene, he felt duty-bound to assume the role of Hinata's ad-hoc bodyguard. Plus, his own father would likely skin him alive should some ill will befall the great and precious Hinata-hime.
"Under the circumstances, I cannot leave Hinata-sama unescorted," Neji declared seriously.
Shikamaru resisted the urge to scream… or go to sleep. Maybe when he woke up, this would all be taken care of, preferably with his blond teammate back and taking all the heat. For the first time, the lazy genius realized just how difficult it was to be leader, even an informal one.
"This is so troublesome."
Fortuitously, the expected storm of angry protests from the offended kunoichi of Team 7 never came. Hinata sounded the alarm that someone was rapidly approaching.
It was Naruto.
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"How is he?" Shikamaru asked, drawing a look from the haggard blonde who was one of his oldest friends.
"Naruto's in stable condition," Sakura answered tiredly but with relief.
"Yeah, but I'm just wondering how he got sand all over him? And it's all over me now. Ugh, it's going to take forever to get it out of my hair!" That was Ino, of course. Good old Ino, who could always be depended on to worry about her hair at the most inopportune of times. Her teammate, part-time friend and part-time rival, laughed at the blonde's antics, prompting Ino to laugh as well. It was a much-needed catharsis, one that seemed to dispel the tension-filled atmosphere.
"Ino, Sakura…" Shikamaru started to say. He really didn't want to do this, but he knew he was going to catch hell from his resting teammate later if he didn't. The two medics-in-training turned to him with inquiring gazes.
"Thank you for helping Naruto." The Nara boy's words earned him two small smiles.
"We were happy to help," Sakura offered warmly.
"Really? I wasn't so sure at the beginning," Shikamaru replied almost by instinct. His tone might have been neutral, but his words carried the weight of a sledgehammer.
The Nara genius was by no means a spiteful or mean-spirited person. It was far too troublesome, after all. However, something about the way both girls had initially dismissed the blond really set him off. There was a fine line between silly but understandable pettiness and outright cruelty. To their credit, both Ino and Sakura's behavior underwent a rapid reversal upon realizing their loud friend's condition. It was fortuitous for everyone, especially the girls of Team 7, who had been seconds away from having their asses Juuken'd courtesy of one outraged Hyuuga heiress.
"Never mind what I said. Why don't you two go rest. I'll take first watch," Shikamaru offered lazily. Ino and Sakura, though confused at the turnabout, were nonetheless grateful for the reprieve. Physically and mentally exhausted from an earlier skirmish and tending to their wounded comrades, the two kunoichi of Team 7 looked like wrecks. It was probably why the shadow user chose not to say anything overly harsh.
Once he was sure they were gone, he turned his attention to his blond teammate. "You are so troublesome, you know that?"
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The twelve, or rather eleven, Konoha genin – the prone body of Uchiha Sasuke was being carried by several rather grumpy Naruto clones – moved cautiously through the Forest of Death toward their destination. The rookies remained on the ground with the members of Team 8 alternating as the point man while Gai's team shadowed behind from the trees. While maintaining the formation reduced the group's travel speed, Shikamaru insisted that they remain at least somewhat combat-ready. What the others did not know was that Naruto had pressed his teammate into making his thoughts known.
'So troublesome. Why couldn't he have just said something?' the lazy genius thought as he looked at his smiling and completely rejuvenated teammate.
It was hard to imagine that the blond had looked like death warmed over just twelve hours ago. Everyone was surprised by the perky genin's quick recovery, though none were as shocked as the two kunoichi that had treated him. Even now, Ino and Sakura shot occasional glances at the blond. While they were nothing like the friendly, near worshipful gaze of their fellow rookie kunoichi, neither were they the familiar angry glares. The two kunoichi seemed genuinely intrigued by him.
"So what happened last night, Naruto? You looked like you were run over by a herd of buffalo," Kiba asked.
Naruto took a deep breath before narrating his encounter with the genin team from Suna. His run-in with his last set of targets hadn't quite gone according to plan, as they had proven to be tougher than expected. In his defense, he had been exhausted, physically and mentally, from hours of fighting and killing. It was only by a combination of luck and skill that Naruto escaped relatively unscathed.
"Whatever you do, just be wary of the Suna trio. They are all very good and very fast. The girl can make these giant wind blasts, and the red-haired guy knows this sand trick that makes him practically invulnerable to attack," Naruto advised. While he didn't expect his warning to be taken all that seriously, his hope was that the others would keep it in the back of their mind. The children of the Kazekage definitely posed a serious threat.
'Next time…' Naruto promised. Two positive outcomes did result from this whole affair. First, because the Suna team was one of his last targets, his failed assault did not severely affect his overall mission. With the exceptions of Suna, Sound and a few others, Naruto had taken out just about every other team on the list. Second, whereas Naruto now had a good idea about the tactics and abilities of the Suna trio, they did not even know his real identity. As a result, he retained perhaps the most critical advantage in any battle, the element of surprise.
Shikamaru frowned as he watched the far off look in his friend's eyes give way to an expression of grim resolve. Then it was gone.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" Naruto asked. And just like that, the Nara boy found himself facing his comrade's infectious smile.
"Nothing," Shikamaru muttered as he turned away, recognizing that his friend would talk when he was ready to talk. The lazy genius had no intention of making waves in the middle of a combat zone. That would be far too troublesome.
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"Congratulations on passing the second portion of the Chuunin Exam, candidates. Please go down the hall," Genma said to the Konoha genin passing through the doors. The special jounin gazed appraisingly at the gang of twelve. Collusion was not explicitly forbidden, but most genin teams, especially rookies, were generally too prideful to seek the assistance of others. The senbon chewing nin smiled, fondly recalling his own team's disastrous experience at their first Chuunin Exam.
"Excuse me, but our teammate, Uchiha Sasuke, needs medical assistance," Sakura called out in a concerned voice. There was a flurry of activity as the Uchiha heir was taken away. Sakura and Ino dutifully rushed after their teammate without so much as a backward glance.
"Gee, not even a thank you," Kiba muttered as he turned towards Naruto, figuring that the blond must feel slighted at being ignored. Lee, for instance, looked crushed.
Naruto smiled to show that he didn't mind. Well, actually he did mind. But he minded it no more than the cool looks he received out on the streets every now and then. He hadn't used his shadow clones to carry Sasuke so he could receive some reward. That wasn't how he worked. Besides, the two girls did help treat his wounds, so it all evened out in the end.
"Maybe someone should take a look at you as well, Naruto," Chouji suggested helpfully. By all rights, Naruto had looked far worse for wear the night before. Off to the side, Kiba made another wisecrack about pretty boy fainting for one reason or another. It was fortunate for the Inuzuka that both of the "pretty boy's" personal harpies were absent, else he would be talking through a different hole come tomorrow.
"Nah, I'm fine. Good as new," Naruto assured his friends. He really was fine for the most part, but even if he wasn't, he couldn't afford to be absent at this crucial stage. If the dark markings on Sasuke's neck were anything to go by, there was bound to be trouble ahead, trouble that he would have to deal with.
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"Please be quiet while… the Hokage explains the conditions of the preliminary… matches." It took the sickly special jounin almost twice as long to make the short speech, interrupted as it was by coughing spells.
The crowd of tense genin quieted down. By now, people had digested the fact that a significantly smaller number of teams had emerged from the Forest of Death than anticipated. And without exception, they all looked like hell. Most of the Konoha proctors chalked it up to Anko's presence at the exam, but others wondered what had really happened.
"Thank you, Hayate." The Hokage rose and directed the full weight of his imperious presence toward the genin. "The first two portions of the exam tested skills required of chuunin ranked ninja. Can you gather information without giving any away? Do you have the inner resolve to do what is required? Are you resourceful enough to survive in a hostile environment? All of you have performed admirably in those areas."
The Hokage's words drew loud cheers as smiles broke out all around him. Naruto was impressed by the old man's skillful performance, which appeared sincere and genuine. As Hokage, Sarutobi must realize how hopelessly ill-prepared these genin were for what was to come. But he was the Kage of Konoha and Konoha only. That last bit was an important fact that many seemed to forget. Sarutobi-dono was not, contrary to popular belief, the guardian peacemaker of the entire world.
'Every time I signed a treaty or negotiated a truce, I did it for Konoha. I did it for the people of Konoha. I didn't do it for the sake of making peace. If at those moments making peace wasn't beneficial or appropriate, then I would not have hesitated to strike first at the enemy. Be sure to remember that when you become Hokage, Naruto.'
'Yes, old man,' Naruto thought fondly as he recalled the venerable leader's words. An apt pupil and always eager to learn, the blond had readily taken those lessons to heart.
"However, from this point onwards, you'll be tested on your worthiness to be chuunin, to be a team leader. But leadership isn't only the ability to take charge. It also means knowing when to attack and when to hold back, when to compromise and when to persevere, when to take unilateral action and when to follow the lead of others. We cannot hope to test you all on these essential qualifications, but we can illustrate their importance. Therefore, the structure of this year's preliminaries has been altered to be a series of two-on-two team matches."
The gathering of genin looked stunned. Sure, everyone claimed to conduct their chuunin exams a little differently, but the basic format was very similar across the elemental countries. Suddenly, more than a few genin looked out of their league.
"Teams that win their matches will advance to the tournament round with all their members. Teams that lose will only advance the members who didn't participate." The Hokage held his hand up to silence the inevitable protests.
"Regardless of the outcomes, at least one member of each team is guaranteed to advance to the next round. It is up to you to decide who will fight and who will sit it out. As many of you have noticed, you have been prohibited from meeting your jounin sensei. This is why. When you are chuunin, you cannot always count on the aid and guidance of superiors. With what time you have, please decide on the members you wish to field for the preliminaries."
Naruto allowed himself a small smile for a maneuver well executed. After all, he had been the one to insist on keeping the foreign jounin away for as long as possible for strategic reasons. But for such a move to not attract suspicion, a blanket ban had to be imposed along with a plausible excuse. From the genin candidates' excited chatter about whether to send into battle their best members or not, it was clear that they had all fallen for it, hook, line and sinker.
"Naruto, about this preliminary match…" Chouji began, looking towards his longtime friend for assistance. "I know you're stronger, but Shika and I have trained together for years so maybe we should handle this fight."
"Okay," Naruto answered.
"I know you don't like it, but since you were wounded- Wait! What did you say?" Chouji looked sharply at his teammate.
"I said, 'okay,'" Naruto repeated with good cheer. "You're right. You guys make a better team together, and I'm still sort of sore. Good luck on the fight."
"Okay, well, that went easier than expected," Chouji noted to his childhood friend as they moved toward one of the proctors taking down the names of the participating candidates.
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Naruto winced as the impact of the blow sent the subject's body flying backward. The victim was dead to the world before she even slammed into the ground. The kunoichi rolled to a stop a few feet away from her already downed teammate.
"Winners by knockout, Tsuchi Kin and Kinuta Dosu."
As medics arrived to hustle the two defeated genin away, the victorious Sound genin smiled widely. The raven-haired female made a theatrical show of blowing kisses at the rest of the Konoha candidates while her teammates added their own taunts. Not one of the Konoha genin looked the least bit amused. The duo from Hidden Sound had humiliated not only the two kunoichi of Team 7, but also Konoha as a whole as well. Several foreign genin snickered when they pointed at the clustered group of Konoha candidates.
Atop the balcony, Naruto shook his head. The result was not unexpected. With Sasuke still in the infirmary, Sakura and Ino had no choice but to field themselves. Still, the one-sided battle – if it could even be called that – stunned more than a couple of people on Konoha's side. 'What was Kakashi doing, or rather not doing, with his team?' was the prevalent sentiment. The only good thing about the match was that the girls' quick defeat meant that neither Konoha kunoichi were seriously or permanently injured.
"Go kick ass, Chouji! You too, Shikamaru!" Naruto hollered at the top of his lungs as his teammates walked onto the field. The vivacious blond smiled unrepentantly when the crowd looked at him.
"The matchup for the second fight is Akimichi Chouji and Nara Shikamaru versus Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino. Begin!"
The second match showcased a much better fight. Long story short, Shikamaru cleverly forced his opponents into making mistakes, which his teammate then rapidly exploited with force and precision. In spite of a good showing by Kiba and Shino, Team 10 won handily. Many of the Konoha proctors nodded approvingly at the winners when they greeted Shino and Kiba as friends afterwards. Of course, they did so, or rather Shikamaru did so, only at Naruto's insistence. By virtue of his station, the blond knew how the promotion system worked and how exam performance was only half the battle. The rest came from winning the hearts and minds of the judges and spectators. Shikamaru shot his friend an annoyed look, but Naruto knew it was for his own good. Team 10 was a shoo-in for earning at least one promotion.
The subsequent matches were far less amicable. Tensions rose and tempers flared. Without their jounin sensei to provide discipline and guidance, more than a few rival genin started fights outside the arena that required intervention from the proctors.
Finally, it was time for the battle between the Kazekage's children and the last remaining Konoha team. If the match between the Sound team and Team 7 was a beat down, then the one between the Suna siblings and Team Gai was a massacre. Lee wasted his body and strength on the freakishly silent red-haired shinobi, while Tenten was tossed around by the fan wielding kunoichi's wind blasts like some limp doll. Only Neji's sudden intervention on Tenten's behalf saved the unconscious girl from being impaled by her own weapons. Incidentally, while Neji's action most likely saved his other teammate's life, it also automatically handed victory over to the Suna team. Lee was immediately rushed to the infirmary on a stretcher while the Suna siblings looked on with impotent fury at being denied their victory.
The Hyuuga branch member stoically accepted the sharp rebuke and the threat of official censure – an act that would have tainted the entire Hyuuga clan – from the head proctor. Interference of that sort was highly inappropriate and frowned upon as a matter of due course, but no one expected the young genin to be really punished. It was more likely that his selfless devotion to his teammates would be lauded and might even play a role in his candidacy for promotion. Certainly that would be the case if Naruto had any role to play in the exam's aftermath, which he most likely would. In a show of camaraderie, the blond assisted Neji by carrying the less injured Tenten to the infirmary.
The devastatingly ruthless performance by the Suna siblings served as a prelude to the climatic finale of the preliminaries, the match between the surviving Rain and Grass teams. Everyone tensed as the two teams made their way onto the field. Earlier, the head proctor had argued for the dismissal of both teams for disorderly conduct, but was overruled by the Hokage.
There was a good reason for that. Naruto was counting on the Rain-Grass fight, which was rigged per special orders from the Hokage, to throw a monkey wrench in the enemy's invasion plans. Many of his machinations were geared toward facilitating this fight, while his future plans hinged on its outcome. Failure to achieve the proper results here could have catastrophic consequences for Konohagakure.
Naruto's fears proved to be groundless. The match could not have worked out better if he had written the script himself. Blood was spilt before the match could even begin. For whatever reason, the two non-participating genin on the balcony decided to have a go at each other. When the Konoha proctors arrived to separate the two, it was already too late. Both fighters were critically wounded and had to be rushed to the infirmary where the Grass genin died from a cardiac arrest within minutes.
Once again, the head proctor initiated a motion to dismiss both teams. The loud and vehement protests from the surviving members stayed the Hokage's hand… or so people thought. The match started out with an unusually vitriolic exchange of hateful accusations and counter-accusations about each other's villages, countries and actions during the exam. It was this last bit that most likely set the Grass team off. They had seen the mutilated remains of their fellow team back in the Forest of Death and had just witnessed their teammate being carted off to the infirmary, courtesy of Rain treachery. Hearing the Rain team's sly denial of a deed that they must have committed was the final straw.
When the proctor gave the green light, the vengeful, towering figures of the Grass duo immediately attacked their opponents with a ferocity that took everyone, including their enemies, by surprise. Forgoing fancy, time-consuming techniques for speed and power, they successfully isolated one of the Rain nin before she could hide behind a genjutsu. For a moment, the slight kunoichi thought her enemies were going to rip her apart right then and there. Unfortunately for her, she was not given a quick death.
Instead, one Grass nin smashed her ventral ribs and as she opened her mouth to scream, the other shoved something down her throat. They then tossed her to the side just as the other Rain nin launched a devastating but belated counterattack. The Rain kunoichi bounced back to her feet… or rather she tried to. Again and again, the girl tried to stand upright only to fall flat on her face each time around. Genin candidates, examiners and spectators alike all watched with surprise and then dawning horror as the kunoichi's skin-tight clothes started to dye a deep red.
It was blood. Her blood.
The Rain nin must have been force-fed a rapid-acting poison that caused her to bleed through the very pores of her skin. As she realized the horror that befell her, the young Rain kunoichi publicly and piteously begged allies and enemies alike for help that was not forthcoming.
The spectators, especially the civilian ones who were present as the representatives of various dignitaries, were appalled at the unfolding scene. The consequence of the lack of jounin sensei at the preliminaries became clear. With their third member unavailable to interfere as Neji did, none of the spectators had the authority to end the fight. The proctors' hands were tied, and the genin were too stunned to move. This was, of course, the precise scenario that Naruto aimed for. For Konoha's sake, it just would not do if some highflying moralist decided to intervene to stop the bloodshed.
Even so, Naruto had to fight the urge to retch as he watched the tragedy unfold. The doomed Rain kunoichi writhed in excruciating agony for well over a minute before succumbing to hypovolemic shock and then death.
Outraged and infuriated at the brutal killing of his teammate, the Rain survivor soon exacted revenge by overpowering and then slitting the throat of one of his opponents. However, unlike Naruto's quick and relatively painless kills, the Rain shinobi fumbled it badly. His slash missed the vital common carotid arteries causing his victim to flop uselessly on the ground for painful seconds before dying, possibly as a result of choking on his own blood. No one was sure if the horrible death was deliberate, but the surviving Grass nin was perfectly willing to believe the worst.
As the traumatic battle unfolded, some held out hope that the Hokage would authorize an intervention, but he never did. No matter how repugnant he found his own complicity, the elderly ninja clearly knew what must be done. Shaken by the events he helped engineer, Naruto drew strength from the old man's grim resolve. The blond vehemently shook off the urge to make up an excuse and flee like some other people. It was only right for him to bear witness to what he wrought.
The result of the fight was a foregone conclusion. In the end, both fighters exhausted their chakra reserves to take each other out. The field medics immediately swarmed the arena but were unable to save them. Troubled murmurs broke out almost instantly. Many Konoha nin glanced toward the Hokage's skybox, wondering why their venerable leader had done nothing, but his seat was already empty.
The Sandaime Hokage had vacated his chair as soon as the match was over, but was swarmed by civilians as he tried to leave. The viciousness of the fight had generated some collateral among the few civilians present. The rest were now demanding for more and better security for the upcoming finals. Despite the distance, Naruto easily overheard everything.
Additional security of the Hokage's choosing on the day of the tournament? Naruto could not have hoped for a better result. True to his reputation, the young blond had executed his plans brilliantly. A victory for Konoha in the coming invasion was now not just possible but likely. So why did he feel so shitty?
"Hey, Naruto, you there? We need to go meet Asuma-sensei," Chouji called out, his face an unhealthy pallor. Standing beside his friend, Shikamaru looked no better.
"Yeah, let's get out of here," Naruto agreed as he turned away from the bloody battlefield.
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As news of the Chuunin Exam, intermixed with rumors and gossip, spread throughout the elemental countries, certain people with vested interests gathered to discuss the implications.
"I apologize, Tayuya-san, but Orochimaru-sama has his own plans," the bespectacled, silver-haired spy answered. In quick succession, the recipient of his words cursed him, his serpentine leader, their ancestors and their progenies in very graphic and lively terms.
"By your leave, Tayuya-san," the man remarked cheerfully before vanishing in a puff of smoke, completely unaffected by the tirade thrown.
"Bad news?"
The redheaded ninja of Iwa turned to see Baki's one uncovered eye looking back at her. She gave the Suna jounin a wry look.
"You could say that." The closer the invasion drew, the more uneasy Tayuya became. The Snake bastard's minions seemed to delight in tormenting her, denying her access to intelligence one day and delaying troop status reports the next. Kabuto, Orochimaru's point man and their resident spy, had not been forthcoming when she questioned him about his leader's apparent stroll through the Forest of Death. Seriously, what the fuck was the crazy snake doing? Hunting for fresh specimen for his perverse experiments? Whatever it was, it smelled fishy to her. If she didn't know better, Tayuya would be tempted to think that Orochimaru wanted them to fail.
"Just the two of us?" Baki asked as he scanned the empty area.
"Sorry I'm late."
Both jounin turned to see a girl roughly Tayuya's age appear.
"Baki, I want to introduce you to Tsuchi Kin, a Sound genin I know. We are in Konoha territory so I didn't want too many people to be gathered here." Both the Sound genin and the Suna jounin nodded in agreement.
"So what the hell happened? Did we really lose that many teams?" Tayuya asked, jumping right into the heart of the issue.
"I'm afraid so. This is the list of where we stand right now." Baki handed over a crumpled piece of paper. After reading it, Tayuya expressed her displeasure with a predictably loud and brash string of unladylike curses.
"There's more. The Rain and Grass ninja apparently had an axe to grind with each other and the tension boiled over. Nearly all of their genin died in the fighting. Some of the spectators have insisted that the Hokage provide security for the upcoming tournament. An ANBU team is almost certain to be deployed at ground zero on the day of our operation. Tayuya-san, with just the teams we have left, we might not be able to take the arena," Baki assessed.
"Fuck! I knew this was going to happen. Rain is more concerned with the war that they'll be having with Grass after this exam than their obligation to our alliance. Fucking flip-flopping parasites! They pulled almost their entire contingent from the invasion force just a few hours ago."
"What's the big deal? Rain isn't that powerful." Kin blushed when she realized she had blurted out loud.
"If you had bothered to do your homework, Kin," Tayuya reprimanded, "you would have known that Hidden Rain's specialty is genjutsu, which is Konoha's biggest vulnerability right now. With the destruction of the Kurama clan and the loss of so many Uchiha shinobi, Konoha is practically defenseless against an entire branch of the ninja arts. We were depending on Rain's genjutsu specialists to disguise our main force until we reach Konoha. Losing their cooperation means losing a big tactical advantage." Rain was going to pay for reneging on their agreement… after the Konoha invasion.
"So, you think Konoha might be on to us?" Kin asked, putting the pieces together. The raven-haired girl realized she probably shouldn't have said that when she found herself the recipient of Tayuya's patented "are you just stupid or are you really, really stupid" glare.
"Isn't it fucking obvious? They move the location of the one-on-one fights to an old arena in the middle of nowhere. We lose dozens of genin in a forest that our jounin aren't allowed to enter. And now we have a political crisis that gives Konoha the damn perfect excuse to move up the exam date and to put seasoned veterans into the combat area itself. Right, this is so not a trap!" Despite being accustomed to the temperamental redhead, the sarcasm was still laid on thick enough to make Kin wince.
"You truly believe that Konoha could have planned all this? That they set fire to their oldest monument? What about the conflict between Rain and Grass? I don't see how the Hokage could have set that up," Baki sounded doubtful. They were talking about Konoha, and the Sandaime Hokage was not exactly known to be an enthusiastic warmonger. There was also confirmation of an assassination attempt against one of the Hokage's relatives. Amidst such internal chaos, it was hard to imagine how Konoha could be conspiring against them.
"Tayuya-sama, it's true that a number of Konoha teams made it through the forest, but this is their home so that's not surprising. However, only one of their teams won the team round and that was against another Konoha team. I don't think they did all this. Just look at the complete list of teams that didn't make it out of the forest. Rain, Kiri, Grass ... Grass is actually an ally of Konoha. Why would they attack their own allies?" Kin pressed her argument. The Sound genin had not been the least bit impressed with Konoha's performance thus far. The Suna jounin nodded slightly in agreement.
"To throw off our suspicion, perhaps?" Tayuya looked at her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She shook her head when she noticed that the others didn't buy her argument. Some people just weren't paranoid enough. "It's what I would have done had I been in their shoes."
"Then, we should all be thankful that you are not a ninja of Konoha, Tayuya-san," Baki offered only half-jokingly. Tayuya flashed him a devilish smile. While hardly vain or self-conscious – how could she be when half the time she was covered in soot and grime from being in the field for so long – she appreciated genuine praise from an equal or near equal, even if it was from a Suna ninja. Baki was probably the only allied jounin that both knew of and recognized Tayuya's abilities. While he had never explicitly said so, he suspected (correctly) that the young kunoichi played a key part in obtaining Suna's aid.
"Fuck it! It really doesn't matter. None of the leadership is willing to call off the operation." Not for lack of trying on Tayuya's part. For whatever reason, the Tsuchikage was quite adamant about carrying through with the invasion. Ok, that was fine. But why leave overall command in the hands of a lunatic like Orochimaru? Ostensibly, it was because he used to be a Konoha shinobi and would therefore know its defenses best, but the Iwa jounin had her doubts.
"About your village's asset," Tayuya started. The word "jinchuuriki," somehow just didn't sound right to her. Of course, that could just be Yugito's habits rubbing off on her. The cat ninja had never liked the generic term for people like her. The blonde ninja from Kumo might be a pain in the ass, but at least she was useful to have around. In contrast, Tayuya found the host of the Shukaku to be somewhat lacking.
"I'd like to make a small change in the plans. I've already cleared it from my end, so it all depends on you and the Kazekage."
"What do you need?"
It was at this point that a shift in the wind alerted Kin to something or rather someone that shouldn't be there. She twisted her head and was confused to see both of her companions acting as if nothing was wrong.
"Excuse me, Tayuya."
"Not now, Kin."
"But—" Kin's mouth slammed shut as Tayuya gave her a glacial stare that sent chills down her spine.
"Regardless of what these fuckers know, I want to shift the target zone of one of our strike groups to two miles south of the examination arena."
"That would put us behind the examination battle arena," Baki noted.
"Damn straight. While the idiots are busy sending their reinforcements into the combat arena, my strike force will smash into the heart of their village and hit them where it hurts."
Baki nodded, but did not comment on the dark shadow in his Iwa counterpart's eyes. He was very much aware of what Konoha had done to its enemies during the last great shinobi war.
"I know what you're thinking. What if Konoha has a reserve while our force is divided?" Tayuya snorted in amusement. "Be real, Konoha's force organization and fighting doctrines haven't been updated in years. You really think these idiots are going to hold a sizable number of their guys back while their Hokage, the Fire Lord and all those dignitaries are being overrun at the exam location? I don't think so. But even if they keep a reserve, it won't matter… so long as I have your cooperation, or rather your asset's cooperation."
Baki tilted his head in a questioning manner.
"For this attack to work, the strike force will need a critical mass of competent fighters. There's no way I can convince the fucking powers that be to give me command of a large enough strike force." Tayuya was very aware of her place in the hierarchy and how unpopular she was with certain people above and below her. "I'll need the Shukaku as a trump card to make up for the lack of numbers."
Baki had a thoughtful expression on his face and motioned for his companion to continue.
"I'm sure you've heard stories of how the nine tailed beast reduced the greatest ninja of the Land of Fire into piles of whimpering cowards little more than a decade ago. Just imagine how demoralizing it would be for these fools to see another tailed beast trash their village," she said with a sadistic smile.
"Your plan has merit, Tayuya-san. I'll plead your case to the Kazekage. I'm sure he will be pleased to know that his offspring might still be of some use in the coming battle," the Suna ninja responded.
Tayuya displayed the briefest of interest in the surrounding foliage when there was another shift in the ambient environment. Kin, however, gasped out loud.
"What is it?"
"He's gone. The guy that was spying on us got away!" Kin uttered before staring back almost accusingly at her superiors. The Sound genin was confused and frustrated. She couldn't understand why the two jounin didn't do anything! If that had been a Konoha ninja, then they were going to be in big trouble.
"Be quiet and listen. You might learn something," Tayuya hissed. For a moment, Kin was tempted to pester before realizing who was standing beside her. She knew the redhead would have no compunction against snapping a couple of her ribs to keep her in line. She had done it before.
All of a sudden, Baki disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kin's eyes widened. The genin almost jumped out of her skin when the Suna jounin reappeared a second later and tossed a body into the clearing.
"What took you? For a moment, I thought you needed help," Tayuya remarked nonchalantly as the Suna nin dumped the fresh corpse in front of her.
"I had to circle around and he was tougher than he looked," Baki explained.
Kin gasped as everything clicked into place. "You put up a genjutsu, didn't you? So he wouldn't notice any changes," the raven-haired girl asked. The genin was amazed at how easily she had been fooled, considering she fancied herself a genjutsu specialist in the making. "But I didn't see or hear anything."
"Shit, Kin. Think outside the box for a minute. I just used a combined visual and auditory illusion; the first to cover the switch Baki made with his clone and the second to keep anyone from hearing him move. Both you and our idiotic spy were too caught up in my story to notice something was off."
Kin was stunned.
"Did you really think we didn't know there was a spy around? There is a reason why we are jounin and you are not," Tayuya admonished harshly. Kin's cheeks tinged red as she looked away. Times like this, she wondered if she was a masochist. She must be, with all the abuse she put up with from Tayuya. The Sound genin pouted briefly when Tayuya then ignored her in favor of the dead body. She really wished she were stronger. Standing beside the two jounin showed her just how far she had to go.
"Definitely a Konoha shinobi," Tayuya said as she pointed out the etched symbol on the dead nin's forehead protector. "Do you recognize him?"
"Yes, he's one of the exam proctors. He must have followed us," Kin said.
Tayuya cursed. She was going to try and hide the body, but the disappearance of an exam overseer would certainly draw attention to the foreign teams in the village. It could also expose their operation if it wasn't exposed already. Better to allow the body to be found sooner rather than later. Her eyes flickered briefly to Kin, who watched Baki with an intense expression. "What is it, Kin?"
"I apologize, Baki-san, what was that that you left in your place? It looked too real to be a normal clone," Kin asked the Suna jounin. Baki looked questioningly at Tayuya, who gave him a curt nod of approval.
"It's called Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. It's a spatially defined manifestation of one's self that also carries an internal chakra source," Baki explained.
"He means that the clone has physical substance and can appear real," Tayuya clarified when she saw the genin going cross-eyed. "Pfft, he makes it sound fancy, but I personally prefer the elemental clones. They're easier to make, cost less chakra and are just as useful."
"With all due respect, Tayuya-san, the functions of elemental clones are restricted to favorable terrain. Shadow clones work well, no matter the circumstances," Baki argued back. Tayuya was sorely tempted to point out the economies of scale of creating multiple elemental clones, which used existing substances in the environment as their source, versus the rising marginal cost of summoning hordes of shadow clones, which needed to be created entirely out of a person's internal chakra reserve. However, the young jounin recognized their precarious position in enemy territory so she merely agreed to disagree.
"So shadow clones are very difficult to make?" Kin asked.
"More or less, yes. The upper version of the technique is A-ranked. If you try it right now, it'll probably kill you," Tayuya noted.
"Okay, so how come a genin at the exam could do it?" Kin asked in confusion. She was pretty sure she saw the blond on that Konoha team perform that same technique.
"What?" Tayuya's head spun around so fast that it was a miracle it didn't snap. "Are you certain?"
"Absolutely. He tried to hide it by doing it in the hallway, but I was standing directly across from him so I saw. One moment, there was one of him, the next, there were two of them helping some Konoha nin," Kin answered.
"That sounds like the shadow clone. A fluke?" Baki asked, glancing at Tayuya.
"Yeah fucking right! You and I both know there's no such thing as a fluke in our profession. Do either of you remember this guy's name or any defining feature?" Tayuya asked. The intensity of her gaze would have scared Kin had she not been used to it by now.
"Ahm, he was, well, the typical blond type... you know, really loud, annoying and pretty dumb," Kin offered in what she thought was a joking manner. Unfortunately, Tayuya did not find it amusing at all and for good reason. The Sound nin quickly dropped her attempt at humor. "He was sort of short, had messy hair and he had these strange whisker marks on his face. I thought it was really strange."
"Now that you mentioned the whiskers, I think I remember him as well. His name is Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto," Baki added, frowning. The Suna nin watched with alarm as the redhead suddenly grew silent and pale. "Is something wrong?"
"I want this Naruto neutralized, preferably before the day of the operation."
The directive completely blindsided both Baki and Kin.
"Excuse me?"
"What?"
"You heard me, Baki. Kill this guy. Use your students and even the asset if you have to. He's dangerous, so make sure your students don't go after him alone."
"What about our cover?" Baki was stunned. This was an unexpected deviation from plan. It made him wonder who the hell this Naruto fellow was.
"Obviously, don't do anything that would expose you or your students, but if you can corner him in an alley somewhere before the exam, then by all means, kill him. I'm serious. Killing him would give us a big advantage," Tayuya stated calmly as if it was the most normal thing in the world to order the premeditated execution of a twelve-year-old.
"How do you know?"
"I just do," Tayuya responded, giving away nothing. She sure as hell couldn't reveal what Yugito had said. That the jailor of the Nibi was a Kumo turncoat working for Iwa was one of their most prized secrets.
Baki frowned with distaste, but said nothing else, having recognized that it must have involved some sensitive information. "I'll see what I can do. Is that all?"
"Yes. I'll take care of the body here," Tayuya offered. Baki nodded before disappearing. "Kin, you stay..."
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"What?"
"I told you to stay the fuck clear of this Naruto."
"I promise not to hit on him if that's what you are worried about," Kin answered slyly, seemingly unwilling or unable to see the other girl's darkening features. "He's cute, but he's got the wrong parts and—" The raven-haired girl found herself cut off mid-speech and thrown violently against a nearby tree. Kin gasped in pain and surprise.
"Stop fucking around! I'm being serious!"
"Ok. I won't pick fights with him," Kin quickly agreed as she rubbed her joints. It was a simple request after all. The genin was confused by the vehemence in Tayuya's words.
"I also want you to throw the match if he ends up being your opponent."
Now, that was something else.
"What?!" Kin's eyes literally bugged out. Was she being serious? Tayuya's stern demeanor screamed yes. "Why?"
"Because I said so, that's why!" Tayuya answered simply. While stonewalling worked well enough against Kin in the past, it just didn't cut it this time. Suddenly, the raven-haired girl felt very, very angry.
"So that's it? What happened to giving it your all? Or win the goddamn tournament or I'll beat your ass red until you can't sit for a month?" Kin protested, throwing the redhead's words back at her. "You might be a jounin of Iwa, but as a kunoichi of Sound, I won't throw my match just because you said so. Sorry, Tayuya-sama, but I won't play your game this time."
Tayuya's eyes initially widened with surprise before narrowing into dangerous slits. Despite their village affiliations, Kin had always been perfectly subordinate if not outright submissive.
"I'm going to ignore that for your sake. And I suggest you stop being so damn cocky, genin. You wouldn't even be taking part in this exam if it weren't for me. I pulled you out of the gutters, so don't think for a minute that I won't throw you back in."
The Iwa commander's cold words were greeted with painful silence.
'Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me so.' It was Kin's conviction that the person who coined the phrase didn't know what they were talking about. In retrospect, both kunoichi probably regretted making those unkind comments, but only one of the two was bold enough to seek reconciliation.
"I'm sorry for my behavior, Tayuya-sama. Please accept my apology." As usual, it was Kin who swallowed her pride and begged her significant other for forgiveness like a collared bitch. Her only consolation was that at least she didn't have to do it on her hands and knees.
Kin's act broke the ice. The defused Iwa redhead also muttered something in return. It wasn't an apology per se, but Kin was happy to get it all the same.
"You know, if I throw the match, Orochimaru will have me killed for sure," Kin stated in a more subdued voice. Hidden Sound was a new village and had a reputation to establish. Those who soiled its name could expect little mercy from its Kage.
"I can protect you from Orochimaru," Tayuya declared with confidence.
"But not from this genin?" Kin asked with an incredulous expression. Tayuya briefly paused to weigh her options before laying down the facts.
"Right now, you can't last five minutes against me. The last time we met, this fucker took my fucking flute and damn near killed me."
Tayuya's frank admission floored Kin. The great Tayuya lost her treasured possession in a fight? Unthinkable! The redhead's reputation for being unwilling to admit any weakness was legendary among the rank and file. Surprise, however, was quickly replaced with guilt as the raven-haired girl recalled her earlier outburst. She realized the other girl must have been trying to protect her in her own stubborn way. Any lingering anger in the genin instantly melted away.
"I see. Okay, I'll do it. You know I trust you, Tayuya-sama." The Sound kunoichi turned and was about to leave when two slender but powerful arms grabbed her and spun her around.
"What are you—" Kin's words died mid-sentence when Tayuya's mouth slammed against her own. The genin's brief cry of surprise quickly morphed into longer lasting moans of delight. The two only separated after a good five minute lip-lock. After that, it didn't take a genius to connect the dots between Tayuya's genuine smile, which was most likely her first in many days, and Kin's glazed, starry-eyed expression.
"Fuck it. You know I'm not good with words, Kin…"
"It's ok. I love you too, Tayuya," Kin stated as she embraced the other girl. The genin smiled widely at the redhead's wide-eyed expression. Oh, she was definitely committing that moment to memory. It was not everyday that she managed to catch the great Tayuya off guard.
"Tell you what, stay the fuck alive, and I'll have a treat ready for you afterwards, deal?" Tayuya posed with a devious and, according to Kin, sexy smirk. The Sound girl nodded, all the while resisting the urge to squeal in an overly girlish manner.
"Just remember to kick some ass! Don't worry about the plan. We'll win for sure. Konoha would only stand a chance if they had someone like me, which they obviously don't," Tayuya bragged to her lover, giving one last boastful assurance.
If only the Iwa firebrand knew.
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"Genji, I heard about the incident between the Rain and Grass teams. I think this report will interest you."
The younger shinobi skimmed the report handed to him.
"A skirmish occurred near the Rain-Grass border sometime yesterday. Both sides quickly blamed each other and began mobilizing their reserves…" Genji looked up, "This wasn't us."
"No, it wasn't. We're pretty sure that at this point, with a hostile Grass active on their borders, Rain would have to pull whatever support they might have pledged to our enemy's cause… just as you predicted. I believe congratulations are in order," Tenzou added with a touch of pride and admiration. Like the Hokage, Tenzou had questioned the logic of his student's premeditated attack against the Grass team. The results, however, removed all doubt from his mind. In a single brilliant stroke, Genji had scored a great victory for Konoha before the invasion had even begun.
"We should probably wait until this is all over, but everything looks to be going well," Genji answered slowly, not feeling entirely comfortable with his mentor's praise. Tenzou, however, mistook his student's hesitation for false modesty and who could blame him. After all, how was he to know that his young charge had trouble sleeping at night? As for Genji, the news was definitely welcomed. It made him feel just a bit vindicated for his less than wholesome actions. "Is Alpha Team going to be the security force for the exam?"
"That's the idea. Most of the team is currently deployed, but I have scheduled for them to be recalled a few days before the final day of the exam," Genji nodded at his captain's answer. That was a good move, keeping most of the team away and therefore out of the reach of potential spies.
"Now, we just have to sit on our hands and wait," the younger shinobi frowned. The veteran ANBU chuckled.
"Patience is a virtue, young one."
"Yes, sensei." The youth's tone was petulant, but both knew it was in jest. Tenzou opened his mouth to speak again when his radio buzzed. Genji watched as his superior put on his headset and conversed in a low voice. Two minutes later, the ANBU captain ripped off his headset and turned to Genji.
"Perimeter patrol just found a body. We're going to check it out."
"Why us?" Genji asked confused.
"It's a Konoha nin, and it's believed to be one of the exam proctors."
Genji immediately killed off any further protest. Suddenly, their previous confidence about the operation seemed far less credible.
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"Gekkou Hayate. The ID checks out. It's him for sure," answered the chuunin who had found the body. He looked curiously at the two ANBU members, wondering why members of Konoha's special force were getting involved.
"Have you filed the report?" Tenzou asked. The chuunin shook his head.
"Good. I'll take over. I need to report this to the Hokage immediately. Genji, I want you to find the vice captain," Tenzou ordered. Only his superb training allowed him to catch his subordinate's momentary freeze. The ANBU captain gazed at Genji's tense form for a minute before nodding in understanding.
"On second thought, why don't you report this to the Hokage. I'll handle Yuugao." Tenzou gave a hidden smile as Genji sighed audibly in relief.
"Thank you, sir." Genji quickly turned his attention to the body as Tenzou disappeared.
'Yuugao-sensei is going to be crushed.' Genji thought glumly. His relationship with his vice captain had improved immensely in recent weeks so he knew how hard this was going to hit her. Once again, he was very grateful for the porcelain mask that hid his face.
"Has a medic come by to diagnose his cause of death?" Perplexed, the chuunin shook his head.
"I didn't bother because the cause of death seemed obvious. He was hit by lightning attacks. I thought his attackers must have been a Kumo infiltration squad."
Ever since news of the Lightning delegation's massacre became public, people pointed northeast whenever something bad happened. The suspicion worked in Konoha's favor so far as the coming invasion was concerned. Its population's preoccupation with Kumo undoubtedly lulled its western enemies into a false sense of security. That was the point. But being aware of the underlying deception, Genji was less quick to cast his suspicion eastward. But if Kumo nin didn't do it, who did? The list of suspects was short.
"Get a medical team here to take him in. I want a full autopsy." Genji ordered firmly, leaving no room for argument. He had a hunch, but he needed proof to substantiate his theory.
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"He didn't die from those lightning techniques, he couldn't have."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Genji stared the chief coroner in the eye.
"Positive. All the external markings and internal damage are consistent with postmortem use of high voltage lightning techniques."
Genji resisted the urge to express himself in a very vocal manner. "What killed him then?"
"This, probably," the medic-nin remarked as he parted the blackened skin near Hayate's shoulders to reveal a thin but deep cut. "Look at the tissues under the skin. It's like the epithelia cells underwent some sort of synchronized necrosis. I've never seen anything like it before, but I'm pretty sure chakra was used to inflict this wound."
Genji leaned forward to examine the incision. By a stroke of luck, he recognized the features of the wound almost instantly. The jounin sensei of Team 10 had showed off his skills as a wind wielding, trench knife user a couple of days before the exam. Genji recalled the perfectly even marks Asuma's weapons had left on the interior of his stationary targets.
"Wind! The wound was made with wind chakra," Genji exclaimed.
"That could be it. If you charged a blade with wind chakra, you could get a wound just like this. But wind users are extremely rare in most of the elemental nations. The only location that has many of them is…" The doctor stopped short of finishing the sentence.
"Sunagakure," Genji finished with a wince.
"What does this mean?" the doctor asked.
"It means that I was right," Genji stated.
In retrospect, the attempt to pin the deed on Kumo was obvious. He had done something similar in the Forest of Death just days earlier. Only in that case, he had used Grass's suspicion of Rain to frame the latter village.
'This guy's good,' Genji thought. He realized that someone intelligent must have come up with this idea; someone creative and imaginative; someone who thought like him. He also realized that if this someone was truly on the other side, then they were a significant threat to his plans and to Konoha.
"It also means someone's trying to fuck with us," Genji admitted with a hard glint in his eyes.
"What?" a very confused doctor asked as he looked at his companion. His young companion responded by handing him several official looking papers.
"Everything we just talked about is now classified as an A-rank village secret. Tell anyone and expect a visit from Ibiki."
The good doctor acknowledged numbly. He watched as the almost childish looking ANBU disappeared. Sure he felt his age at times, but on days like this, he really, really felt old. The medical expert did not know how the Sandaime Hokage managed to keep up with his younger subordinates, but he wished the venerable leader the very best of luck.
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AN: Yes, I altered and skimmed over the preliminary matches, which really should not come as a surprise. I mean, the entire thing is a farce. Still, I thought I did a bang-up job of restructuring the preliminaries in a logical manner. Serendipity wins!
The last parts of this chapter should have gone with last chapter since they explained Naruto's actions in the Forest of Death. He had two major goals for killing the Grass genin and framing Rain for it. First, it was to cause a fight between the remaining Grass and Rain teams so that the Hokage had an excuse to bring in extra security. Second, it was to cause Rain to withdraw direct support for Orochimaru's invasion. Hopefully, last chapter makes more sense now in this context.
As promised, Tayuya played a big role in this chapter. She is arguably my favorite female character right now, though I'm not exactly fond of Naruto-Tayuya romances. And yes, Tayuya helped kill Hayate or at least helped cover it up. I'm sure readers can imagine how a Tayuya-Yuugao scene would go.
As always, please take a moment to review. Thank you.