Protector's pride
SUMMARY: Naruto Uzumaki fought to save his precious people from harm. But he took things seriously very late. This is what happens when the death of one of his precious persons instigate the change in him earlier. This will be an au but will follow cannon pretty closely.
I don't own the series. This story may have some similarities with other stories with same theme but occurrence of that is purely coincidental. Thanks to all and everyone who have reviewed I really like the support makes me worthwhile.
Previously: the leaf shinobis have reached the bloody mist and the now the planning for their freedom begins.
THE LAND OF BLOOD PART TWO
The fog hung around the air and the trees like a veil separating the two worlds. Naruto felt uncomfortable in the moist and wet nature, it just felt alien to him even the land of waves was not like this. Land of waves…thinking of that village always reminded him of Haku. Days had passed but her memory in his mind was still as strong as ever. Even now he could recall every single word she had whispered to him, every single detail of her face, and the shade of her eyes was still etched in his mind.
'Stop thinking about her damn it, she's gone and she's never gonna come back; you killed her yourself. It's your hands that 're stained with her blood. ' a new voice spoke in his mind, a voice he had been hearing for days.
The voice was almost alike his own but it held a tone of hatred he had come to associate with that of the Kyuubi. It was disturbing to say the least and he felt spent every time after hearing the voice.
"Naruto, you ok?" Ino stopped in her tracks, it was the fifth time in a week when Naruto had frozen in between their scouting of the country; she was ready to bet her whole shop that there was something very wrong with Naruto and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
However she was not given the chance to dwell on the blonde for much longer as almost immediately their scout sent out the signal for danger.
Neji walked ahead of the others, the veins around his eyes already bulged allowing the chakra to flow through it with greater speed and concentration. The world the normal people used to see no longer existed for him in this time, now he witnessed the world in its true form; an endless assortment of chakra pathways weaved together like web of different colors. Had Neji been a poet he would have found the sight mesmerizing but he was not a poet, he was a shinobi; one of the very best of his age.
His eyes looked beyond the chakra pathways of the trees and the civilians concentrating on those where the flow of the life energy was regulated, controlled and measured; like a stream of river. As his eyes scanned the area around he found himself growing suspicious, while he knew of shinobis wandering around when not in mission but the number always was less than twenty unlike the forty that now surrounded his team in a half circle.
"It's a trap" he whispered out to himself, if he was correct none of the waiting shinobis were less powerful than an experienced chunin. Outnumbered four to one and outmatched this is going to be a massacre of his team and Neji Hyuuga would die first before allowing that to happen. He raised his hand ordering the ones behind to stop.
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In her room Mei paced, the day of the reckoning was drawing near already two weeks had passed since the leaf reinforcement had arrived and they are still out in the open learning the country. The hope for her successful rebellion lay in the element of surprise and for that her trump card must be primed.
A knock on the door interrupted her thought process; "come in" she spoke loudly. Quickly composing her face she looked at the young woman who entered the room. The woman was barely twenty years old but the civil war had left its mark on her body as a nasty scar ran down the left side of her face making her ineligible for front line duties. "Mei-sama the call from the frontal team came in, they have located a large number of the enemy lying in wait; what's your command?" the woman spoke in a trained emotionless voice.
For Mei the judgment was extremely easy, in fact there was only one course of action as far as she could see. She stood up from her chair, like always the protective mesh guarded her even now, battle ready as usual. "Lead the way my dear" she spoke giving the assistant a strange grin but the implication of that grin was not lost to her subordinates however. Whenever she grinned like that it meant someone was going to die. She smiled that way when her parents were executed by Ameyuri Ringo of the seven swordsmen and she had smiled similarly when she melted of her face in front of everyone.
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Neji crouched low in the grass tracking as his ploy had played off. The shadow clones from Naruto had attracted all of the mist shinobis just as planned and now they were speeding to their deaths.
"It's your call now; lead the way" Neji whispered to the mist native crouching beside him.
The boy didn't look like much, he was small compared to his age and wore glasses but Neji didn't determine ones worth by the first look not after the chunin exams and he could see the boy had reserves much more than his own.
Chojuro gulped nervously as he felt the pupil less eyes of the Hyuuga fix on him. He always felt so insufficient next to the leaf shinobis, as if they had some secret that was eluding him. He felt sad when Mei-sensei decided to bring the reinforcement from other villages but deep inside he knew that they needed it. He was scared of the fight; often he would have the feeling that this war doesn't concern him. He never knew his parents, for all intents he considered himself to be an orphan this blood war was not his own but he would shake these thoughts away just as quickly. He lived to serve Mei-sama and for her sake any fight was his fight
Naruto was sweating slightly there was a continuous humming in his ear, as if his own soul was torn in a fight.
'What is happening to me? Kyuubi, it bettern't be you messing with my mind' with every passing moment he was finding it more difficult to concentrate. He stumbled for a moment on his path; one of the clones had just been taken out.
"Neji, continue ahead, I'll wait 'ere draw them into the trap" he spoke trying to act normally ignoring the hollow laughter inside his head.
Ino stopped in her track. Everything was going according to the plan and now suddenly Naruto deciding to take this risk it didn't add up. Her friend was not the idiot everyone believed him to be and she knew it better than most.
"That's not the plan?" Neji spoke pausing in his tracks, he respected the blonde's strength but this time he was being idiotic.
"They have a sensor with them" Naruto replied back with gritted teeth, it was getting harder to keep his temper under control.
That one sentence actually threw a wrench upon the plan for if the mist ninjas came to know about the ambush the entire plan would collapse like a house of cards. Neji could not risk that.
"How can you be sure?" this time Tenten spoke for the first time; she didn't like talking to the members of the team seven for some odd reason they rubbed the wrong way to her.
"The northwestern team just took out my hidden clones as well and without a sensor that is im-fucking-possible." Naruto could feel his temper getting the better of him an alien rage consuming him.
Sasuke looked at his team-mate, he recognized the power the blonde had in his command and whether he wanted it or not Naruto was the only friend he had. He was going to trust the boy, "Hyuuga move on, we'll catch up soon".
The decision was made and the three of the Kakashi's students took position. Sasuke's sharingan began spinning in his eyes rapidly as he prepared himself.
"Naruto how many are there?" he spoke already entering in to his analytic mind phase.
"Nine" Naruto spoke his blue eyes fixed in the horizon; he could almost feel the nine mist shinobi drawing close.
"Ino, infiltrate the mind of the closest one you can get. If we can't defeat them all, find out who the sensor is and I'll take him out. Naruto hold them for the time" Sasuke ordered the plan of action sketched in his mind.
"Shadow clone jutsu" Naruto whispered producing ten identical copies of him, "get in position" he ordered watching as his clones split of without a moment's wastage.
The first clone had barely reached the foliage before a compressed jet of water took him out the other nine following soon enough. A dense mist started covering the area at the same time, the implication was clear to all three.
"They are here" Naruto muttered before summoning another ten clones, all of them moving through the hand-seals with all the speed available to them. However before the chain of seals could be finished a hail of metal stars flew out of the mist.
Naruto ducked as did his clones, but still three clones disappeared as the metal edges pierced them. "Fuck" he cursed aloud still continuing with the seals dodging another hail of shurikens. 'Wind style: great breakthrough' huge wave of wind blew out the curtain of mist covering the clearing revealing nine men in white camouflage spotted uniform and the familiar mist headband.
He ran forward a kunai clenched tightly in his hands as two mist ninja broke out of the formation to meet him head on. Naruto concentrated harder as he started sending wind chakra to the metal knife elongating and sharpening it at the same time.
The first slash from his blade was blocked by the short sword one of the mist shinobis carried. He held on even as the wind chakra empowered knife started cutting through his sword while his comrade disappeared in a burst of speed.
Naruto felt his neck hairs stand straight without a reason. Trusting his gut instinct he ducked and felt a sword take out a few strands of his hair. Snarling in frustration the mist shinobi drew the blade again this time sure not to miss but Naruto was lucky again as this time a well placed kunai pierced the back of his skull dropping him like a sack of flour. Sasuke joined the fight as well his sharingan swirling madly as he dodged attack after attack from the water users.
Naruto took his chance delivering a straight kick to the other attacker, throwing him back. The experienced shinobi quickly did a handstand balancing his fall and launching himself again at the blonde but this time the young jinchuriki was more than ready. His wind chakra empowered kunai cut the shinobi's head off.
Ino watched from the tree top as her two team-mates fought for their lives, she cringed when water jutsu hit Naruto from point blank only to sigh in relief when the boy turned out to be a shadow clone. She was ready with her technique but the opposing ninjas were too far away for the technique to work perfectly. She jumped from the tree top to the nearest tree branch; she was scared but her team needed her to win and she would never let him down.
Sasuke panted as he dropped the second shinobi to attack him, his left arm was bloodied and had it not been for Naruto's clones he would have died. He locked eyes with him and understanding flashed in the two blue eyes.
Naruto jumped back to stand by the last Uchiha; as one the two started going through the hand seals. "fire style: flaming missile technique" Sasuke called out, "wind style : great breakthrough" Naruto's voice matched his teammate's.
The mist shinobis paled as they saw the huge wave of white flame drawing closer, burning the grass and leaves alike. Before they could understand anything, three kunais pierced their skulls from behind.
Ino felt lucky her jutsu had picked the desired target. There was no need to pick up the image of the sensor from the memories; this person was the sensor of the team. She had momentarily panicked when the wave of fire at started but regained her senses and using the diversion took out three of the remaining mist shinobis before releasing her technique.
She felt bile rising up her throat as stench from the burning bodies hit her hard. She had seen many deaths but this by far was the worst of them and she was feeling sick.
Naruto felt the numerous scratches and nicks over his body starting to heal as he kept watching the bodies' burn. "Let's go; the other squads are drawing close" Sasuke's voice broke the moment of silence and as one the three once more sped after their companions.
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Inari paused in his tracks as he entered the clearing; the scene looked like a massacre. In his days as the part of mist hunter division he had come across scenes like this many times and it still managed to nauseate him. "Captain; these bodies are of the north-east team" one of his subordinates spoke from his position by the dead bodies. "What's the diagnosis?" he asked taking one of the head bands that remained undamaged throughout the fight.
"High level fire technique user and possible genjutsu user. Expect the enemy to have a fine grasp of sword fighting." The statement only caused the frown on Inari's face to grow deeper; "the fuckers are better than I expected. Inform Mizukage-sama we need reinforcement."
Inari however didn't stay behind for the reinforcement, even if the enemy was stronger still he was one of the elite and he didn't want the death of so many of his comrades go unpunished. "Everyone in to positions, those bastards must die"
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Like everyday he stood on the top of the kage building, this was his home and he loved this place more than any other person. He was an orphan found by the young Fuguki Suikazan, ever since then he was brought up as the younger brother of the Suikazan clan heir. Ever since he knew how to understand right hand from left he worshipped his brother, dreaming to become a member the elite squad of the swordsmen following in his footsteps.
Hours he gave in training, hours turned to days, days changed back in to month and even months finally gave way to years and his training still continued. He remembered the day his brother had returned from battle bearing the legendary sword Kabutowari. The second shinobi war raged full on and he rose in power in stature becoming the second in command to his brother.
He remembered the day it was raining again that night. He had just returned from the border petrol when the news of his brother's betrayal reached him. Since the day forth he had never questioned any of the Mizukage's orders. He kept silent as his foster family was slain; their honor stained forever. He kept silent as blood ran along the streets, dying the rivers red. This was his atonement for what his brother had done.
But still everyday when he felt lost when his conscience asked him why mist was tearing itself apart; why he had turned butcher to the same people he swore of protecting he came here looked over the village and reminded himself. They said serving mizukage was serving mist and now he hoped they said right.
"I had hoped to find you here" a familiar voice broke Jinin's train of thoughts. He frowned as the other member of the order joined him. They both held the same ranks but physically or mentally there could not be two more different persons. While Jinin was a no name orphan the other person Kushimaru had been the brightest and strongest of his generation, the first one to join the new age of seven swordsmen. He still wore the mask of mist hunter ninja division; Jinin couldn't recall a single day when the man had been without his mask for the last decade.
"What is it?" Jinin didn't mean to be rude but the answer that came out of his lips was not the most polite example.
"They have found it" Kushimaru's voice betrayed no ire he might have felt; his posture still relaxed as ever.
Jinin could not believe his ears, for two whole years they have searched the entire village but never found it and now finally the main rebel base had been detected. "Where? How?" he kept his voice calm and emotions in check; a strong ninja has no use for useless emotions-he reminded himself.
"The men we captured last week spoke finally" Kushimaru's voice sounded far too gleeful to his liking but it was not his place to judge the wielder of nuibari.
"Let's go then is it only two of us or the others will join the hunt?" Jinin asked as the two elite ninja body flickered down to the underground room of their order.
"Hey I'm not omnipotent Mizukage –Sama sent me to fetch yeh and I'm just doing my job" Kushimaru was almost far too glad for the mission. He hated being cooped up and as always the opportunity to shed some more blood was always welcome. His hand caressed the hilt of the long sword like one would caress his lover.
Together the two swordsmen marched to the Mizukage's office. Although they both were senior to the man they knew better than to cross him; and locking eyes with the youngest kage of all the elemental countries Jinin had been once more reminded why he feared that man.
Yagura stopped working the moment he sensed the arrival of the two of his most trusted soldiers; he knew the mission he had for them could never be trusted to anyone else. If this mission succeeded he would win and the resistance will be crushed for good and that was all he wanted. To see the last of the blood-line wielders die out.
"Mizukage-sama" Jinin left the words hanging Kushimaru standing by him bowing his head in the clear show of submission.
Yagura nodded at them, "Jinin, Kushimaru you two have a mission. A mission I can't trust anyone else with not even the other swordsmen. You two must reach the base and remember take no prisoners." Yagura paused talking; looking closely at the two men before him both senior to him by ten years at the least yet serving him with utmost dedication and honor.
"So are you ready?" he spoke at last.
"Our life is yours to command" the two swordsmen spoke at the same time bowing their heads.
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Mei raced across the country with her most trusted aides at her back; to make the ambush work she needed to get there in time. She only prayed that something doesn't happen to the base now that the main bulk of the veterans were outside; this base was the one of the very few the rebellion had left.
She was almost there now; the ambush point could be seen not far away. She let out a sound like a bird; if the scouting party was where they was supposed to be then the return call will be given soon. And she was not disappointed within minutes another bird call resonated her call. A slow grin spread across her lips as she signaled one of her lieutenants close. Imari was not a front line fighter, but her bloodline ability allowed her to track any creature to acute detail within one kilometer area.
She watched on fascinated as always as the woman connected herself with the earth. Snow slowly covered up the terrain and now anyone touching the ground was in her range, it didn't matter how well they were hidden.
"They are coming but there are more than fifty out there, heading from three directions in an ordered manner; unless I am mistaken very much then they will be here by three minutes max." Mei listened on as her jaw muscles clenched if she believed the initial scout report to be wrong then it would be smoother but if the mizukage had a hunch that there may be an ambush planned then she would soon have more dead comrades in her arms and she for one didn't want that.
"Beat it everyone, we need to reach the position within the next minute; lady Tsunade lead your men to the left side we will use the pincer formation to crush them and please as a personal request try not to kill any of them if possible. Even if they are enemy they still are sons of this very soil and I don't them to die for something which was simply their duty"
Kakashi grimaced under his mask while he respected sentiment, he knew how complicated it was to try effectively to keep someone alive yet incapacitate. But all reasoning apart there was a part of him that still longed for the vengeance for what they did to Rin and he for one would not be one to pull his punches. He dashed along with Guy and Lady Tsunade; his moment of revenge was close.
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Neji was shocked when the ground beneath him just froze for a moment before his eyes found out the one responsible. He had to admit the skill was good but before his all seeing eye nothing came close. He focused once more on the enemy they were skilled and more than number he had expected.
He frowned this was not supposed to be, their intel could not be so faulty but it didn't matter; he took deep breath calming his mind preparing himself for the gentle fist style of his family. A small sound told him Ten-Ten was putting final touches to her weapons as well.
He felt his hopes bolster as the leaf jounins joined them. No sooner had the leaf shinobis united a dense mist covered the area marking the beginning of slaughter.
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"Naruto blow away the mist" Kakashi ordered before he himself charged straight in to the dense fog. His sharingan could pick out movements well enough in the close range even with the mist hampering him. He dodged one strike form a mist shinobi intent to sever his head from behind, and without wasting a moment slammed his palm in the man's solar plexus. The chakra hardened strike crushed whatever resistance the body could give bringing one person down.
He grinned under his mask as finally a strong jet of wind blew the mist away clearing the area once more. Racing through hand seals Kakashi molded the chakra for one of his favorite moves, "lightning style: running beast technique."
The mist shinobis retaliated as they saw their people going down. Three of them grouped together, water chakra building in throats. The powerful jet of water could crush through rocks but too bad lightning was conducted by water and it always moved faster. The wolf like beast made of blue electric reached the water stream even before it had crossed half way. Electricity flooded through the water shocking the users into unconsciousness.
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Naruto meantime had his hands full with two enemy shinobi at once. He weaved through their attacks blocking them but never really gaining an opening to strike. His waiting soon came to an end when Sasuke joined him. Naruto ducked as the punch from his enemy just went over his head, Sasuke took the opportunity to ditch his own opponent, without wasting any time he unleashed a big ball of fire at the overstretched enemy.
Meanwhile Naruto took on the other one, a condensed ball of chakra formed in his palm as he slammed it in the other ones stomach crushing bones and internal organs alike. As the shinobi went down with a muffled cry of pain his eyes landed on Ino. She was not faring well, the one she was facing was too nimble for any of her attacks to connect and she seemed to be tiring. As the enemy swung his sword to behead the girl Naruto intervened. A quick substitution changed his position with that of Ino.
"Rasengan" he roared as he thrusted his hand forward a condensed blue sphere of pure chakra clutched in his palm. Although the mist ninja had used the flat of the sword to block the attack it proved futile, the jutsu invented by the fourth hokage broke the piece of metal and ended the man's plight. Blood splattered over Naruto's face, rage burning his chest. 'No one touches my friends no one' he didn't feel scared of the rage filling him now in fact he welcomed it. Blue chakra swirled around him as he made the cross shaped seal for the shadow clones.
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Jinin had to admit the rebels had hidden the base well without the accurate co-ordinates he would never found the place. But it didn't matter now, not anymore dead corpses lay around him, his sword in his hand stained with blood of the dead rebels. Fire danced around him as they burnt down the place; in mist only mizukage ruled there was no place for rebellion here. To do so would only earn death and he will be the reaper serving the sentence.
He looked at his partner, his white mask glowed in the fire but Jinin could imagine the man smiling, he always did crave blood and there was blood everywhere now. Several bodies hang from the trees courtesy of the long sword Nuibari. "Let's go, our job here is done" Jinin spoke at last, this much rampant death still managed to sicken his very being.
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Jiraiya was working on some new designs for barrier seals when a sharp sound broke his concentration. He was not really unfamiliar with the sound; it happened every time when some seal was broken. 'A seal; here in Hokage's office' he pondered puzzled as a portion of the wall opposite to him revealed a sealing pattern with the symbols of failure.
He stood up and walked closer, his curiosity picked absently he noted that the anbu operatives assigned for his safety had taken position behind him. Jiraiya could not help but smile at the notion, as if anyone capable of dealing harm to him would be stopped by a few masked assassins. However his jovial mood vanished when he realized just what the seal was.
Over his career as a seal maker Jiraiya studied and crafted thousands of seals but there was one type of seal he was most comfortable of crafting that was chakra suppressor seals. This seal here was undoubtedly a suppressor seal and a pretty powerful one at that, however it was not chakra that this seal suppressed, it was something else entirely. And the closest he could guess from the remaining tatters of the seal was it regulated the effects of mind. 'Just what were you playing at old man?' Jiraiya thought, there was no doubt it was made by his sensei. It still bore his signature chakra pattern and if he had to guess then the possible reason for the seal's failure was because of his death. But this kind of seals worked in couples so if the operator seal was here then the effecter seal had to be somewhere or on someone.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: yo! Guys I am back with the latest installment of the story, the mist arc will be over soon and we will be back to dealing with the cannon. However there was one thing I was meaning to ask your opinions about, if I have to kill someone from the rookie eleven who would you like to see dead, team seven is out of options.
Please read and review.