AN: Don't own Naruto!
Reader responses!
livesinshadow19: Landmines, I can definitely work those in somewhere. Though I think I'll need to make use of the bullshit that is sealing to make them safer to get rid of. Hinata would kill Naruto if he left primed explosives lying around where kids could step on them.
iyaoyas: No problem, your reviews have been really helpful, and I'll keep the offer in mind if I've got questions. I hate chipmunks, furry little bastards turned my lawn into a golf course. So yeah… not great incentive to write any faster.
SETHRX7: Hehe thanks for the amusing review, and I think I understand what you are asking better now. Probably something along the lines of telling the fox he really doesn't need its help with anything... and then I'll go from there. Maybe they will play nice maybe they'll mostly ignore each other, not sure yet.
MickDunD: oooh helpful info about guns, thank you kindly. I do have plans for grenades and explosives, just been holding them in reserve for when they are needed. First use of Demo tags (my C4 stand in) might be showing up during the wave arc. Grenades I'm less certain about.
For the second time that week Hiruzen Sarutobi found himself glaring down the members of team seven who stood before him at parade rest. The team's expressions were all admirably blank.
"Would you please repeat that Kakashi? I'm not sure I heard you correctly."
"Lord Hokage, team Kakashi would like to request the mission to assassinate Gato of Gato shipping incorporated, along with any hired mercenaries that he currently has on retainer within Wave."
The Third's pipe smoldered between his lips, a lazy trail of smoke alternately curling from the end of his pipe and from between his lips. He gave the team before him a long calculating look keeping them suspended in silence for several minutes as he organized his thoughts and analysed the group before him.
"Kakashi, your team is currently supposed to be on unofficial punishment detail, and while I commend you for coming back to the village when the full scope of your mission was revealed, that does not change the fact that granting you such a mission seems more like a reward than a punishment."
"Perhaps, Hokage-sama. However, by your own admission missions such as this are rare during peacetime. This mission is ideal for training purposes. We are going to have to work around patrols, take out all hostiles, then press on to the next objective. Based on the intel we got out of Mizu there are only two shinobi currently in Gato's employ, furthermore their objective is the assassination of Tazuna, not Gato's protection. I like those odds a lot better than attempting to assassinate someone who is being protected by a team of Ninja. Sir, this is the as close to ideal as we are likely to get for a first serious mission for my team."
"Perhaps. Hinata, how would you go about eliminating a large group of bandits?"
Hinata paused for a moment. "Wave is tiny, easily the smallest independent nation that I am aware of. Holding the nation shouldn't take more than four or five hundred men. How the enemy are grouped most likely depends on the number and location of ports." Hinata paused again thinking through the situation. "I'd guess the majority are somewhere central to allow access to the entire country, Gato will be with that group for security. There will likely be smaller groups based at any ports to defend Gato's interests. The only realistic way to deal with those numbers is overwhelming force."
"Enough. Sasuke, your team mate has just declared that the only way to handle the situation is overwhelming force. How would you go about it?" The Hokage's gaze revealed nothing of his inner thoughts on Hinata's analysis. The raven haired teen he had just addressed took a moment to consider.
"There is no reasonable way to deal with those numbers silently. Our options are limited to large scale jutsu, combination jutsu, and gratuitous use of explosives. If the bandits are grouped in tents Kakashi-sensei and I could launch fire attacks while Naruto and a shadow clone launch a wind attack to enhance the flames. If we launch our attacks strategically it should be enough to kill the majority before they can organize to launch a counter offensive."
"Enough, Naruto, what would you do if the bandits are housed in one or more buildings instead of tents?"
"Buildings would be easier to sneak around. More space between them than a tent camp, and a lot less to trip up on. Unfortunately, they offer more solid protection against jutsu. We might be able to blow through a wall or two with a combination jutsu, but taking out multiple buildings quickly is unlikely. There would be survivors who would scatter making for lengthy cleanup, or even a fight. On the other hand, if we bring the buildings down on top of them we can kill or trap the majority. I'd assassinate the guards quietly, then slip through the compound planting demo tags around the outside of the buildings. Get out of the area, blow the tags, light the wreckage on fire to kill any survivors." Naruto grimaced slightly at the end of his proposed plan.
"Demo tags are not cheap. Where and how do you propose to get them and pay for them?"
"I make my own." Naruto replied truthfully.
"Enough, Sasuke, how would you deal with the other camps Hinata hypothesized exist near the ports?"
"It depends on if and how they keep in contact with Gato's main force. First thing to do would be to observe, then find out the check in schedule and then work around it. Most effective way to do it would be to quietly wipe out the smaller camps first to make sure Gato doesn't get reinforcements charging into things. Then when their out of the way assault Gato's main base before the next check in." The raven haired teen rattled off a loose plan.
"Hinata, the plans your team have laid out are solid." The two boys stood a bit straighter while fighting to keep their faces blank. "However you all have forgotten something." The boys cringed. "Kakashi."
The jounin in question sighed while rubbing at the side of his head. "A camp of bandits that size, especially one that has been established in a single area for any length of time is likely to have, companions."
"Let us not mince words, Kakashi. They will have woman. Some may be prostitutes trading sex for food, or even money. More likely they have been taken from their homes for the sole purpose of providing entertainment to the men."
All three genin stiffened. Naruto remembered the boys he had briefly met during his mission to assassinate the lady Suki. The tired, terrified looks of the younger ones and the world weary stares of the eldest.
Hinata could not help but imagine herself trapped, used and abused, it was a reality all kunoichi had to accept as a possibility, but acceptance did not negate the fear.
Sasuke was lost in thoughts of the massacre of his clan, how Itachi ripped through the countless innocents. Could he truly bring himself to do something similar? To kill the innocent? To kill victims?
"You three must understand, attempting to extract a large number of exhausted, battered and untrained woman would likely fail. If it failed, you would be swarmed. Naruto could flood the camps with Kage Bunshin to even the odds but in the chaos, it is still possible for one of you to be injured, or killed, by a stray arrow or unseen attack. Kakashi could unleash large scale jutsu to thin out the numbers but that risks Kakashi exhausting himself, which could leave you three defending him and the hostages. Chaotic fighting is your worst enemy. Furthermore, brute forcing an exit is not always going to be an option, and acting as if it is would eliminate the point of giving you this mission for training purposes."
The group gave subdued nods though each was still lost in their own thoughts.
"Kakashi, you are in charge of deciding the feasibility of freeing any captives." The silver haired jonin simply nodded.
"You will eliminate Gato and his men. You will do so in such a way as to minimize survivors. We do not need bandits escaping to terrorize the locals. Remember the point is to make the locals indebted to us. Can you do this?"
"Yes." All three genin responded at once. The Hokages simply raised an eyebrow inviting elaboration.
"This is what we've been training for sir." Hinata calmly replied meeting her leaders stare with an impassive mask.
"Individually our chances of pulling it off are slim, but working together we shouldn't have any problems." Naruto elaborated.
"What will you do if you encounter Gato's remaining missing nin?" Hiruzen asked.
"Hokage-sama, we are not their mission, we'll offer compensation and go from there." Kakashi spoke up before his students could screw up the last point they did not have the experience to answer.
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair puffing on his pipe.
"Team Kakashi, gather all the supplies you will need. You leave in the morning. ANBU Rat will accompany you to observe and to handle the transfer of Gato's finances, and business to several of the villages dummy corporations, also to lay the groundwork for future operations in wave."
"Yes, sir!" The team chorused before dispersing to begin preparations.
"Why let them go, another team could have been sent?" The voice drifted from a darkened corner of the room where the speaker stood cloaked in a genjutsu.
Hiruzen silently puffed on his pipe. "Have you seen the latest reports?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
"We will need them soon. They need to be ready, they need the experience."
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
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The group of five moved silently. They had barely spoken ten words since leaving the Leaf. For Rat and Kakashi it was a lack of things worth saying, but for the genin the silence was born out of contemplation and anticipation. In their minds they were putting years of psych training to work; Gato and his thugs became targets. The fact that they were humans became... secondary.
It wasn't perfect but the rudimentary mindset was there. Time and practice would be needed before they could immerse themselves in it fully, but even at ninja speeds they had several days to reinforce that way of thinking, as well as however long they spent researching the targets before making their move.
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"Kakashi-senpai." Rat murmured under his breath.
"I know. We have a shadow. Hinata, distance, direction, and appearance."
"Hai!" With a thought the veins surrounding her eyes bulged. "Two tails. First is thirty meters out at our eight o'clock. Face is wrapped, no eyebrows, massive sword, maybe seven or eight feet from the tip to the base of the grip. It looks like a massive butcher knife."
"Zabuza Momochi, A rank nukenin from Mist." Kakashi intoned quietly.
"Second tail, seven o'clock, fifty meters, hunter nin mask, wave insignia."
"Interesting… Hinata, take point, find us a clearing."
"On it!" The girl called out as she moved to the head of the group and peeled off slightly to the left. Within a few minutes the group settled in a clearing. Following Hinata's lead they stood ready faced towards the oncoming jounin.
The echoing voice that filtered seemingly from everywhere did nothing to fool Hinata's eyes as she continued to pivot and follow Zabuza. "Ah, leaf nin." Zabuza's voice rasped even as it oozed condescension. "You five wouldn't happen to know what happened to some associates of mine, would you? Pair of brothers, a bit dim in the head, big gauntlets, and a chain?"
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "Well, now that you mention it… Yeah, they're dead." The silver haired jounin gave a careless shrug leaving his right hand hovering near his back for easy access to the double barrel sawed off shotgun strapped along his back.
"Hmm, that so? I don't see the old geezer they were after with you. I don't suppose they at least managed to take him out before you killed them, did they?"
"Oh, Tazuna is doing just fine. Though we had to cancel his escort mission and bring him back to the Leaf in light of the fact that he lied about the mission parameters."
"I see. So what you are telling me, is that my target is safely hidden behind the walls of your village. Which begs the question, what are you here for?"
"A business proposition, for you." Rat cut in.
"Oh? Is that so? What sort of proposition might that be?" For the first time genuine interest colored Zabuza's tone.
"The Hidden Leaf would like to pay you to abandon your current contract." Rat stated tonelessly. With a flick of the wrist a storage scroll was spread across the grass of the clearing and with a burst of chakra and smoke several large stacks of bills appeared atop it.
The genin tensed as the silence stretched on in the wake of Rat's proposition. Hinata's fingers took on the hazy glow of concentrated chakra. Naruto's hands hovered just above his knife and revolver. Sasuke fingered the ring of a kunai. Kakashi and Rat stood comparatively at ease though that was more illusion than fact. Experience guided them to not tense up, loose muscles move faster than tensed.
Uproarious laughter shattered the silence.
"Interesting! You're out to kill that swine Gato, aren't you?" Zabuza's voice took on a disgusting sweetness, and he chuckled darkly. "Hmm, it's bad business to abandon a contract you know. But then I doubt I'll have a shot at the bridge builder until after you've dealt with Gato, and I can't exactly collect a paycheck from a dead man, now can I?"
Zabuza stalked into the clearing ghosting out from between the trees.
"I was only hired to perform an assassination anyway. Nothing in my contract said anything about protecting that little shit. Ah, shame this didn't go differently. I'd have enjoyed the chance to fight you, Copy-nin." Zabuza stated with a leer. As he stepped forward to retrieve the scroll the group from Leaf took several steps back following Rat's lead.
"Perhaps another time." Kakashi responded brightly shooting the mist nin his signature eye smile.
Zabuza resealed the money and made his way out of the clearing at a leisurely pace. "Good hunting Leaf-nin." He called over his shoulder before disappearing back into the trees.
For several minutes the group stood silently.
"He's met up with the one in the hunter mask. The pair are making their way south together." Hinata finally declared.
"Any chance he'll circle back to try and take us by surprise?" Naruto asked still fingering his weapons.
"Doubtful. He would gain nothing by attacking us. Also he knows if we are willing to pay him off then we're serious about killing Gato. Getting in between an entire village and a target would be suicide for a lone pair, no matter how skilled." Rat spoke calmly.
"Rat's correct. We will keep an eye out just to be safe, but I doubt we'll see them again on this mission." Kakashi calmly stated. "Let's move team. We still have a few hours of daylight left. We'll stop at the cost before meeting with Tazuna's boatman contact in the morning."
With silent nods the group launched themselves back into the forest.