It was nearly midnight by the time Tsunade had called for a halt and they were over two hundred miles within enemy territory. They had not been spotted, yet. Tsunade was calling for a six hour rest. They would be moving again before the sun was in the sky and they would reach their objective some time tomorrow morning. There would be no fires tonight; they were too much of a risk. Everyone just ate a rations bar and unrolled their sleeping bags. Gaara had offered to take all the watches as he never slept anyway. Tsunade had avoided Sakura as though she were diseased. The others were not so cruel, but were uniform in their opinion that she was in the wrong.

"When we reach our objective tomorrow I want you to try and stay near me at all times Sakura. I will protect you with my life." Kakashi said before going to sleep.

"Don't worry about me sensei; I can take care of myself." Sakura said.

"No you can't." He saw her about to argue with him. "That's not an insult Sakura. You have come a very long way since your academy days, but you are still just a Genin. This mission is for upper level Jonins. Look around you Sakura. Can you honestly say you fit in?"

She didn't need to look around. Everyone but her was a Jonin and two of them were Sanin. "No, I can't. But I have to do this."

Kakashi sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway; it's too late for you to change your mind." He yawned and pulled up his covers. "Just remember what I said. Tomorrow, stay close to me."

As Kakashi fell asleep she remained wide awake despite feeling exhausted. She was well aware that this might be the last night of her life. She looked up at the stars.

XXXXXXXXXX

Shikamaru looked at the burnt remnants of the little village. There were dozens of bodies, all of them former inhabitants. There had been no ninjas defending this place. There hadn't even been any regular army soldiers. Just locals who had refused to give up. A regiment had swept through in less than two minutes without even a casualty. The fighting here hadn't even slowed the army down. The villagers had died for nothing.

Shikamaru turned to the general in charge of the invasion. "Why did they fight?"

Asuma took a long drag on his cigarette before answering. "They fought because we're the invaders here and they were trying to defend their homes."

"But it was a hopeless situation."

Asuma nodded. "When our people fight against hopeless odds we call that heroism."

Shikamaru frowned. "What do you call it when the enemy does it?"

"Fanaticism," Asuma tossed his cigarette into the dying flames around a gutted house. "I saw a lot of sights like this in the third great ninja war. Get used to it Shikamaru we'll be seeing more." He let out a depressed sigh. "And not all the bodies will be theirs."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You should be asleep."

Sakura looked at him and trembled. "I'll get some sleep soon, thank you." She knew he was an ally, but she couldn't pretend to feel safe around him. Her last memory of Gaara before this involved him coming straight at her while being half transformed into a monster.

"You do not have to be afraid of me." He assured her.

She planted a false smile on her lips. "What? I'm not afraid."

"Yes you are," Gaara said simply. "May I ask you a question Sakura?"

"Uhm, sure."

He nodded. "When I last saw you, you were ready to die facing me to try and protect Sasuke. Now you are courting death and the anger of your Hokage trying to kill him. I do not truly understand emotions but have your feelings changed that radically in so short a time?"

She thought about that. Gaara seemed calmer now than she remembered, but he had never been a model of stability that she could tell. "My feelings have changed and they haven't. The truth is that when you last saw me I was risking it all to protect Sasuke because I loved him." She let out a sigh. "I think I still love him."

Gaara stared at her uncomprehending. "Shouldn't you try and protect the ones you love?"

She nodded. "Yes you should, but there are certain things even more important than love."

"Such as?"

She broke eye contact and looked up into the clear night sky. "Such as keeping a promise to a precious friend."

"You mean Naruto?"

She nodded. "That's right. You see Naruto died trying to keep a promise that he made to me. I can't live with myself knowing that. So I took an oath that I would make Sasuke pay for what he did."

"And the oath to your dead teammate is more important to you than your love of the living one?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Gaara truly seemed to want to know.

She took a deep breath. "Because when Sasuke murdered him he severed all the bonds between us. The instant he did that he stopped being a friend or teammate to me. Whatever I may still feel for him we no longer have ties. When Naruto died for the sake of his promise to me our bond became eternal." She placed a hand over her heart. "I can never forget him. I will carry him with me in my heart forever, and when I see him in the world to come I will fall on my knees and beg him to forgive me. Our bond can never be broken now, and it is for the sake of that bond that I will give my life to try and right what I can."

Gaara stared at her for a moment. "I do not understand."

She looked at the red haired boy and saw confusion in his pale eyes. She tried to explain it as simply as she could, "I love Naruto more than I love Sasuke."

Gaara stared at her some more, but slowly nodded. That at least made more sense to him. "Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is likely to be a hard day."

XXXXXXXXXX

Hinata held up a fist and her squad came to a halt. Kiba and Shino both looked at her. Currently the three of them were assigned as reconnaissance squad one of the seventh regiment. They were the eyes of the entire regiment. Which meant that Uzumaki Hinata had the regiment's eyes. "Byakugan," she activated her bloodline limit.

Kiba was scratching his nose. "Definitely ninja up ahead he said quietly." He and Akamaru were feeling just a little nervous. It was starting to look like the first real battle of this war was about to begin."

Shino nodded calmly as always. "My insects have also detected the presence of chakra up ahead."

"What's the name of this town again?" Kiba asked.

"Nagaoka," Hinata answered for him. "I spot about one hundred ninjas and maybe five thousand regular soldiers waiting for us up ahead." She activated the radio communicator that all commanding officers and reconnaissance personal had been issued. She quickly sent out a report on what they would be facing.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What do you think?" Asuma asked.

Shikamaru looked at the information in front of him. He had already formulated a plan of action. "We have the first, fourth, sixth, and seventh regiments all nearby we can assemble them and get an attack ready within an hour. Four regiments will give us two hundred ninja, that should be enough. We can also move the Suna expeditionary corps into place as a strategic reserve."

Asuma nodded. "We have Fire country Army units coming up. We could use them to deal with the regular army units on the opposite side. Make things a little easier for us."

Shikamaru shook his head. "The regular army units are falling way behind schedule. It will be three days before any of them are in position." Asuma grimaced. Three days might as well have been three weeks, the Hokage's plan centered around a fast surgical strike that would overwhelm and defeat the enemy in detail before they could mass into one spot. The best hope for a quick easy victory was to keep the front moving and the enemy guessing. Unless things got bogged down the Fire country troops were unlikely to do anything other than occupation duty. The battles were likely all going to be fought with ninjas alone.

"You know if we pull in the second and ninth regiments that will probably make things a lot easier." Asuma pointed out.

"For this battle I agree." Shikamaru said. "But that would require another couple hours to get the attack ready. We would also have to bring the assault on the eastern end of the front to a halt until we could move the second and ninth back. We should attack with four regiments even though it means our own casualties will be slightly higher." He had friends in the seventh regiment. He knew he was going to put them into added danger. To his mind the war was essentially one massive game of shogi. He had to play the, 'game' to try and win as quickly as possible with the fewest pieces sacrificed. The difference was that here the pieces he sacrificed would bleed and make wives widows and children orphans. But he knew it was the right move so he stuck by it.

Asuma was willing to admit his subordinate's mind sharper than his and agreed with the battle plan.

XXXXXXXXXX

Neji, Lee, and Tenten had been designated combat squad nine of the seventh regiment. They had been halted along with everyone else. Like everyone else they wondered why.

"I daresay we are about to go into battle." Neji replied calmly. "I can think of no other reason why they would call a halt to our advance."

"Yosh! I only wish Guy-sensei were here to witness our courageous battle! I intend to fight very hard to make him proud of me!" Lee declared.

Tenten smiled at Neji. She pulled out some kunai and threw them at a nearby tree. She outlined a perfect, 'heart' symbol. "I'm sure Guy-sensei will end up being proud of all of us." She went up the tree and began pulling out her kunai. "What do you suppose he is doing right no anyway?"

Lee had an excited grin. "Whatever it is I am sure it is an incredibly important and dangerous job that only he can do!"

Neji nodded. "Given his abilities that is likely true. I hope he is fine."

"Of course he will be fine! He is Guy-sensei! Whatever challenge he is faced with he will overcome!"

Neji and Tenten shared an exasperated look, when it came to their sensei Lee was not one to have any doubts. They began to hear shouts to form up. There were also shouts to get ready to receive battle orders.

XXXXXXXXXX

It took more than an hour to coordinate the attack, closer to an hour and a half. But when it went in it was well prepared. Two hundred Leaf ninjas snuck in to the edge of bow range and then as one rushed in. There was only time for one mass volley of arrows before they were on the edge of Nagaoka and fighting in close with the defenders. Fortunately the city did not have an outer wall. The Sound ninjas had been dispersed among the regular soldiers and aided them all along the line.

Neji and Lee were fighting with open hands and fists against men with swords, pikes, and spears. Tenten was actually far deadlier in this fight than the two boys. Being a weapons mistress she had always understood that weapons were meant to kill. Being in the middle of a war zone and needing to cover her two boys she was brutally efficient. Every toss was dead on target like always. Her target was usually the throat. She was loaded down with weapons and never had to get close to an enemy, killing easily and swiftly from range.

XXXXXXXXXX

The sound ninja lifted both arms and fired off an explosive torrent of sound as Zaku had done at the Chunin exams. Kiba and Akamaru leapt away just in time to avoid it. Hinata ran towards him from the other side. A second sound nin intervened however. His body seemed to be covered in metal spikes. He fired off about twenty or so from his chest at her. Activating her ultimate defense she was able to easily block these. She was ready to continue the fight but was surprised when instead the sound nins began to pull back. She quickly looked around. All the sound nins seemed to be withdrawing while the soldiers were still fighting for their lives.

"Cowards!!" Kiba screamed at them as they fled the battlefield.

"Kiba," Hinata said. "They aren't running away look around. All the enemy ninja are leaving at once they obviously have orders."

"Yes, that appears certain." Shino agreed. "It also appears certain that the regular soldiers were given no such instructions."

Kiba curled his lip in disdain. "They're just abandoning them! Their own people!"

"Perhaps Orochimaru does not view Rice forces with the same concern he does the sound." Shino put in.

"That doesn't matter," Hinata said putting them back on track. "Let's help here and then get back to scouting." Since becoming a clan head she had become more decisive and authoritative. Her two teammates accepted her directive without a second thought.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Nineteen dead and twelve more severely wounded and out if action." Shikamaru read the report. He was relieved that none of his friends were casualties. "The enemy lost only fifteen ninja, the rest got away."

"How many soldiers did they lose?"

"About five thousand, that's just an estimate though." Shikamaru shook his head.

"Reports are the sound nins abandoned them almost immediately. The soldiers apparently had no idea." Asuma noted.

Shikamaru nodded. "They're the pawns. Orochimaru is deliberately sacrificing them in the hopes they do us some damage, while he saves his most valuable pieces for later." He sighed. "We can expect more hit and run tactics. The sound nins will probably try to hurt us when they can without making an actual stand until we reach the sound village."

Asuma nodded. "It makes sense given that they're the weaker force. No one said this would be easy or bloodless." He looked at his watch. "If things are still on schedule the other operation should be commencing right about now."

XXXXXXXXXX

Outside the hidden entrance to an underground fortress two guards suddenly felt their muscles freeze.

"What?" One said.

"Hey! I can't… ack." Was all the other said as a hand made of shadow gripped both their necks and choked them to death.

Tsunade looked at the members of both teams. "You know what is expected, quickly and quietly." There were silent nods all around. They quickly entered the base and split into two groups as they had planned. Hidden cameras recorded their arrival.

XXXXXXXXXX

Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke were all in the command room. They saw the images of their enemies and would be assassins.

"It seems we have a new problem." Kabuto said as he pushed his glasses back up.

"Ku, ku, ku Tsunade you devious little fox." He sounded amused and almost pleased. "Well now you've actually managed to surprise me." He turned to Kabuto. "Sound the alarm and let's go welcome our guests."

Kabuto nodded. "Yes Lord Orochimaru." His hand came down on a button and a loud piercing shriek sounded through the base."

Sasuke looked at eh images and his breath caught. "Sakura…"