Seller, I kind of lied. What I mean is that I intended to post twice a month. I still technically plan to do that, but since I'm off today and the chapter was short I decided to go ahead and edit it. Which means you get a early chapter! Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that I will have a chapter next week. The next couple weeks are going to be a bit crazy for me. So there might not be a lot. So, take it as it is. I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

THE WILL OF FIRE

PART TWO

Chapter 24 - Truth

The group of five travelled in silence for rest of the way. They really didn't have much to talk about. They had not forgiven Tazuna. Nor were they relaxed by any stretch of the word. For at any moment they could be attacked. This was far worse than a bunch of bandits. There were shinobi after Tazuna. They had to be alert! And while this was nerve wracking it was also a useful lesson for the students. This was the reality of many missions that they would go on. Extreme boredom laced with tension followed by a fight for life and death. This was what growing up looked like. They had to learn sometime. Why not now? It was the perfect opportunity. Kakashi could more than easily handle some low ranking shinobi. They were as safe as they could be out there. Why not open up the sandbox? Why not let them play? It was critical that they learn what it is to be a ninja. This mission would teach that to them.

Even though Kakashi believed that there was little danger he was still alert. There was a chance that Tazuna was still lying to them. That he was still holding information back. Information that could get them all killed. Tazuna couldn't be trusted. Not anymore. Kakashi had to be alert. He had to stay on edge. For if all hell did break loose than he would be the only thing between his genin and death. He could not afford to slip up - not even once. There was no way in hell he was going to explain this to Minato-Sensei. He would provably kill him. As is, Lord Hokage would not appreciate this at all. In fact, Kakashi fully expected to be punished upon their return to the village. It was a huge risk, but one that he felt was worth taking. He just hoped that his master saw it that way.

Kakashi watched Tazuna like a hawk. All while his summons sniffed out the area. He was not taking any chances. Every instinct told him that there was more to this story than the builder divulged. Something wasn't right. As they travelled he slowly began to realize the error he had made. They were traveling in the wrong direction. Going away from the seaside. Not towards it like they should have. The students weren't aware of the issue. Then again none of them had ever been outside the village before. They didn't know any better. Kakashi did. He knew all too well where the village in question was located. He knew that there was no need to take such a long and winding path to get there. It was taking far too long to reach the village. They should have been there by now. Even if they were traveling at a snail's pace! Tazuna was up to something. His students were in far more danger than he first anticipated. Which his dogs confirmed. There was no village up here. There was, however, extremely powerful shinobi waiting for them. Shinobi that they were no match for! They were at least jonin level or stronger. They would be massacred if they continued on this path. He had to act immediately. His students' lives were in balance!

Kakashi was about to act when something that he never imagined: Naruto confronted the old man. Somehow Naruto had sensed what was going on. Even though he did not know what laid ahead. He still confronted the old man. He refused to move until he got some answers. It was quite the development. One that Kakashi decided to allow to play out.

"Alright old man, out with it!" Naruto demanded. "Where are we going?! What is going on?! You can't tell me that this is the way to your village!" He screamed pointing towards the mountain a head of them. "It's a frickin' mountain! Your home is on an island. How this is the right way?"

Tazuna fired right back at the boy. He argued that the fool didn't know anything. He accused Naruto of never stepping outside his village. It was true, but even anyone would question this route. They were traveling away from the shoreline, not towards it. It didn't take an experienced traveller to realize that. It was a trap. Whoever was up there was not their friend. Even Naruto could see it. Kakashi had no choice. He had to end this mission. It had gone on for too long already. He had put them in an unacceptable amount of danger. He refused to allow his genin to go any further. They were in way over their heads. No amount of enthusiasm would overcome this. Surely an ambush awaited them up the mountain-side. He had to get them out of here now!

Kakashi chimed in, "No, I'm afraid that Naruto is quite correct. The best way to reach your village was a few miles east of here. A path that we ignored. It was in the open I will admit, but it is far direct than this route. Something that you should know, Tazuna. Since you are from around here. If your goal was really to save your village then you would chosen the fastest way there. Which is not this route." Tazuna started to argue but Kakashi silenced him. "Don't lie. It is the truth. You want us to travel up the mountain, away from your village. Why? What do you have to gain by leading us there? Is there something waiting for us? Something that you haven't told us about? Tazuna, I suggest that you be honest with me. Tell us why we need to go up that mountain. And I suggest that you do it quickly. "

Kakashi made it quite clear that this was a command, not a request. Tazuna would either tell them the truth or die on the spot. This had gone too far. The lives of his genin were on the line. He would accept nothing else. While Kakashi loathed to harm his client that didn't mean that he wouldn't. His duty to his students came first. Everything else was secondary. A fact that he had forgotten for a moment. Now they were here. In grave danger. He needed to know who set this up and why. His next actions depending on that intel. He would do anything to get it. Even torture and kill a client. He just would rather avoid it, that's all. Perverse some honor. Kakashi just hoped that the fool cracked before he had to take drastic action.

Naruto watched his sensei in horror. Sure, Tazuna was an ass, a liar, and a fool but he was still the client. There was no reason to threaten his life. To try and force information out of him. He was not an enemy. He was the client! Kakashi knew that. His dad had taught been his teacher. He would have never taught Kakashi to behave like this. So why was he doing this? What was going on? It was uncalled for. No matter how much of an ass Tazuna was he was untouchable. You never went after the client. It was part of the code of the shinobi. If he didn't didn't do something soon Tazuna would be dead! He had to calm down Kakashi before did something that they all would regret. Otherwise, it would be bedlam.

He was about to argue when the client cracked. Tazuna told them a completely new story. One similar to the last one, but oh so very different! That is if you could believe him. With the amount of lies that he had told by now it was hard to tell. It was true that Gato threatened his village and had even killed his son-in-law, but there was a lot more. So much more. Gato had hired a pair of shinobi to handle the bridge-problem once and for all. Those men had stopped the building in it's tracks. It was also true that Tazuna lacked the funds to pay for correct mission rank. He really did plan to go to the village and lie about the situation from the start. To pretend that it was only bandits troubling them. Hoping that by chance that he would stumble upon the right shinobi. This was all true. But there was more to it. The night before he was due to depart Gato and his men were mysteriously killed. Including the shinobi that troubled them. They were saved in a blink of an eye!

Sadly, this miracle did not last. Now, instead of dealing with Gato they had to deal with their new saviors instead. They massacred most of the village without any reason. They didn't even tell them what they wanted. They seemed utterly uninterested in the bridge. As if it was of no consequence to them. Just as they viewed Gato. Instead, they rounded up the survivors. They threatened to kill them all if they didn't do as they said. Things looked very grim indeed.

What was odd was their interest in Tazuna's plan to enlist the aide of the Leaf. He had no idea why they were so interested in a plan that did not concern them. They weren't even interested in the bridge! The only thing that Tazuna could think of was that they were enemies of the Leaf. Who were upset at their choice to back the other village. It made sense that they would wish to block the mission. However, instead of blocking it - they insisted upon it. They demanded that Tazuna go there immediately and resume his plan. They even provided him with money to do it. They ordered him to seek out a loud mouthed boy by the Naruto. Apparently, he was just coming of age. Was finally starting to strike out on his own. They wanted him on this mission. They would accept no one else. If he returned with anyone else then his family was dead. While he hated condemning the boy to death, he had no choice. He had to save his family!

As Tazuna told his story Kakashi became more and more on edge. When he finished, Kakashi asked, "Tell me - the men who ordered you to do this - what do you remember of them?" He could not keep his panic from out of his voice.

Tazuna, thought for a moment then replied. "One was old and bandaged up. The other was sickly looking and used snakes."

Kakashi's eyes widened. He realized just how much he had screwed up. The men that Tazuna described were Rogue Leaf Ninja. This was now beyond an S-rank mission. These men were a former village elder and a former sannin. The children were lambs to the slaughter! They had no chance of defeating them. This was even beyond Kakashi's ability. He had no chance against the combined efforts of Orochimaru and Danzo Shimura. Not while protecting three young genin that is. They were over their heads. They had to get out of there now!

"Naruto! Throw the kunai now!" He yelled right before all hell broke lose.

All right, that's it for now. I know I left you on a cliffhanger but hopefully now you'll see that this mission ends in a completely different way! See you next time!