CHAPTER 20: THE HOKAGE'S STRUGGLE – TEAM KAKASHI'S DISCOVERY
I'm feeling really tired while writing this...it is then likely that errors will be found. If you do find errors, then be very, very quiet so that the others don't find out about them. Okay? Shhhhh.... O.O
Tsunade breathed lightly as she held as still as she could while Mizukage's knife rested upon the tender skin of her neck. The steel was colder than normal; this aspect alone intrigued Tsunade. She looked down at the floor – a small puddle was extending from behind her into her field of vision at a snail's pace.
"So you used shuunjinsoku to get here, huh?" asked Tsunade calmly (rapid water tunnel). "Smooth…no wonder you got all the way here undetected."
"I don't need jutsu to infiltrate your village," replied Mizukage from directly behind her chair. "I needed to outrun your assassins."
"Assassins?!" asked Tsunade. "I didn't send any assassins!" Mizukage then walked out from behind her chair, still holding the knife against her neck as he moved. He no longer wore his blue hat and cream-colored robe, instead donning a regular flak jacket and dark sunglasses. His hair was short and silvery-gray, his face heavily scarred from his years of service and battle. All things considered, Mizukage was a handsome man, but Tsunade knew too well that looks, especially in this case were deceiving. Though allies, there was little good blood between the Countries of Water and Fire.
"They wore Konoha headbands," said Mizukage. "They even said they were returning to the village. Don't lie to me, Hokage-sama."
"I swear to you, I am telling the truth Yuriko," said Tsunade, looking up into the Mizukage's eyes. Yuriko grinned as he looked back into hers, deep, brown and lovely.
"How can I believe you?" he asked.
"I did send ninja to your village a few days ago," continued Tsunade. "Might Guy and his team left to offer their services if needed to your village."
"So you did send ninja," said Yuriko. "The one who used Shadows was particularly talented. He killed many of my finest Jonin."
"Shadows?" asked Tsunade, her tone now becoming fearful. "Shikamaru was sent off with the Kankokage!" Yuriko didn't immediately respond, rather he stood silently looking into Tsunade's eyes.
"His name wasn't Shikamaru," he said slowly after a few moments. "If I remember right, it was Kurayami…"
"The ones I sent were two annoying men dressed in green, a Hyuga, and a weapons mistress," continued Tsunade. "Did they make it safely to the Village of Mist?"
"I saw none of this manner, only the three who attacked me," answered Yuriko. "They were powerful ninja, more powerful than even I."
"Please, Yuriko," pleaded Tsunade. "Put away the knife. I promise you with all the honor of my village that I did not approve nor know anything about this attack." Yuriko again stood silent, but after a moment he retracted the knife from Tsunade's neck.
"You know nothing of the three?" he asked softly, mistrust still leaking into his voice.
"Nothing at all," said Tsunade, immediately standing up. "What were their names?"
"Kurayami Jin, Ona Doro, Itami Noborou," replied Yuriko, still staring warily at Tsunade as she walked across her office and pulled out a large book from her bookshelves.
"Those are strange names…" she muttered. "Not held by any criminals I know of, but…" She walked back to her desk and opened the book up, releasing a plume of dust collected along the tops of each page.
"If you are being untruthful…" warned Yuriko. "You will die here without honor." Tsunade flashed Yuriko a particularly cold look.
"It is possible these three are associated with the Twelve Cloaked Daggers," she said sharply. "They have already wiped out the Country of Lightning, and it seems like they tried to destroy your country as well." Yuriko looked at Tsunade in complete shock.
"W-what did you say?!" he gasped.
"Just before you arrived I received a letter from the Country of Lightning," continued Tsunade. "With a small army headed by this group, Raikage was killed, and if what you said about them "returning to Konoha" is true, then…" Tsunade looked down at the page.
"Then what?" asked Yuriko.
"Then it sounds like they know that Konoha is trying to stop them with the Kankokage," she replied. "Their next target is Konoha itself." Yuriko looked down at Tsunade with his mouth slightly open; this was much more than he had expected. No longer was it just a random attack on his life, rather it looked like a world war.
"Itami Noborou…" muttered Tsunade as she came across a particular page. Upon it was attached a picture of a handsome, smug, yet horribly evil looking young man with deep blue eyes and long brown hair.
"That was him…" said Yuriko, looking down at the page. "He attacked me with some sort of bond…"
"He is originally from the Land of the Void," read Tsunade. "But he was exiled due to several murders of high ranking officials…"
"Exiled?" asked Yuriko. "Why didn't they just execute him?!"
"They couldn't…" said Tsunade softly, still reading the page. "It appears that he left on his own accord after rendering his entire village powerless…"
"When we fought, it was like I could feel what he felt…" said Yuriko. "His technique is frightening. It's a wonder he didn't show up in Akatsuki."
"Indeed," muttered Tsunade, flipping the page. "It seems that he has only been seen once since his exile, that being in the Country of Demon during the Third Hokage's administration."
"The woman with them," said Yuriko suddenly. "She had a jutsu I had never seen before."
"Oh?" asked Tsunade, looking up from the book into Yuriko's eyes.
"She had red eyes…" he continued slowly, pausing in reflection. "Bright red…it was like she was looking through me…"
"Red eyes you say?" asked Tsunade with a raised eyebrow.
--
Pakkun the little brown ninja dog looked onward through the trees while sitting on a limb with his typical bored façade as he sniffed the air. Behind him, Kakashi and his team comprised of Konohamaru, Ino, and Chouji finally caught up, all of them breathing heavily from the accelerated pursuit of the little yet speedy dog.
"You're slow," said Pakkun beneath his Konoha forehead protector. "I've been here three minutes already."
"What did you smell?" asked Kakashi.
"I'm not sure," replied Pakkun. "Something doesn't smell right…but I can't put my paw on it."
"What is it?" asked the blonde-haired Ino from behind Kakashi.
"It smells…" started Pakkun, giving a few more sniffs with his nose. "Kakashi, summon the other dogs, please."
"Sure…" replied Kakashi, and he pulled out the small scroll from his pack. He then bit his thumb, opened the scroll, and concocted the signs for summoning. With a poof of smoke, the other seven ninja dogs appeared, all looking fairly excited to be there (except for the large bull dog, of course).
"Hey Pakkun!" said the cool-looking dog with sunglasses. "What's up, man?"
"I need your opinions," replied Pakkun. "I can't figure out what I'm smelling." At once the eight dogs lifted their noses and began to sniff. For about thirty seconds this continued until the light brown dog with a taped head spoke up.
"It is blood…" said the dog. "But it isn't…normal…"
"What do you mean?" asked Pakkun.
"It's too strong…" continued the dog. "By distance, it's a ways off, but I can smell enough for twenty humans…and it doesn't smell like it's clotting at all."
"What?!" gasped Kakashi. "That's not possible! Blood begins to clot the second it leaves the body!"
"Of course it does," replied the dog. "But I'm telling you – I'm an expert on the scent of blood, and this stuff…it ain't clogging."
"That means…" started Ino. "That means it's being controlled by chakra! There's no other way for it to be kept from clotting."
"And if it's controlled by chakra," added Chouji. "Then that means a ninja is controlling it."
"A powerful ninja, at that," said Kakashi.
"There are other smells behind the mask of blood," added the frisky, snarling white dog. "Twelve of them. Each one smells different."
"Twelve different humans…" muttered the large bull dog. "One woman, fifteen male…and…birds?"
"Yes," confirmed the barker brown dog with wild eyes. "Definitely birds, crows they smell like…"
"No," countered the brown dog with a white snout. "Those are Ravens…I think from the Blight."
"What direction are they headed?" asked Kakashi. The dogs again lifted their heads and sniffed, but this time each of them opened their eyes in shock.
"They're moving towards Konoha!" gasped Pakkun. "And from the smell of it, they are moving fast."
"And they are closer to the village than we are…" added the small, light brown dog with tired-looking eyes. "We'd better get moving if you want to catch them."
"Damn it…" grumbled Kakashi. "Ninja dogs! Go find Shizune's team and tell her to head back to the village immediately. Pakkun, stay with us."
"Yeah, yeah," mumbled Pakkun. "You guys had better go. There may be some trouble if we don't hurry."
"Sure thing, boss," said the cool-looking dog with sunglasses, and the seven leaped off into the trees and out of sight.
"What's going on, Kakashi-sensei?" asked Konohamaru.
"We made a mistake," he replied. "It seems the enemy will reach Konoha before we do…we are very lucky to have smelled them before we further out. Let's go!" Kakashi leaped back through the trees in the path they came, and Konohamaru, Ino, Chouji, and Pakkun followed suit.
--
Dakatsu opened his eyes. His chest and body ached, and as his eyes focused and his mind gained lucidity he noticed that he was sitting in the middle of a road surrounded by tall, green trees.
"W-what happened…?" he asked drowsily to himself, and slowly he sat up and got to his feet. "What a strange dream…" Dakatsu turned and observed his surroundings; he had no recollection of this place, no any remembrance of his journey here.
"This is strange…" he began, but then he noticed the sign at the side of the road. "Konoha, 5 kilometers…" he read. "I'm already this close?" Dakatsu look quickly from side to side for any sign of human presence, but was unable to see anything. For a moment a temptation arose in his mind, one which were it not for the dire words of Tetsuma he would have considered.
Flee, Dakatsu, flee, said his mind's voice. No one knows you are here, Tetsuma can't see everywhere, and now is your chance. Flee, and you will be free from this terrible calling.
"No, not Tetsuma…" muttered Dakatsu fearfully under his breath. "His Ikemasen… he can see everything. Besides, I don't even know how or when I got here…he might be behind all of this."
You don't know that. Besides, what can you do to take out a powerful clan like the Hyuga? You really think you can defeat them?
"Shut up…" shouted Dakatsu loudly. Realizing his volume, he again looked back and forth with widened eyes. "Am I losing my mind?"
You lost your mind when you decided to kill Araiguma…
"You don't scare me…ARRGH!" Dakatsu clenched his chest in agony, his teeth clenched and his eyes closed tightly. His entire upper body seared in pain, but after a few moments it again subsided to a mere dull ache. "What is wrong with me? I…I think Tetsuma knows…I think Tetsuma is punishing me for thinking of running away…" Dakatsu's voice was now a frightened stutter, as fear was now rapt throughout his mind. Bit by bit logic began to fade, each vanished piece of sanity replaced by an equal portion of terror.
You have become a pawn, Dakatsu. This is your comeuppance; you will pay for your murders and sins…for the murder and destruction of your own people and country.
"Get out of my head!" shrieked Dakatsu, clawing at his temples. "Get out! Get out! Get out!!!" Suddenly he stopped and listened – the voice within his mind was gone. "Now, I need to get moving…" Dakatsu then began walking down the road, an unusual spring in his step and an eerie smile upon his face. Konoha was his destination, a mere five kilometers away. How could he be so lucky?
--
Naruto awoke to the feeling of wind rushing past his face and a soft feeling on his back and legs. I've been here before… he thought, and before he even regained total consciousness he knew where he was.
"So…" he muttered, his eyes still closed and his body still in pain. "You beat up both of those guys, huh Akira?"
"Naruto? You're awake?" asked a man's voice that Naruto did not recognize. "You've been out for a while now. I must say you have quite impressive healing abilities."
Something isn't right…who is that?
Naruto opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice. Surely enough, he was again riding on the back of Kyodaimokin, but the face that matched the voice – surely this had to be a nightmare.
"Y-you!" shouted Naruto as he leaped to his feet and pointed at the silver-haired Jago. "What are you doing here?! Where's Akira?!!"
"Naruto, calm down," said the voice of Akira. Naruto turned and saw Akira deftly stepping down from Kyodaimokin's neck towards him. "You don't have to worry – he's with us now."
"But…but…!" stammered Naruto. "He's with Kira!" Naruto suddenly stopped, his mind finally catching up to him. Kira… he thought, and with that Naruto fell back down, his eyes staring off blankly.
"Kira was a powerful ninja," said Jago retrospectively. "But he was too unstable. Something was wrong inside his head…I had been worried for a while that he would completely lose it. But now, Naruto, we don't have to worry about him anymore."
"What are you talking about?" asked Naruto, still stuck in his dumbfounded state. "He isn't dead…he can't be. I hit him with the rasenshuriken…and then he landed…I was sure he was dead…"
"What are you saying?" asked Jago.
"He just disappeared…" continued Naruto, a tear again beginning to well up in his eye. "He was there…and then he just vanished…"
"I think maybe you were injured more than we thought…" said Akira. "People just don't vanish when they die, Naruto, and they certainly can't when they are alive."
"I…I…" stammered Naruto. "I don't know what happened…" Naruto stopped. "Where are we going?"
"Konoha," answered Akira. "Tetsuma and the others are on their way there, and if what Jago told me is true, then it is looks like they mean to destroy it."
"But, why would they…" started Naruto, but Jago interrupted him.
"Konoha interfered with Tetsuma's plans," he said. "He was nearly defeated by that Hinata girl, and he decided to change our movements."
"What is Tetsuma's plan?" asked Naruto, but Jago shook his head in dismay.
"Even I don't know that," he answered. "Just when I think I have it figured out, something happens and proves me wrong. I thought it was just a grab of power, you know. Steal money, buy gangs and thugs, live the high life…at least that's what I wanted. Tetsuma's plans…I don't know, he's about as mentally sound as Kira, and that guy was hell bent on destroying the world. But from what I can tell now, it seems like he is trying to knock out all forms of leadership in the five great countries."
"But why would he want to do that?" asked Naruto. "If he wants to do destroy the countries, why not just wipe everything out like the Lightning Country?"
"It seems like the campaign in the Country of Lightning was to serve as a warning to the others," continued Jago. "He wanted to take out the strongest first, so that the other weaker countries would fall in line."
"So this is nothing more than a move to militarily take over the world?" asked Akira.
"You say it so nonchalantly," replied Jago. "Don't take this man for a fool; if there was anyone who could achieve such a lofty and seemingly impossible goal, it is Tetsuma. Even with Kira, Lina, and Daisuke gone, he can still conquer entire countries with only a few men. Mix into that the fact that he now has Ring ninja from the Brine on his side and he's made himself as powerful as a hundred-thousand-man army, if not greater."
"This is bad…" said Naruto softly. "I can't believe how fast all of this has happened…"
"Sometimes it seems like the world catches on fire overnight," observed Akira. "We ask ourselves, 'how could this happen?' but always the answer is the same."
"And what is that?" asked Naruto, the gravity of the situation now weighing him down like lead blocks hung from his shoulders.
"We lose sight of what is important," replied Akira. "We end up focusing so hard on peace and quiet of our immediate surroundings that we neglect to even listen to the softly approaching drums, and by the time we finally do notice, they are already upon us. I am guilty of this myself; I was so caught up in the joy of finally completing the Three Mountains Village that I didn't even bother investigating the mysterious death of Araiguma Tetsuwan. Instead, I left that to the regular civilian authorities, and before I knew it my village was gone, my family was destroyed, and my friends were turned into foes. Literally, all that happened within a couple hours time."
"Yeah…" said Naruto softly. "I can see what you mean."
"But the problem with life is that we can't ever turn back time and fix our mistakes," continued Akira. "Instead, we have to take what's given us and make the best of it, whatever that may imply."
"I am one to believe that nothing happens without reason," added Jago. "All things have their purpose in this world, this life...One may never know the effect that any of his actions may have on the future, but the best way to live is to act in such a way that you can be sure that your choices will lead to the best outcomes."
"A fair axiom…" said Kyodaimokin, somewhat startling Naruto as she hadn't said a word since his awakening. "But not one expected from a redeemed villain."
"When one delves into the darkness," responded Jago. "One can't help but notice the nuances of the light."
"Wait a minute…" said Naruto, looking around Kyo's back. "Something's wrong…"
"What is it?" asked Akira.
"Where's Hinata?"
New for Saturday, 12/6/2008: ZERO HOUR: KONOHA'S TRIALS BEGIN
BONUS! Yeah, no action this time. Sorry. But honestly, these things are tough to keep going at 110 mph all the time. But without plot, what good is the story? Trivia about my life: looks like over the next couple months I will have two research papers published in major Chemical Engineering publications, in addition to a thesis on Waxy Oil Gel phenomena. How cool is that?!