Naruto: Legacy

by Ultra Sonic 007

What will your legacy be? A question that has many answers; follow the tale of Naruto and his fellow Konoha-nin as they face the dangers of an uncertain future, seeking their own legacy. And to think, it all begins with the final battle with Akatsuki... [OFFICIALLY DISCONTINUED]

37. The River Army's Raigunryo Strikes!

Author's Note: Okay. Back up again. Most people are anxious about Naruto, I know…but you'll have to wait. I've got a war that's about to explode in more ways than one. It shall be several chapters at least until we see Naruto again.

Again, sorry about my uber-slow update last time (remember, I have THREE other stories to write on as well). The lack was an anomaly due to a mix of beta-reading and college. Won't happen again. Hopefully.

And for those weirded out about the presence of high-tech weaponry…honestly, it's not that odd. Heck, we've seen trains in the Narutoverse (in the movie granted, so it might not be considered canon to some), electronic billboards, neon lights, and frickin' COMPUTERS. Heck, in the most recent chapters, Akatsuki's Leader – Pain (canon AL, not my fanon AL named Mantarou) – is seen in a metropolis. A METROPOLIS. A city with lights, skyscrapers, and everything!

To be honest, I'm surprised I've yet to see a single car in the entire manga. They do have motorboats and cranes (as some will have seen in volume three of Naruto, during the original Wave Country arc), which are certainly vehicles that require gasoline or some type of fuel (not many of you are as concerned about the tanker I notice). I mean, even the concept of gunpowder and explosives shouldn't be a problem: Tenten essentially uses a GIANT FRAGMENTARY GRENADE against Kisame in chapter 256! Granted, she used a combustible tag to cause the explosion, but the leap from that to a tank shell shouldn't be THAT huge.

I don't really like using OOC space to rationalize things, but I have to say, I don't want people worrying too much. It's not like we're going to be seeing airplanes and missiles (the shinobi of Raigunryo replace the Luftwaffe of the Blitzkrieg. I personally like the former more: a lot more variety). The high-tech comments are things I really don't want to see, since the Naruto manga has featured videotapes, computers, and advanced medical equipment that came along much later than the first tank, motorcycle, or RIFLE for that matter.

And that's it.

Anyhow…

Begin!

xxxx

The River Army's Raigunryo Strikes! What will Team Seven do?!

xxxx

/Daimyō Suimaru's Residence, Namimori District, Wave Country/

The minor quaking in the floor caught everyone's attention.

"What in the blazes is that shaking for?" muttered Tazuna.

Yamato was already at the window. His eyes narrowed at the sight of smoke and fire rising from the Namienkai District to the southeast. "It seems we have a situation."

The daimyō of Naimenkai paled. "What? What situation?"

"I am forced to be forward: our primary purpose for coming here was to investigate whether or not the incoming tanker from the River Country was benign. It seems that Hokage-sama's bad feeling proved true." Yamato mentally calculated Sasuke and Sai's chances of fighting an invasion force that could fill a whole tanker. At the moment: not that good. "I suggest you all stay here, or at least move further away from the Namienkai District. Things will get messy…"

Sakura's eyes suddenly widened. "Yamato-san; do you feel that?"

"Yes." Three chakra signatures. Relatively high ones as well. Which meant two things.

One: they were relatively skilled warriors.

Two: they weren't bothering to hide their chakra, which meant they were seeking battle.

"Sakura, you rendezvous with Sasuke and Sai. Try to keep civilians out of harm's way if you can." He gazed at the Council of Lords. "I suggest you flee. Now."

Yamato immediately opened the window and leapt out, landing silently in front of three Sawa-nin that had just emerged from the forest bordering Suimaru's home. "Ninja of the Hidden Marsh, I assume."

The three Sawa-nin – all bearing shaved heads – chuckled. The center one – the only one of the group with shades and a mustache – replied, "Yes. And you are a ninja of the Hidden Leaf."

The former ANBU sighed. "And I wouldn't suppose you're here to do any negotiating."

"You're smart," muttered the mustachioed Sawa-nin. "Surrender now if you know what's good for you."

"I'm afraid I must decline," said Yamato as he quietly performed several handseals, all within the span of a second. "Mokuton; Shichūrō no jutsu!"

The three Sawa-nin blinked as a number of pillars emerged from the ground, surrounding them in a prison of wood. "NOW SAKURA!"

The pink-haired medic-nin immediately burst out of the mansion, taking off to the southeast. One of the Sawa-nin scowled as the kunoichi disappeared into the forest. "DAMN IT! That girl's getting away!"

"It doesn't matter," remarked the mustachioed Marsh ninja as he performed a few handseals. "Suiton; Shoutakukirite no jutsu!" Expelling a blast of murky water from his mouth, the man sliced through the Four Pillar Prison with a wave of razor-sharp liquid. "Water Element; Swamp Cutter." The three Sawa-nin stepped forward, their feet sloshing against the now-muddy ground. "There are plenty of our brethren here. She won't last long…we'll be done with this man soon enough anyway."

Yamato calmly massaged his neck. "You know, I could end this rather quickly…but depending on how much of a fight you offer, I'll know how much danger they'll be in."

The Sawa-nin with shades blinked. "Eh?"

"If you take a long time for me to defeat, I'll know to assist my team posthaste. If not…then I can continue on with a little less worry." A steely glint came to Yamato's eyes. All pretenses of settling this matter peacefully were gone now. "Try not to make this too long though."

Yamato charged.

xxxx

/Namimori District, Wave Country/

Sakura's legs pumped as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop towards the site of the smoke. Brief thoughts of her last mission here came to mind: the thick mist of Zabuza, obscuring sight, sound, and smell…the blood of Kakashi staining the ground, shortly thereafter followed by Zabuza's, and then Haku's…

Back then only three people had died: Haku, Gato, and Zabuza.

She hoped that no one would die this time. Even though reality often did not come to her expectations…she dared to hope anyway. She was a medic-nin; bringing life and hope to those who were dying was her specialty.

Her feet landed onto a mangrove…

"Suiton; Suiryuudan no jutsu!"

…and she immediately leapt to the side, landing on a wooden bridge.

The watery dragon suddenly emerged from the water separating the Namimori and Namienkai islands, roaring as the long, spindly roots of the mangroves were revealed by the sudden lack of water. Twisting and curling, the dragon tried to smash Sakura along with the bridge, but she avoided it by leaping backwards onto another mangrove.

SMASH!

The wooden supports for the bridge buckled and snapped like frail legs; water seeped back into the strait as Sakura stared at the one responsible. "…"

Two Sawa-nin stood on one mangrove, grinning as they performed several katas. "Kokekire no jutsu!" Lengths of moss snaked out of both shinobi's sleeves, wound together and sharpened with chakra. One of the Marsh ninja smiled. "Only one? This will be quick." Rearing his arm, he lashed out with the blade of moss, its flexibility making it like a whip.

Sakura leapt off of the mangrove, landing on the side of the broken bridge that still stood. Her eyes, however, did not fail to note that a branch suddenly fell off from the mangrove she had just been on. That branch…it was cut. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the whips of moss…no, not just whips. Blades that are as flexible as whips.

"One of the distinctive techniques of Sawagakure…Kokekire, the Moss Slicer! You'll be cut into ribbons!"

Sakura frowned as she clenched her fists. "We'll see." Sai-baka. Inari-kun. Sasuke-kun. You'll have to wait for just a little while longer.

xxxx

/Port, Namienkai District, Wave Country/

"Spread out. Anyone who attacks us is to be eliminated on sight! Prisoners of war are to be gathered and sent back here to the Shindaisha!" roared Numa, giving out his commands to the army before him. The walls of the port, now blown open, allowed more soldiers and motorcycles to come through even as more men and vehicles slowly filed out of the massive tanker.

Currently, six hundred and twenty-three men had emerged from the tanker; between them were sixty-three motorcycles and twenty tanks…as well as the twenty-three Sawa-nin, most of which had already begun searching the island for the presence of enemy shinobi.

Any more, and things would get truly hectic.

That just won't do, thought a certain Konoha-nin as he reached for a scroll in his backpack, his form safely concealed upon a catwalk in the shadows of the docks. From above, he could see quite clearly. Once Uchiha-san has finished his business in the tanker, we can proceed.

Sai honestly didn't know his true mission parameters now. All he had been given was the order to investigate the tanker and determine whether or not an invasion force was coming. However, considering Hokage-sama's concern about the River Country…

Hmm. What a mess¸ nonchalantly thought Sai as an idea came to him.

He called out, "Hello down there!"

Pow!

Sai did not blink at the sight of the bullet hole on the ceiling above him, barely missing his head by inches. "Oh my. I've been shot at." Quietly pulling out a scroll and painting canines on it, he tranquilly finished, "Everything I do now is all in self-defense. Ninpou; Chōjū Giga!"

The soldiers below suddenly paled as dozens of black, inky dogs descended, howling as they attacked.

Numa scowled. What kind of jutsu is this? "All men, FIRE!"

Bullets erupted from rifles, .30 caliber projectiles zooming through the air. Soldiers ejected square-shaped cartridges on the bottom of the firearm and reloaded them as swiftly as possible. The beasts, although hit by the bullets, did not stop; their inky bodies had to be completely severed for the jutsu to be broken. It was too late anyway; there were at least seventy…and these dogs were far more ferocious than a rabid Rottweiler.

For these dogs – their instructions on what to do spawned from the mind of an ANBU – knew to go for the neck.

It wasn't long until blood stained the ground.

That's when Sai made his move.

Gripping his tantō tightly, the Konoha-nin dashed amongst the soldiers. His canines had been crafted for one purpose: distraction.

His blade made nicks in the skin of each soldier he passed by. He did not seem interested in striking them or killing them with a single shot; a Sawa-nin with a scarf around his mouth scowled at the shinobi's actions. Did a jutsu of his require open wounds? Or was it something else entirely?

It didn't matter. The Marsh ninja immediately began his pursuit, leaping into the air as he pulled out two kunai and threw them at the back of the boy's skull.

Sai immediately whirled around, deflecting the knives with his tantō before leaping up and bouncing off the back of a soldier's head. The Sawa-nin blanched as he raised his arms out of self-defense; moments later, a grimace came to his face as the Konoha-nin sliced across his arms, drawing blood. Why you! The Sawa-nin landed and began his pursuit; the Leaf ninja was back to work carving his way through the River Army, giving nicks and cuts to all he passed. In the chaos of the black canine assault, the Konoha-nin was able to do his work with little interruption. Fast little creep. It doesn't matter though…I'll finish him off with a Suiton jutsu! But as he began performing the necessary katas, he heard screams behind him. Hmm? Turning around, the shinobi saw something inexplicable.

The River soldiers that had been cut by the Konoha-nin's blade had all fallen to the ground, their mouths wide as they screamed from some unknown pain. A truly horrific pain, to make them scream like that. What-?

Then his body was racked with spasms, his muscles feeling as though they had been set aflame. His frame stiffened – causing him to lose his balance – and slackened; his body fell to the ground…yet the pain continued to come, rising and rising. His blood had been replaced with fire…such pain! What's…going…on…?!

The shinobi of the Hidden Marsh thought no more.

Sai, by this point in time, had reached the other side of the docks, taking refuge on of the catwalks up top. He turned around, gazing at his handiwork. At least a hundred casualties. The shinobi quietly twisted at the hilt of his tantō, letting a capsule fall out. It was laden with a green liquid…and in the dim light, one could barely see that liquid dripping from small, imperceptible slots in the tantō, so close to the actual blade that they might as well have been on it. "Hmm. The poison killed them in two seconds less than my last mix. Quite satisfactory." He reached into his scroll and put another poison-filled capsule into his small dagger, twisting it in tightly.

Five Sawa-nin showed up, perched on opposite sides of the catwalk. Numa was one of them. "Konoha-nin."

Sai stared at his foes, saying nothing.

"Don't resist or you'll die."

Sai…merely smiled. That same empty smile that was somehow so disarming. "I believe you should be more worried about my companion. He hasn't quite seen fit to leave the tanker yet."

The shinobi of the Marsh paused at what those words might have entailed…and then Numa paled. NO!

Sai's words were prophetic.

KABOOOM!!!

A gout of fire tore through the back end of the Shindaisha; water began to gush inside, causing the tanker to tip backwards. Soldiers yelped as their access out of the ship was taken away; tanks and motorcycles began to slide backwards as more water began to flood in. Although the water was far too shallow for the tanker to sink completely, it still listed and dropped. The access ramp crumpled from the stress; the rest of the soldiers were still trapped inside.

A giant, fiery Zanbato suddenly tore through the top of the Shindaisha, and out emerged Sasuke. Running lightly across the deck – his Sharingan swirling – the Uchiha leapt into the air, twisting his wrist and swinging his arm, letting the fiery blade loose. The giant sword zoomed downward, a living rocket that found its way to one of the Kurohyougunsha. Piercing through the thick metal, the blade pierced its fuel tank.

BOOM!

The explosion caused the Panther Tank to slow to a halt, its treads locking in place. Thick, black smoke emerged with the flames as its drivers roasted alive on the inside.

Numa saw all of this and paled. Another Leaf ninja!

Sai took the opportunity presented by Sasuke's sudden commotion to roll off of the catwalk, using his fingers to dangle off of the edge before falling down to the catwalk below. Bursting off as fast as he could, his eyes turned to the tanker. Uchiha-san must have destroyed the engine room and ignited the fuel tanks. No more reinforcements; the ramp now led down to the water. But some of the soldiers might try to get out of the hold through the passages of the ship itself. That would not do. Reaching for another scroll, Sai also pulled out another canister of ink, similar to his usual one. However, when he unscrewed the brush from the canister, the paint was a dark green color.

Ink mixed with poison.

Sai liberally applied the liquid to the scroll parchment before performing the necessary handseals. "Ninpou; Chōjū Giga: Inagoryū!" The mass of dark green suddenly began to enlarge, emerging off from the scroll as it dispersed into dozens upon dozens of tiny little insects. "Ninja Art; Super Beasts Imitation Picture: Locust Style." This technique required more chakra than if he had just taken the time to draw all of the locusts, THEN empower them…but alas, that would've taken time. He was quick enough to draw a few dozen crude dogs in less than thirty seconds, but hundreds of locusts? Nope.

And judging by how Sasuke was now enmeshed in battle with the River Army and a few Sawa-nin, time was precariously short.

Quietly directing the locusts, the inky insects hopped through the air, landing on the tanker. They would seek and enter the mouth of anyone wearing the uniform of the River Army. This poison, once ingested, would kill them within ten minutes.

Not as quick as if it had been injected directly to the bloodstream, but beggars couldn't be choosers. A bit messy…but for the sake of the mission, anything would be done.

Now, thought Sai as he gazed at the battle below. What should I do next?

xxxx

Uchiha Sasuke's Sharingan was working in overtime right now.

The Konoha-nin grimaced as he ducked underneath a hail of bullets, performing the necessary handseals for one of his trademark techniques. "Katon; Goukakyuu no jutsu!" A gigantic fireball, flaring to an extremely large size from an extra helping of chakra, emerged from Sasuke's mouth. Several soldiers were incinerated, but others had the good sense to get out of the way. "Tch," growled the Uchiha.

Things were going badly in a hurry.

Although Sai's dogs had managed to instigate a fair sense of chaos to the port, the higher-ranked soldiers – he thought he had heard someone call out for a 'sergeant' – had begun corralling the new recruits (that was a good thought for another day; Sasuke wondered what 'Genin' meant in River Army-speak) into small squads and units. The dogs, despite their resistance to the bullets, were eventually being weighed down too much by the metal projectiles; their wire-frame bodies couldn't handle the extra weight. And the Sawa-nin – those that hadn't left the port by now, that is – were also establishing a sense of order. Most of those tanks had already left by now; judging by the explosions and fires springing up outside of the port, they were already hard at work leveling the Wave Country to the ground.

"OPEN FIRE MEN!"

Sasuke would have to save his thoughts until later. A horde of rifles was now spewing metal at him.

Ducking and weaving, twisting and turning. The Uchiha was like an acrobat, his Sharingan helping him see where to go…but only barely. The bullets truly were far faster than any shuriken. One wrong move and he'd be toast. Damn it, this is getting irritating. Spiraling upward into the air, Sasuke performed the necessary katas. "Katon; Karyuudan no jutsu!" A serpentine dragon suddenly erupted from the Uchiha's mouth, snarling and roaring at the men below. They were naught but victims, scurrying away like mice trapped by a cat.

Sasuke panted as he leapt back onto the catwalk. His eyes managed to catch a glimpse of Sai on the opposite side of the docks; the catwalks extending at various points from the walls owned by this particular dock company that Inari worked at (speaking of Inari, had he gotten out of here before the soldiers had landed?). He would have appreciated any assistance by Sakura and Yamato now; even though his ninjutsu techniques could easily tear through their ranks, all it would take was one bullet…and he doubted that he'd be able to avoid hundreds of men firing at once. Even with the Sharingan aiding him.

Then there were those pesky Sawa-nin. He couldn't afford to focus too much on the River Army; those Marsh ninja would be on him in moments if they saw that his attention was elsewhere. But if he focused too much on the Marsh ninja, then he might get caught by a stray bullet. Or perhaps a tank shell.

Truly a dicey situation.

How irritating. He almost preferred the battle royale against Akatsuki. At least they were predictable: all S-Class Nukenin with deadly talents that could render asunder anyone they got their hands on. But a bunch of B to A-Class Sawa-nin, alongside weakling soldiers all armed with rifles that could kill him if they managed a decent headshot?

Meh. That was all Sasuke could think.

Then he noticed a varied amount of fireballs floating about, like fireflies. Sasuke's eyes spun as the fireballs twitched and twinged, charging forward towards his body.

The Uchiha unsheathed his katana and stabbed above and to his left, at a forty-five degree angle.

Blood stained his blade as the genjutsu vanished. The Sawa-nin he had impaled his sword on gagged through the bandana on his mouth, coughing up blood. "How…could you see…?"

"The Sharingan can differentiate between various chakras by color. Not as in-depth nor as precise as the Byakugan of the Hyuga…but sufficient enough for me to tell what's a genjutsu and what's not." He gazed at the dying man. "Those fireballs all consisted of the same chakra color…except the one you disguised yourself as."

The Sawa-nin snorted as he laid his head back. He never moved again.

"So you're an Uchiha."

Sasuke whirled around. He was face-to-face with the old, scarred man. "And?"

The man chuckled. "Then I'll have to forgive Usui for dying so quickly. His genjutsu has never been pierced by an enemy he intended to kill…but seeing as you're an Uchiha, I'll give him some slack." Pulling out a small bottle from his vest, the man stated, "I am Soui Numa, Jonin of Sawagakure and commander of this operation." Shifting his legs into an offensive stance, Numa finished, "Your intrusion on the Shindaisha annoyed me for a time…but I suppose nothing goes perfectly in life."

"You're practically preaching to the choir," unenthusiastically agreed Sasuke, his sarcasm sounding lukewarm. The Uchiha scowled; he felt no passion at the moment, despite his earlier thoughts. Probably because of how different this battle felt from previous ones? He supposed it was a bad thing to think about (who enjoyed war, honestly?)…but he at least wanted something to engage his interest. When he had fought Itachi, his rage had forced him to give his all. When he had fought Naruto, his excitement had forced him to think creatively. But now? Dullsville. He didn't want to accidentally get hit because he found himself bored.

Numa smirked as drank from the small bottle, relishing the taste of the liquid within. "Your face tells me a lack of interest in your current predicament." His smirk turned into a deadly glare. "I care not of your lineage nor your abilities…but underestimating me, much less Sawagakure, the River Army, or our Raigunryo…what a fool."

He charged and leapt over Sasuke.

The Uchiha tracked the man easily. He's not too fast. This shouldn't last long. Turning around to stab the man, Sasuke could only blink as he was kicked in the face. Hard.

The Sawa-nin grinned as he stepped back, looking very amused by the Konoha-nin's perplexed and bewildered expression. Sasuke boggled, how had he done that?!

"Keep your eyes open kid," remarked Numa before he charged again.

Sasuke frowned as he slashed horizontally, boggling as the man ducked. The Sawa-nin's fist clenched. He's going for an uppercut.

Then his legs were tripped up by a sweeping kick.

Sasuke paled. WHAT?!

Numa fluidly spun upwards and elbowed Sasuke in the back, grabbing the back of the boy's head with his opposite hand before throwing him off the catwalk. The Uchiha growled as he immediately grabbed the railing – feeling his arm's tendons strain – and pulled himself back towards Numa with his katana at the ready. The Sawa-nin calmly fell downwards onto his hands, lashing his feet around Sasuke's neck. The Uchiha paled as his head was bashed into the metal catwalk. "Geh…!" Numa calmly hopped back, even as Sasuke got back on his feet – sheathing his katana simultaneously – and performing a familiar jutsu. "Katon; Goukakyuu no jutsu!"

Numa fell onto his back, letting the giant fireball barely pass over him. He rose once again, rotating as Sasuke charged; the back of his hand rose to smack the Uchiha across the face.

Sasuke raised his arms to block.

POW!

Sasuke's eyes bugged out as Numa's other hand slammed into his stomach; the backhand had been a ruse. Numa followed his strike with a quick headbutt. Sasuke deliriously brought his right leg up in a crescent kick, only to have the Jonin slide under it and spin around, hooking the back of his head and slamming his face into the catwalk again.

Numa seemed to enjoy smashing Sasuke's face into the metal grating of the catwalk.

The Sawa-nin inhaled the open air with a happy smile. He was feeling quite loose now. "Heh…take it you've never fought a master of the Drunken Fist before."

"Can't say I have," grumbled Sasuke as he stood up, wiping the blood coming out of his nose. And you're now officially a nuisance.

Numa charged once more.

xxxx

Needless to say, Inari was very, VERY astonished.

First of all, there was the fact that soldiers, motorized bicycles, and giant armored vehicles were storming out of the tanker. So many vehicles in one place was odd enough; the fuel for vehicles – processed petroleum, AKA gasoline – was a rather rare resource; this was why most vehicles tended to be in the hands of construction companies: they were more useful in going to cranes, bulldozers, and other such things. But the River Country had recently mined out a new oil vein…a huge one. This tanker was the first in a shipment of oil to the Wave Country (well, it was SUPPOSED to have been a shipment of oil).

Secondly, there was the absolute chaos that had gripped the docks. Black dogs had attacked the soldiers, and one of the Konoha-nin – that new guy with the weird shirt, as Inari remembered him – had gone through the throng of uniformed soldiers with his tantō. Then Sasuke had emerged from the tanker after the explosion, and he himself had entered the fray. Ink, bullets, fire…utter chaos.

But the third and final factor had Inari worried the most.

Many of the soldiers and tanks – that scarred guy had called them 'Kurohyougunsha' – had left the docks. To do what though?

He worried about his mother and grandfather.

Inhaling deeply, Inari quickly emerged from behind the storage tank and ran towards one of the exit doors. He managed to make it there without anyone seeing him; apparently, the soldiers were far more preoccupied with Sasuke and Shirt Guy (wait, his name was Sai! Now he remembered).

That was just fine by him.

Inari quietly stepped outside of the docks, fleeing through the alleys between various warehouses; he had to get out of the port and back to the Naminou District. To Tsunami. Mom…I'll be there!

xxxx

/Daimyō Suimaru's Residence, Namimori District, Wave Country/

The daimyō of the Wave Country all looked astonished, their faces practically glued to the windows; what had just transpired was nothing less than breathtaking.

Yamato had, for lack of a better word, destroyed the three Sawa-nin.

One of the Sawa-nin had tree roots worming through his body. Another actually had a plant growing out of his sweat pores, as though it had sprouted in his body. The mustachioed Sawa-nin – the third and last one – gurgled as he tried to move, despite the fact that his arms had been broken by Yamato when his arms had been hardened by an odd Mokuton jutsu. This guy…this guy…!!!

Yamato stared quietly at the Marsh ninja. "Surrender now, if you will."

The Sawa-nin scowled. No…can't fail…WON'T FAIL…! "RAAAAAA!" roared the man with shades as he charged at Yamato, his arms flailing in the wind behind him.

Sighing, the Konoha-nin dove to the side, performing handseals as he did. "Mokuton; Suikyuushuu no jutsu!" Small, root-like extensions suddenly protruded from beneath his fingernails, growing and stabbing into the Sawa-nin's body. The mustachioed shinobi gasped as a horrific dryness recoiled through his body. This feeling was horrendous…the feeling of aging and wasting away in seconds, as though a parched desert had taken up residence in his very being.

His body wrinkled and crumpled as the water within his cells was sucked away.

Collapsing to the ground moments later, the Sawa-nin felt nothing as Yamato retracted his 'finger-roots', letting them recede back into his body. "Wood Element; Water Absorption."

Suimaru blanched. "Incredible…shinobi are truly monstrous…"

Well, that takes care of that, thought Yamato as he turned to the south. More fires could be seen. Had the River Army spread even further? Had Sakura made it to her teammates? In any case, it didn't take that long to defeat these three…barring some unfortunate circumstances – or bad luck – I should be able to get back to them in time.

Without saying another word, the former ANBU departed.

At this time, Suimaru suddenly noticed Tazuna leaving. "Tazuna…where…?"

"Feh," grumbled the old man as he scratched at his kimono. The stupid thing always felt constrictive. "Can't say I appreciate the idea that I'm here while my home might be in danger. After all, I am the daimyō of Naminou District." Tilting his head to flash a grin at the other daimyō, he added, "Where else should I be but there?"

He ran out, leaving the twenty-two men behind.

xxxx

/Namimori-Namienkai Bridge, Wave Country/

The Sawa-nin glanced one more time at the still figure of his comrade, his top half buried in the cement. That damned girl! "HAAAAAH!!! Suiton; Suiryuudan no jutsu!"

Haruno Sakura's eyes glittered like jade as the watery dragon neared her. Coiling and roaring, Sakura leapt for a mangrove – one of the few that hadn't already been uprooted during the battle – and leapt for the Sawa-nin, who stood quietly on the edge of the Namienkai District. She barely avoided the incoming dragon of water, brushing by its face.

"YOU'RE MINE!" cackled the Marsh ninja as he reared his whip of sharpened moss and swung.

Sakura brought her right arm up and her left arm down, rotating in midair; the Kokekire lashed behind her back, missing completely.

The Sawa-nin boggled. "WHAT?!" How'd she dodge that? That should've hit her!

"HYAAAA!" howled Sakura as she landed, clenching the Sawa-nin's neck with her left hand and pushing him up against the wall of the nearest building. The Sawa-nin scowled as he kicked at her chest, pushing her away. The Marsh shinobi immediately performed several katas. "Suiton; Mizu bunshin no jutsu!"

Water emerged from the nearby strait, morphing into several clones that surrounded Sakura. The Marsh shinobi chuckled as he and his Water Clones pulled out kunai from their dark green vests. "DIE!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed into a razor-sharp glare…and then she flipped backwards. Her feet crashed into the chin of the first attacker; it dissipated into water. She ducked under a lunging strike, elbowing the Water Clone in the ribs before grabbing the outstretched wrist of another Water Clone. She immediately swung that clone about, slamming it into the two Water Clones that had jumped before slamming it into the ground with a tremendous splash. She narrowly avoided a horizontal kunai slash with a sidestep, bringing her arm down in an elbow drop to the back of the neck. She destroyed the last Water Clone with a left jab…and then lashed out with her back foot, kicking the real Sawa-nin in the torso. He crashed against the wall, and he found himself once again held by the neck.

Five seconds to defeat the Water Clones.

Sakura panted out of slight exhaustion. "…huu…you almost had me there."

"How…how'd you dodge everything…?"

"I am a medical ninja of the Hidden Leaf. Even though we are well-trained in the healing arts, we medic-nin must be capable of two things above all else in order to be effective on a team." Her eyes hardened. "We must be capable of utilizing strong, offensive tactics and abilities…but most importantly, we must be able to observe and dodge any enemy's attack. After all…" She gazed right back into the eyes of the Sawa-nin. "If the medic-nin dies, who will heal the team?"

The Sawa-nin said nothing.

Sakura smiled, as if trying to reassure the shinobi of the Marsh. "Don't worry about why you couldn't hit me. I trained with Tsunade-sama, the Godaime Hokage, and the world's greatest medic-nin. She's MUCH faster than you."

A right hook knocked the shinobi senseless. His body went limp as Sakura let him droop to the ground.

"Sakura."

The pink-haired Chuunin turned towards Yamato, who stood atop one of the mangroves. "Hai, Yamato-san?"

The Jonin leapt and landed quietly beside her. "We need to regroup with the others."

"Hai!"

"HOLD IT!"

The two Konoha-nin paused as two motorcycles swerved around the corner, the soldiers in the side pods aiming the rifles.

"Get down Yamato-san!" Sakura roared as she punched the ground with all her might.

Crack…!

The road crackled and upturned; the newborn fissure suddenly swallowed the motorcycles whole, soldiers and all.

Sakura cracked her knuckles. "Done."

"Good. Let's go."

And then they were gone.

xxxx

/Port, Namienkai District, Wave Country/

"Hmm. This is quite a pickle."

Sai looked down at the scene below. He had utilized his Chōjū Giga to materialize a herd of bulls, their black horns gleaming wickedly under the moonlight. A good fifty of them, charging en masse at any soldier in their path…but the River Army had finally organized itself. Even when the herd had split up to attack – a surprising move that actually caught a few people off-guard – it didn't work for long. The soldiers had coalesced into units that moved as one, firing and dodging with great efficiency. The few Kurohyougunsha that remained in the port were aiming at open sections of the ground, making it harder for the bulls to keep their footing…while unleashing a shell in his general direction every now and then. He'd had to move about five times already.

So this was the River Army.

Even so, they were all still human.

Humans that Sai sincerely doubted had undergone the same mental and physical training as the average shinobi. Quality of any commercial product tended to decrease as quantity increased. Perhaps the same applied here.

An idea formed. Hmm. Making sure none of the shinobi or the soldiers saw him, he quietly swung off the catwalk and into the shadows, sneaking towards one of the storage tanks. Hiding out there, Sai immediately began drawing humanoid figures on a scroll, liberally applying his ink; he would need at least fifty for this task.

When his task was complete, he performed the needed katas. "Sumi bunshin no jutsu!" Sai was silent as his Ink Clones clustered around him, standing quietly in the dark. Glancing over at the soldiers, Sai focused in on one soldier. Cue several more katas as he closed his eyes. "Sumi Henge; Bijuarumozouryū! Ink Transformation; Visual Imitation Style!"

Several of the clones suddenly shifted…taking on the appearance of the soldier Sai had last looked at.

He repeated this several times with different soldiers each time. By the time he was finished, his Ink Clones had become a relatively varied group of River Army soldiers. "Proceed."

Already knowing what to do, the fifty clones departed for one of the exit doors so that they could reenter through the hole that had been blown open earlier in the docks. It had to be natural. Sai quickly scurried back upward, leaping from catwalk to catwalk as he ascended to the top of the dock walls; his bulls had still managed to keep the River Army's attention.

Good thing too; if his new strategy didn't seal the battle in his favor, he'd be limited to only his tantō, kunai, shuriken, and close-range Taijutsu: he was officially low on chakra now. He wouldn't be able to use anymore of his artistic techniques for a while.

Oh well. He had killed a great number of soldiers, and a Sawa-nin or three (or was that four?). Acceptable, but not satisfactory.

Sai resigned himself to watching his transformed clones suddenly reenter through the hole that had been blown open earlier by the Kurohyougunsha; instead of a backpack and various shinobi tools, the ink had been condensed into rifles. It helped cement the illusion.

One of the sergeants blinked as an Ink Clone ran up to him, none the wiser of what was going on. "Hey! What are you doing here?!"

The Ink Clone fluently replied, "We were sent back to aid in the battle with the Konoha-nin-LOOK!" The transformed clone pointed towards Sai, who was still ascending. "There's one of them!"

Sai kept his lucid smile as bullets began to pepper his general area, the only soldiers NOT firing being his clones. This was good; it had to be believable. Insertion into enemy territory – particularly for espionage missions – required utter believability. Situations had to be plausible if they were to be believed. If that meant he had to have his clones direct enemy fire to him in order to cement the illusion of actual soldiers, so be it.

He'd even deal with the bullet that suddenly rammed into his right forearm, making him grimace out of pain. A clean hit…but for the sake of his new plan, a bullet in the arm was nothing. It certainly wasn't fatal by any means.

Anything for the sake of the mission.

It was with this in mind that Sai's Ink Clones dispersed, grouping up with various units…and then it began.

An Ink Clone suddenly sharpened the tip of his rifle into a kind of inky bayonet, stabbing the back of the nearest soldier. Similar incidents began to occur all over the battlefield.

One of the soldiers screamed, "IMPOSTERS! WE HAVE IMPOSTERS!!!"

Ignoring the bulls for the moment, many of the soldiers began to turn on each other, looking warily at their fellow man. One enterprising Ink Clone had the idea to stab himself in the shoulder while no one was watching; in the dark of night, who could tell the difference between blood and ink? "ARRGH! THAT GUY STABBED ME!!!" The clone pointed towards his particular unit's sergeant.

The sergeant snarled as he stomped towards the Ink Clone (not that he knew it was a clone), angrily raising his rifle. "Why you lying son-of-a-!"

BLAM!

The sergeant's head snapped back as he collapsed to the ground, a bullet lodged directly into his forehead. The culprit had been a panicked new recruit. "Oh man…what's going on…?"

The 'injured' Ink Clone immediately roared out, "THEY'RE IMPERSONATING THE SERGEANTS! THE SERGEANTS ARE TRYING TO KILL US!!!"

This resulted in untold havoc as the chain of command all but disintegrated. Soldier turned against soldier as the disguised Ink Clones kept on attacking, while the bulls remained on the loose, taking advantage of the sudden lack of order. The Kurohyougunsha still inside the docks were now devoid of any target that did not include a River Army soldier as a casualty.

Panic. Mayhem. Chaos.

A pleasing sight, in Sai's opinion. He couldn't help but occasionally marvel at times how easy it was to use emotions and mental tricks to manipulate people: in this instance, he had exploited fear and confusion to capitalize on distrust and fatigue…and the result was this.

The River Army – at least the portion within the Namienkai District's port – had turned against itself.

"Do you disapprove of my tactics, Yamato-sempai?" asked Sai out of the blue.

Behind him was none other than Yamato and Sakura. The former replied, "No. I assume you went with the 'acted out of self-defense' excuse again?"

"Was I not supposed to?" calmly asked the enigmatic ninja as Sakura silently knelt down, examining his wound and reaching for her medical tools. She was awfully quick to recognize that he was injured, especially considering how dark it was.

"No. In any case, our current mission parameters are to contain and stop the River Army invasion force while minimizing civilian casualties." Yamato turned his attention to the catwalk that Sasuke and Numa were fighting on. "Sakura. Go aid Sasuke once you finish with Sai."

"Hai!" replied Sakura as she calmly sprayed an anesthetic onto the open wound; this would make pulling the bullet out less painful for Sai.

Yamato turned to Sai. "I take it your chakra is running low?"

"Yes. I've utilized one Sumi Bunshin for reconnaissance purposes. I've used Chōjū Giga a few times as well. I've used a number of Henge techniques in conjunction with my jutsu, as you can surmise by the transformed Ink Clones you see causing havoc down below. And we won't have to worry about reinforcements from the tanker either."

"Quite a load."

"Indeed."

Yamato stretched his fingers. Things were going better than he had initially thought; Sai's creative thinking had alleviated the situation considerably. "I suggest you head outside of the port and incapacitate any River Army soldier you come across once Sakura is done. Avoid the tanks if you can. I'll take over from here."

Sai bowed. "Hai, Yamato-sempai." As a greenish glow emerged from Sakura's hands and covered the artist's wound, Yamato kept staring at the carnage below.

Ink and blood mixed together seamlessly.

Battlefields were always so messy.

Yamato leapt down into the thick of it. It was time to clean things up.

xxxx

It was official.

Uchiha Sasuke hated Suiken: the Drunken Fist.

A palm slammed into his gut when he had been expecting a roundhouse to the temple.

Scratch that: he REALLY hated Suiken.

"Come now, surely this isn't all you've got," muttered Numa as he seemed to stumble on his feet, his momentum shifting every which way. But don't underestimate him; the man knew how to fight.

Sasuke grimaced. He had tried Katon jutsus, his standard Taijutsu techniques, and even tried fighting with his katana. The Sawa-nin was practically unflappable. This man's a master of the Drunken Fist…but I'm the last of the Uchiha, and the killer of an S-Class Nukenin. Yet this guy from some backwater village is kicking my ass. He could've sworn he heard Itachi chortling somewhere in the back of his head.

Soui Numa suddenly fell backwards, lying down on the metal catwalk. Apparently, the sounds of the soldiers' miniature civil war didn't concern him. Then again, the Konoha-nin in front of him was more important. "Well…I suppose I'll just wait for you to make a move."

Stab him. Stab him. STAAAAB.

At least, that's what Sasuke's instincts were telling him to do. An enemy was prone, lying down, and completely defenseless. Defenseless. Completely ripe for stabbing.

Uchiha Sasuke grimaced at these odd thoughts. Totally unlike his rather stern, emotionless state that he had lived with for roughly the second half of his life (AKA, the 'Itachi Must Die' half of his life). Well, except anger. Anger had been pretty common. Along with rage, or any variation of that. Plus the occasional brooding.

But now? His thoughts sometimes drifted to downright weirdness. Mentally saying 'stabby stabby stab stab'?

Odd.

Perhaps he had begun to thaw or loosen up after Itachi's last words to him?

Wait, why am I thinking about this right now? Sasuke shook his head, unsheathing his katana as he leaned back. He held his left arm forward, holding the katana back with his right so that it was held parallel to the left. A preparation for a charge.

Numa still did not move from his prone position.

Like a sitting duck.

STAB!

Sasuke growled. He didn't want to; the damned Suiken user would inevitably attack him again through some oddball move.

Why am I hesitating? Sasuke's Sharingan eyes spun like wheels. I'm an Uchiha. I will not lose.

He charge forward, closing the distance like lightning. At the very last moment, he thrust his arm at Numa.

And just like that, the Jonin's legs snapped up, his feet snapping onto the blade.

Sasuke paled as his momentum carried him forward; Numa used this to whip his legs upward, slamming Sasuke down behind him as he stood in his hands. The Sawa-nin flipped up, stumbling backward. "Ah. So close."

Sasuke grimaced as he sat up, his back aching. The Uchiha sheathed his sword, performing handsigns as he stood up. "Shinsoku!"

God Speed. A genjutsu technique that slowed down the target's perception to the point that it made it seem like the user was moving at super speed.

Sasuke quickly leapt onto the rail, running behind Numa before leaping towards him, a kunai extended.

Numa's legs suddenly buckled, his head lowering. Sasuke's kunai sailed through the spot where his head had once been.

Thump!

Sasuke gagged as Numa suddenly shot upward, his head impacting the Konoha-nin's stomach. The Sawa-nin slid around, facing the boy that now crawled to his feet. "Bruised, beaten…you haven't really been able to get me yet."

Uchiha Sasuke scowled. His Sharingan wasn't helping. Like the few genjutsu techniques he had used before, Shinsoku had failed to affect Numa. How…?

The Sawa-nin smiled. "Take it you've never fought an alcoholic before." He lazily pointed up at his brain. "Genjutsu techniques affect the senses, manipulating them to the user's own desires. To do so, your chakra must be able to connect with the opponent's brain and be able to manipulate it. Some are capable of handling such things; genjutsu that targets vision can be thwarted by special powers such as your Sharingan. But a drunkard's brain…it operates on a different chemistry, as all brains do when the body is drunk." He hiccupped. "Hic…ooh." He grabbed his bottle and took another sip. "Ah…"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. So that's what he had before. Sake.

"Helps with my Suiken…" Numa shook his face. "Your Sharingan is awfully vaunted…looking at it, I can see why. Quite interesting. Don't know whether it truly does allow you to look into the future…or just increases your perception to a nigh-improbable degree…but you still must cast genjutsu the same way. And the alcohol in my body is affecting my brain…same with the inner coils. Your techniques can't target me."

Uchiha Sasuke was actually impressed. He had never actually fought a drunken shinobi before (and no, he hadn't fought Jiraiya, and even he doubted that the Sannin went into battle drunk), and the idea of being impervious to genjutsu techniques due to the body's chemistry struck him as ingenious. However, not everyone reacted to alcohol the same way…the drink was actually a depressant. Too much would doom a shinobi in battle…but even a little could cause a lightheaded, giddy feeling that would doom one's concentration on the battlefield.

But Soui Numa was a master of Suiken.

That changed everything. Just my luck.

Sasuke frowned as his eyes continued to swirl. Suiken was an interesting style; it enabled one to make incredibly deceptive movements. So much so that when Sasuke expected Numa to strike with a reared fist, his Bloodline Limit's vision revealed a headbutt. Such odd, contradictory movements that came out of nowhere…there was no rhyme or reason to each strike. His movements could not fool the Sharingan, but he was having uncomfortable flashbacks to when Rock Lee had nearly thrashed him before the Chuunin Exams. I can see the moves coming…but I'm not quick enough to react. It wasn't that Numa was faster than Lee…far from it. But his instantaneous changes in direction whenever he attacked were like lightning.

Sasuke frowned. He didn't dare try to mimic Suiken; Numa would undoubtedly thrash him. It wasn't something that was as easily defined as Rock Lee's Gōken, or even a Hyuga's Jūken. Suiken was basically 'Improv for Fighters'.

And I just happen to go up against a master of it. How irritating. Still, the Uchiha couldn't help but smirk. Perhaps he could actually think his way around this strategy. It wouldn't do for him to use the Curse Seal so soon; he wasn't THAT weak. Using that cursed power as a crutch would only hinder his own development.

An idea struck. Hmm…yeah. That'll work. And…I think that would make a perfect finishing combo.

Numa chuckled as the Uchiha bit his thumb, sucking on it. He drew a few lines on his arm before he began performing handseals. "Ah…we have ourselves a summon here…let's see what you have!"

The Sawa-nin blinked as Sasuke charged forward. Eh?

"Chihakku no jutsu!"

A shower of acidic blood erupted from Sasuke's mouth. The Jonin paled as he immediately ducked, avoiding the acidic spray. But this action allowed Sasuke to knee him in the face. "GAH!" screamed the Jonin as his nose suddenly erupted with blood.

Sasuke slid down and kicked Numa in the chin, sending him into the air. Sasuke pushed off of the ground, hanging behind the Marsh Jonin. "Kage buyo." Sasuke's movements mirrored Numa's ascent perfectly, his hands flashing through multiple katas.

Numa paused as he his hairs stand on end. Wha-?

Sasuke grimaced as he felt the familiar electrical charge manifest on his hand. Remember how it felt to channel the electricity through the blade…channel the chakra through the entire body…like a current!

CHIIIIIIII!!!

His entire form suddenly became alight with crackling blue electricity; the power of Chidori forcefully channeled through his entire inner coil system. "Chidori Nagashi; One Thousand Birds Current!" Now for the finish.

Uchiha Sasuke swung his left leg up into Numa's ribs. The Jonin's teeth gritted together as electricity surged through his nervous system. Sasuke followed up by twisting his body, slamming the back of his left fist into Numa's face. As the Sawa-nin's downward momentum increased, Sasuke twisted his torso, bringing his right fist down into a tremendous punch to the gut. Numa's body twinged with electricity as his form soared down towards the catwalk. It was just wide enough to hold his whole body.

Sasuke roared as he swung his left leg all the way around, timing the final blow as Numa's back crashed into the catwalk. "HYAAAAAA! Raiton; Shishi Rendan!"

Sasuke's heel met Numa's stomach.

"LIGHTNING ELEMENT; LION COMBO!!!"

"ARAGGGH!!!" gagged Numa as his entire body was seared by lightning, blood rushing out of his mouth.

CREAAAAK…

The catwalk cracked and crumbled from the blow. Sasuke leapt back as Numa was sent hurtling towards the ground, his body crashing through the catwalk.

CRASH!!!

Concrete split and cracked. Numa exhaled forcibly, his entire body felt tortured by the barrage of Taijutsu and electricity. "Egh…you killed my buzz…nice job with that trick summoning ploy…"

Sasuke landed beside Numa, his Sharingan disappearing. "Don't complain. You did much better than you had any right to do."

"Heh…" The Sawa-nin smirked. "How arrogant…then again, I guess you Uchiha are entitled to be arrogant."

The Uchiha smirked back. "Not really. It's just that drunkards aren't usually sober enough to fight, much less fight well."

"Doton; Tsuchigen'ya!"

Sasuke suddenly turned around to see Yamato – mouth full of soil – performing handsigns. The number of soldiers had drastically decreased…at least, those that were still alive. But only a few of Sai's Ink Clones – and ink bulls – were left. This was Yamato's opportunity to act.

"Earth Element; Soil Wilderness!"

That little mouthful became a torrent, covering the entirety of the docks with soil. Multiplied and replicated by Yamato's chakra, the soil was now the ground.

Yamato wasted no time in performing another jutsu. "Suiton; Kaisuihadou!" The water in the nearby ocean began to swirl upward, like an airborne spiral. "Water Element; Ocean Surge!" The blast of water rained over the entirety of the battlefield, inundating the soil with the salty water. However, Sai's creations were also doused, turning into gooey messes on sight.

This allowed the River Army to regain its bearings. Even the Kurohyougunsha had a target again: Yamato.

Yamato was quick to perform one last set of katas. The Wave Country is home to many species of mangrove trees…and due to their proximity to salt water, they have buoyant seeds. He could already detect the multitude of seeds that had washed up with his last Suiton jutsu. "Now…" He slammed his hands into the ground, his palms glowing with chakra. "Mokuton; Naegiure no jutsu!"

The Panther Tanks turned their turrets to fire.

"Wood Element; Growth of Seedlings Technique!"

His chakra surged.

And the seedlings suddenly sprouted, growing, enlarging, shifting…an entire forest of mangroves emerged amidst the docks, entrapping the surprised legion of River Army soldiers and the few tanks that remained at the port. The mangrove roots cracked into the concrete, seeking out the moisture of the nearby ocean.

An entire forest of mangroves, grown in the blink of an eye.

"Whew." Yamato stepped back to gaze at his handiwork. "Not too shabby."

Sasuke stared. Huh.

"Sasuke-kun."

The Uchiha turned towards the pink-haired kunoichi that dropped down right beside him. With a cursory glance, she noticed the bloody nose, the busted lip, and the bruises on his face. She calmly placed a palm on his wrist. The movement of the chakra in his inner coils told her of the varied bruises around his arms, legs, and torso…and his actual coils were slightly scarred in several places. "…you look like you've been through a meat grinder. What happened?"

Sasuke grimaced as he pointed behind him. "HE happened."

Sakura looked over his shoulder. "Who's 'he'?"

"That Sawa-nin." Sasuke turned to point. "Over there…"

Numa was gone.

Sasuke could swear that he felt like yelling and swearing like a drunken sailor (gah, why did it have to be 'drunken'?!). All that work and he ESCAPES?! Damn it!

Sakura arched an eyebrow at Sasuke's expression. It practically screamed 'RAAARDEATHMAIMKILLSTAB!' Better than his emotionless state by far…but she didn't want him going mentally unstable. "Now now Sasuke-kun…just let me fix your wounds up before we do anything else."

"I'm fine," muttered Sasuke with an annoyed snort.

(Inner Sakura: Oh you did NOT just snort at me!)

Sakura sweetly smiled as she pinched a bit of skin around the forearm. Sasuke twitched at the sudden pain in his wrist; the medic-nin kept tightening her pinch. "Now now Sasuke-kun…I know we're teammates, but I do have my obligation as a medic-nin." She twisted more tightly. "So just let me do my job. I could always direct some chakra to stimulate a certain part of your brain to induce unconsciousness."

Uchiha Sasuke stared momentarily at the pink-haired girl, realizing now why Naruto had seemed to cower in fear whenever Sakura had shown her mean side. Eesh. "Hmph. Fine."

"Good."

Sasuke mentally sighed as he let Sakura heal his wounds. Numa's sudden retreat made him feel on edge…and ticked off.

The moment his teammate was done, Sasuke was going to ask Yamato if he could go after the Kurohyougunsha.

He needed to release some tension.

xxxx

/Tazuna's House, Naminou District, Wave Country/

The rumbling of vehicle treads made Tsunami frown with worry.

The sudden arrival of Team Seven should have been her first clue. Although a crisis had already been underway the last time shinobi from the Leaf had come, they had only come to stop a crisis. They had been hired to come here for some reason…and the whole 'trade relationship' thing didn't sit well with her. Why not just send a civilian?

The sounds of explosions and weird popping sounds (which she would later learn to be gunfire) had frightened her. Both Inari and Tazuna were out there, somewhere…

Oh no…please let them be okay…

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

Tsunami blinked as she heard shouting outside her window. Turning off the lights, Tsunami quietly tiptoed over to her window, gazing outside.

Four men in dark green uniforms – with long, deadly-looking contraptions that looked like sticks from afar – were accompanied by this giant, boxy vehicle with a large pipe sticking out of it. They were outside one of the neighbor's homes further down the street, and the neighbor was arguing quite angrily. Further off in the distance, flames and smoke clouds could be seen trailing up into the night sky.

Tsunami's heart twinged at the sight. Inari-chan…Otou-san…

The soldier was trying to reason with the neighbor. "Now now sir, we just need you to stay in your home."

"FEH! I WAS JUST TAKING A WALK! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, GATO?!"

"Sir, this country will soon be officially under the control of River Army Command. I suggest you just-"

"OH I DON'T THINK SO! I'M NOT LETTING THIS COUNTRY FALL TO SOME CROOKED VILLAINS AGAIN!" The man stomped back into his house, yelling loudly about getting his sword.

The four soldiers suddenly backed away from the door as the large vehicle turned its turret towards the house.

It fired.

BOOOOM!!!

Tsunami stared in horror as the shell crashed through the house and exploded within, causing it collapse on itself in seconds. What…what is that monstrosity…?

xxxx

The soldiers calmly advanced onward, making sure no one came out of their house. Those that had resisted had been terminated on the spot; fear of the River Army would ensure that the annexation of the Wave Country into the folds of the River Country would be relatively smooth. After all, this place had no shinobi of its own to fight. So long as the shinobi of Sawagakure kept any shinobi off of their backs, nothing would be able to stand in the way of the Kurohyougunsha, the River Army, and their Raigunryo.

An entire country falling in one night.

Truly a Lightning War.

The soldier in the lead smiled…so momentarily lost in thought that he didn't notice the rear soldier getting conked on the head with a wrench, followed up with another blow to the face. The soldier was quietly dragged into an alley by a pair of lithe but strong arms, the noise of the short struggle masked by the loud ambience of the tank's engine.

On the opposite side of the road, a pair of thick, muscular arms grabbed one soldier by the neck and hauled him into an alley.

Moments later, the assailants emerged, armed with rifles.

xxxx

Tsunami gaped as the duo silently entered her house. She recognized their heads anywhere.

Tazuna and Inari.

She quietly opened her bedroom door and tiptoed down the stairs, her smile widening as Tazuna and Inari charged in.

"TSUNAMI!"

"MOM!"

"Sshh!" shushed the woman, her navy blue hair appearing black in the dark. "Are you two okay?"

"Just fine mom," huffed Inari as he gazed towards the front door, now locked tight. "But the entire place…it's crawling with those guys. And those big things!"

"Judging from what that Yamato said before leaving…" Tazuna held the rifle tightly. He had witnessed its power multiple times as he had sneaked away to the Naminou District; in the hands of those soldiers, it was 'death-from-afar'. "…these guys are from the River Country. That the tanker came from there doesn't help either."

Tsunami trembled as she heard the explosive sound of the tank's cannon once more from outside. The soldiers were shouting about something. "Our country…it's not going to come under control of some tyrant again, is it?"

"NO WAY!" yelled Inari, even as Tazuna slowly opened a window to see what was happening outside. "I'm not gonna let it happen!" Thoughts of Kaiza came to mind. "…I…I love my home. Even if I die, I won't let anything happen to it!"

For a moment, Tsunami thought that Inari was the spitting image of Kaiza.

The mother smiled as she patted her son on the head. "I know you will."

"Uh, I think that giant vehicle's out of commission."

Inari and Tsunami quickly joined Tazuna by the window.

A young man was standing above the vehicle, his hand holding open a latch on the top. His arm was reaching inside the vehicle, making stabbing motions. The throats of the last two had been slit. He quietly stood up, his tantō dripping with blood. Stepping down and walking towards the trio, he said, "I see you have armed yourselves with enemy weaponry."

It was Sai.

Tazuna blinked. "Um…yeah. How do you destroy that thing?"

"The tank?" Sai quietly gazed back at the tank. Its three former pilots – a driver, a gunner, and an ammo loader – were now corpses, their blood staining the inside of the vehicle. "It's still operable, but the pilots are dead. I believe that it would take considerable force to destroy one. A B-rank, power-based ninjutsu would be necessary at the very least." His eyes suddenly gazed upward; a winged angel with a body of black was flying over the Wave Country, a giant, fiery sword in his hands. "It would seem that Uchiha-san is taking care of our problem."

Inari boggled at the sight. "Uh…how is Sasuke flying?"

"Classified information for Konoha-nin and designated individuals only," droned Sai. Inari pouted.

Tsunami finally noticed Tazuna's wardrobe. "Oh, dad, your kimono…it's torn!"

Tazuna snorted, grumbling, "Feh. I hate these blasted things anyway. Too tight! I'd wear my work clothes if they'd let me!"

"My goodness Otou-san, I've told you before about the importance of appearance."

Inari frowned. Why was his mom talking about clothes at a time like this?! "Can't we save this until later…?"

Sai watched Sasuke dip down towards the ground, about a mile away from their position.

Moments later, fire drifted up into the sky as Sasuke ascended, his Zanbato having sliced apart and annihilated one of the Kurohyougunsha.

"I believe Uchiha-san will have our tank problem taken care of. I am continuing on with my current objective; however, Yamato-sempai has already taken care of things at the Namienkai District. You may go if you wish." The former ANBU quietly hopped onto the nearest house and leapt from rooftop to rooftop onwards towards Sasuke's last target; any survivors would soon be dead by his blade.

Inari just stared the shinobi as he soon disappeared from sight. "Ninja are awesome."

"Can't disagree boy," muttered Tazuna.

xxxx

/The Great Naruto Bridge, Fire Country-Wave Country Border/

Soui Numa's eyes stared quietly at the winged wraith that now wrought destruction upon the Kurohyougunsha. "Hmph. Must have irritated him to get him that angry." He grumbled as he pulled out his sake bottle; it had cracked and leaked into his vest. A consequence of the Uchiha's Raiton; Shishi Rendan. "And now my booze is gone." What an irritation. He was always a grump outside of battle, away from his sake.

The River Army's invasion force had failed to take control of the Wave Country. The presence of the Konoha-nin had rendered their Raigunryo worthless. They had shinobi particularly well suited to fighting in such confined areas…and the urban environment constricted the Kurohyougunsha. A lack of artillery didn't help either.

Open fields and rural areas were much more suitable for Raigunryo. It also would have helped if the Konoha-nin hadn't been that powerful. Sheesh. Like they sent their A-Team here. Then again, when it came to elite shinobi, Konoha's were vaunted above all others.

Alas, the invasion had an ulterior purpose. Even now, he could hear the frenzied shouts and worried calls from his radio set. They provided him the information that he would give his leader: the most powerful shinobi of Sawagakure.

"Egh…" He grimaced at the pain in his ribs. That last attack had taken a number on him. "Better rest up along the way." With those final words, Numa calmly headed to the west.

xxxx

/Port, Namienkai District, Wave Country/

"YOU WENT TO LEVEL THREE?!"

Sasuke grimaced at Sakura's shouting. "It's nothing."

"NOTHING?!" Sakura smacked her forehead. Now that Sasuke was a full-fledged member of the Leaf once more, her attitude as a medic-nin was more prominent around him. "Argh…I would've thought you'd know how it works!"

"Of course I do."

"Then you're an idiot," grumbled Sakura as she analyzed his chakra levels. Tsunade had drilled her extensively in how Orochimaru's curse seals had worked, using what limited knowledge they had from his old notes and data that had been left behind when he had fled Konoha. "The curse seal forcibly draws on your chakra, amplifying it to give you increased strength and energy. But it draws this chakra from your reserves instead of your main supply in the keirakukei: in other words, from the natural chakra that's stored in the body, through all the cells." Her glare sharpened. "You used about fifty percent of the chakra in your reserves. What were you thinking?"

The last of the Uchiha grumbled. He briefly wondered what loud beast had replaced the doting fangirl he was accustomed to. "I'm fine. I used my Curse Seal a lot more during the battle against Akatsuki, and I turned out okay. Besides, I needed to vent my frustration."

"Even so, you're an idiot for using it." The medic-nin sighed. Why did she even bother? "Even if you were 'venting', you could've done so in other ways."

Sasuke glanced oddly at Sakura. He might as well voice his question. "Hmph. Such a sharp tongue. What happened to the fangirl?" A smirk adorned his face.

Sakura smirked back. "So you actually miss the fangirl? The fangirl that stalked you back during the academy days? The fangirl that bothered to come clean your house on a weekly basis while you were away? THAT fangirl?"

"…point taken." Sasuke wisely decided to drop it (though he wondered how in the world Sakura had gotten into his house…but then again, it would have been simple for a ninja). Still, it was nice that she had cleaned his house for him.

He briefly wondered if he had been missed more than Naruto would be. Probably so…even if he didn't deserve it as much.

"I take it there are no more Panther Tanks?"

Sasuke and Sakura turned towards Yamato. The River Army soldiers had since been bound with rope (and there was plenty of it around). The Kurohyougunsha remained trapped within the mangroves. Those that had actually made it out of the port…well, the last thing their pilots had seen was his Zanbato. "Yes. I destroyed them all. I ran into Sai a few times. He should be almost done with the soldiers."

"So we've basically routed the invasion force," replied Yamato as he looked around. The denizens of the Wave Country were beginning to filter into the docks, asking questions and demanding answers from the soldiers. "Excellent. We'll have to inform Hokage-sama of everything once we get back."

"If you don't mind Yamato-san, I'd like to heal the soldiers of their wounds." Ignoring the sudden glare from Sasuke, she continued, "They aren't shinobi. Stripped of their weapons and bound, they're harmless. It's the least a medic-nin could do."

"…very well." Yamato stood aside, noting Sasuke's wary expression. "Be cautious." Even so, the Uchiha quietly stood behind Sakura as she walked over to the nearest soldier.

The soldier cringed as the shinobi neared. His side had been punctured by a sharp blade of sorts. "S-s-stay back!"

"Calm down." A green glow coated Sakura's hands as she placed them on his side. "I may be an enemy, but you can't do anything right now. And as a medical ninja, I have no problem healing anyone's wounds."

A blade suddenly pressed against her throat.

Sakura froze as she felt the metal of the blade begin to tug at her flesh. Wha-!

The blade was suddenly stopped. Its wielder's hand had been stopped cold by another hand: Sasuke's.

And his black eyes had morphed into the blazing red Sharingan…and they were filled with quiet surprise and cold fury. "…what's the meaning of this Sai?"

Sakura didn't dare turn around…but the next reply confirmed that it was indeed Sai holding his tantō at her throat.

"Uchiha-san, I was given orders to incapacitate the River Army soldiers. By healing these soldiers, Haruno-san has become an impediment."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "They're tied up. They don't have any weapons. They're incapacitated. Objective complete."

"Killing is the most effective way of incapacitating someone. It ensures that they won't come back." Sai's damnable smile remained affixed on his face. "Besides, we have no idea if any of these soldiers are shinobi in disguise. It's not unheard of for ninja to masquerade as civilians, security officers, and other people in order to strike when their enemy least suspects it. It's practically our profession's modus operandi."

Sasuke scowled. "The very least you could do is remove your blade from my teammate's throat."

Sai calmly replied, "Until she removes her hand from the soldier, no."

"SAI! Stand down!"

Sai immediately removed his tantō and stepped back. Sakura immediately exhaled – how long had she held her breath in? – and felt the skin around her throat. No cut or wound; only the brief trace of an odd-smelling liquid that she was sure was poison. …if that had cut through my skin…I'd be dead by now. She immediately whirled around, rearing her fist in preparation for a strike against the placid Konoha-nin. "WHAT WAS THAT CRAP YOU ALMOST PULLED?!?!?" (Inner Sakura: Let me at him! LEMME AT HIM!)

Yamato stepped between the two, his eyes gazing first at Sakura. "Sakura, calm down." He then gazed at Sai. "Now I know your training gives you a very literal mindset…but you can't just go around and threaten teammates who very faintly impede on the completion of your mission objectives. I've talked to you about this before."

"Hai Yamato-sempai. I will try harder in the future."

"Speaking of objectives, you're relieved. The River Army was stopped, and we halted their invasion of the Wave Country. Just watch over the soldiers and make sure none of them escape. Do not use lethal force."

Sai bowed to Yamato, sounding none too sorry about how he had nearly murdered Sakura. "Hai, Yamato-sempai." He calmly walked away, stopping once to look over at a stern Sasuke and a murderous Sakura. "Anything for the sake of a mission. Friend or foe, family or stranger, teammate or not, it doesn't matter. No matter what obstacle gets in the way of the mission, it will be removed. That was one of the principles of Root: we were that which helped support the great tree of Konoha, doing in the dark what none dared to do in the light."

"Sai. We're in a public situation," sternly remarked Yamato. "Maybe once we get back to Konohagakure, you can fill them on the details."

"Hai, Yamato-sempai." The former member of Root then went about to fulfill his last objective. His eyes kept a quiet watch on the kidnapped soldiers.

Haruno Sakura repressed the urge to stick her tongue out at Sai's back. "Creep."

"Don't be too hard on him." Yamato sighed; out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tazuna, Inari, and Tsunami enter the port. "I won't elaborate…but let's just say that Danzo's idea of instructing shinobi would have been right at home in Kirigakure."

It only took a few moments for the two Konoha-nin to remember why Zabuza had been called 'Demon of the Mist'…and they made the connection.

Sakura frowned. "How…horrible."

Sasuke could only sigh out of irritation as he gazed at the moon high above. A military invasion, a damned annoying shinobi who could use Suiken, and a new teammate who oftentimes resembled a psychopath…and let's not forgot the Uchiha's own emotional state. It had varied various times throughout the battle, from hot to cold, from intense irritation to muted enjoyment to bored indifference and back again.

Things had been so much simpler when his only goal had been 'Kill Itachi.'

What's the matter ototo? Life being too much of a challenge?

Sasuke scowled at his thoughts, the words seemingly taking on the voice of Itachi. Not now. I'll listen to my Itachi-ized thoughts later, when I'm less irritated.

Sure you will.

Sasuke grumbled as he closed his eyes; he felt like taking a nap. The last thing he heard before dozing off was Yamato's voice.

"So Tazuna-san, about that trade deal…"

xxxx

/Next Morning/

/Fire Country-Rain Country Border/

"Udon. Can you see everything?"

"Hai Ebisu-sensei." The brown-haired ninja performed several handsigns. "Ninpou; Vijonkouyou! Ninja Art; Vision Enhancement!" His eyes suddenly glowed with a dull sheen; by directing chakra to certain parts of the eye, one's vision could be enhanced to the point where the eyes were like telescopes. It was a special jutsu that Udon had developed for reconnaissance.

It was no Byakugan…but it worked for the tasks he needed it for.

And right now, Ebisu, Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi were situated atop a bluff that stood on the border of the Fire Country and the Rain Country, overlooking the next twenty miles of land. From this height, one could see Amegakure: the Hidden Rain Village.

The Aoikage River – Blue Shadow River – ran through the center of Amegakure, spanning from its origin in the Grass Country all the way to its mouth at the ocean in the River Country. Amegakure sat on weathered, rocky hills; the perpetual rainfall that the country was named for had long ago reduced much of the area to flat, rocky ground. However, grassy flatlands could be seen further to the south; most of the rainstorms during this time of the year were situated to the north, near the rocky hills and flatlands that surrounded the country's capital.

Amegakure was fairly large; nowhere near as large as Konoha, Suna, or the other great shinobi villages, but it was suitable enough. A rather prosperous village – looking more like a small metropolis, with all those skyscrapers – at best.

And now smoke was drifting from the fires that now gripped it. More plumes emerged as shells crashed into it from above.

Udon gazed to the southwest. Situated on the grassy knolls southward of Amegakure, large machines were spewing fiery metal from afar. Like giant poles that spewed death, they continued shelling the Hidden Rain Village.

In between these massive cannons and the Hidden Rain, the fields were littered with corpses. A force of sixty Sawa-nin had engaged the shinobi of Ame in battle; but here, Raigunryo was far more effective. Wide, open areas with no place to hide enabled motorcycles to quickly drive about, the passengers gunning down any shinobi that came near. The early sunlight prevented anyone from hiding in the dark…and the terrain was far more suitable for the attackers than the defenders.

The tanks fired their explosive shells at Amegakure, the explosives tearing away at the natural rock that the village stood upon. Soldiers – of which there were five thousand – advanced in units of five behind the motorcycles and Kurohyougunsha. Any Ame-nin that tried to advance for close-range combat were torn to shreds simply due to a combination of Sawa-nin jutsus, tank shelling, and long-range artillery.

Ebisu had no way of knowing about the invasion force that had attacked the Wave Country…but this one was much larger.

Sixty tanks. One hundred motorcycles. Twenty artillery guns. Sixty Sawa-nin.

A powerful force…and given the terrain, Amegakure stood no chance.

Moegi gulped. "What's…going on?"

Ebisu scowled as he pulled out a scroll and began writing on it. The River Army was beginning to advance into Amegakure now. I had only heard rumors amongst the Hokage's Palace about trouble stirring in the River Country…but this…! "Udon. Moegi. Our mission states that we are to patrol this section of the border for two weeks, but you must get this to Hokage-sama!" He bound the scroll tightly and handed it to Moegi. "Konohamaru and I will stay here as per the mission orders. Hurry back to Konoha posthaste!"

"Hai!" The two Genin immediately dashed off into the forest, leaving Konohamaru and Ebisu to watch the end of the battle.

Konohamaru gulped as he watched the flag of the River Country suddenly rise on a makeshift pole above Amegakure. "The Hidden Rain…it's been taken over?"

"A shinobi village captured by the River Country and Sawagakure." Ebisu frowned. Outside of shinobi, few creatures had a sizable military of normal humans. And none had tanks or rifles like the River Country. "I don't know why Konohamaru…but I don't think this will be the last time the River Country's flag will rise above a foreign village."

If only he knew.

xxxx

/One Week Later/

/Hokage's Office, Hokage's Palace, Konohagakure, Fire Country/

Tsunade sat quietly behind her desk, her mind mentally tallying the information concerning both the Wave Country invasion and the Rain Country invasion.

The former had consisted of a smaller force attacking a smaller target, in an urban environment. No possibility of escape except by sea, and a lack of ability for reinforcements due to the fact that all that came had been on the R.C.S. Shindaisha. But had it not been for the presence of Team Seven, the Wave Country would have fallen.

The latter had consisted of a larger force attacking a target that actually had its own shinobi…after all, it was Amegakure, the Hidden Rain Village. But the terrain had been far more acceptable for the River Army…and the presence of long-range artillery had enabled the River Army to pepper and soften the forces of Amegakure before advancing along the ground with Sawa-nin and the rest of the troops.

Her headache only increased when she recalled that, just earlier that day, news had spread throughout the countries of the Rain Country's surrender; the River Army had shown up just outside of the country's capital, complete with mobile artillery. Without Amegakure, it had only taken about five minutes of shelling before the country's daimyō had unconditionally surrendered. Such a move had been unprecedented; the Rain Country had been in the grip of a civil war for the last several years. Their strict border security made sure nothing could slip in or out…but that country shared a border with the Earth, Wind, and Fire countries. It had been the battleground for several wars…so things had always been unstable.

Undoubtedly, refugees and members of the rebel factions would begin pouring into the surrounding countries now, along with those who had been loyal to the Rain Country's government. More headaches.

Damn it, why couldn't the River Country have kept things simple…

She gazed around her office, glancing momentarily at Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Yamato, Udon, Moegi, Shizune, and Yuhi Kurenai.

Why the odd arrangement? Let's find out.

A knock on the door. "Hokage-sama, our guests from the River Country are here."

"Let them in Aoba."

The shinobi with thick shades quietly opened the doors from the outside, letting in three men garbed in the shinobi uniform of Sawagakure.

The one to Tsunade's left was Soui Numa. The sight of that man made Sasuke scowl; he only got a scowl in return.

The one to Tsunade's right was a rather tall man wearing what looked like a white helmet that was thick yet sleek, complete with black, opaque goggles that hid his eyes from view.

The one in front of Tsunade was a smaller man, around 5'8". His long white hair – tied into a ponytail around his shoulders – complete with the eyeglasses gave off a brief similarity to Kabuto. But his brown eyes were far more open and revealing than Kabuto's own gaze of bloodlust and fake kindness. His skin tone and complexion also hinted at his age; early 30s at the most, despite his hair color.

The center one was the leader.

All three bowed. "Greetings Hokage-sama," said the center one, speaking with a silky, refined voice. "I am Oda Nobunaga, the leader of Sawagakure and the Field Marshal of the River Army. My subordinates are Soui Numa and Harada Ieyasu."

Tsunade glanced briefly at Kurenai, who stood to her right. A twitch of those eyes of various red shades told her everything. "I would return the greetings if you had bothered to meet me in person."

Nobunaga smiled. "Ah. Already found out?"

"Yuhi Kurenai is the Leaf's foremost expert on Genjutsu…so what kind of clones are you? Kage bunshin?"

"Correct." Nobunaga spoke quite calmly. "I know this is bad etiquette from a diplomatic standpoint, but considering recent events, I didn't want to take any chance."

"Speaking of recent events…" Tsunade turned towards Team Seven, sans Sai. "Those three – Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Yamato – were in the Wave Country at the time of the River Army's insertion one week ago."

Nobunaga nodded. "Yes. My subordinate Numa was the commander of that operation. A shame it didn't quite succeed…but that's okay. Its primary purpose was not to succeed."

Tsunade frowned. Nobunaga had left that one hanging intentionally. He's trying to bait me…by letting slip of his plans. Whatever his angle is, I won't fall for it. "Elaborate."

"The Wave Country invasion was merely a test to see how our country's Raigunryo would work in an urban environment. Numa gave me all of the details. Apparently, the waterlocked nature of the Wave Country worked against us, but our forces were very susceptible to shinobi attacks in the enclosed areas prominent in industrial areas."

"Whereas wide fields and open areas such as those that surrounded the Hidden Rain Village were far more suitable," finished Tsunade.

Nobunaga clapped his hands together. "Yes, indeed! A larger force helped as well…though honestly, I extended far more into the Rain Country than I would have liked."

Yamato's eyes narrowed. He let an idea about his forces slip. A brief gaze at Tsunade showed that she had caught this as well.

"Is that so?" Tsunade prepared to make a gamble. "I suppose that your forces are quite scant in the River Country." Would it pay off?

"…" Oda Nobunaga sighed. "I must be quite frank. Due to Akatsuki's strikes over the last several years, the River Army's capacity was lessened considerably. I'm afraid a majority of our forces were sent out for the invasions of Wave and Rain. It is with great dissatisfaction that I learned about the failure of the attack on the Wave Country, but the Rain Country was the more important goal."

The Hokage was silent for several seconds, prompting Shizune to worry. Was something wrong?

He's too forthcoming. Tsunade resisted the urge to scowl. She would NOT be baited and caught like a fish. Time for a new angle. "Why exactly do you pursue war? We have not committed any particular offense against your country, have we?"

"Oh, not at all." Oda Nobunaga kept that smile on his face, as though it shielded his true thoughts. "Sawagakure bears no particular grudge against Konoha, or the Fire Country. But considering the heavy amount of minerals and natural resources in the River Country, we have a high volume of trade with numerous nations. The prosperity the trade has brought our country over the past few decades has culminated in a population boom, now that the wars of old are no longer so common."

"And yet you instigate war."

Nobunaga nodded. "True, it does seem like a contradiction…or a hypocrisy. But I assure, I bear you no ill will. Much of the land is in the hands of private companies and the River Country government, for the purposes of cultivation and mining of resources. Most of the population is located in Sawagakure, the port city Namikuchi, and the capital Nakajima. Needless to say, the need for extra land is quite tremendous."

Sasuke kept his Sharingan focused on the trio. Something about their chakra felt off; considering that they were Shadow Clones, their chakra output was too even. Was one of them utilizing a technique to mask something? "…"

Tsunade frowned. "I cannot find myself agreeing with your reasons for war. Surely there's some other way."

"Hokage-sama, you know how government officials and political figures are. They care not to lose what they already have: they only desire more and more. The same applies to the secession of land. Do you really think the Fire Country's Kajidaimyō – the Lord of Summer's Fire – will secede any of his territory?"

Tsunade could not reply to Nobunaga…because she couldn't help but agree. The Kajidaimyō belonged to a family that had been in power for the last century, having come into power alongside the rise of Konohagakure.

Oda Nobunaga sighed as he readjusted his eyeglasses. "I personally care not for my particular reason for pursuing war. Many soldiers and shinobi are rather envious of the five most powerful nations, and they want to share that same prestige. Some merely wish to extend the River Country's reach into new territories for the sake of more resources. A few, sadly to say, are only warmongers who wish to be a part of battle. Alas, war makes strange bedfellows." His smile widened ever so slightly. "Fortunately, the Raigunryo of the River Army made quite an impression. A swift battle, decided by superior power and overwhelming numbers. The Rain Country fell in one week."

Tsunade glanced over at Udon and Moegi, who stood on the right side of the room. "You two were part of the team that witnessed the invasion of Amegakure, correct?" Two nods were her answer. "You saw tanks, artillery, motorcycles, infantry, and Sawa-nin, correct?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," replied Udon and Moegi as they bowed.

Tsunade turned back to Nobunaga. "Such a large force that struck a relatively small country. Yet you speak as if our own lands in the Fire Country are up for grabs. I sincerely hope you're not thinking of anything…reckless."

Oda Nobunaga kept smiling. "Oh goodness no, perish the thought. I have no desire to invade the Fire Country with a force so small. But in the short-term, the River Country's attention will be focused on the land that once belonged to the Rain. I imagine that one month from now, we'll already have people settling within our new territory. I hope the refugees don't give you any trouble."

Shizune was very quiet. She sincerely hoped that Tsunade-sama knew what she was doing.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. This was her big gamble…and for once, she hoped she'd be able to win without any bad luck. "You won't invade us with a small force…but what about a sufficiently large one?"

Nobunaga was silent.

"Let me give you a possible scenario…" Tsunade inhaled deeply. "What if…certain teams of shinobi were to suddenly enter the River Country…and cripple the River Army before it could rebuild. Their leaders would go to sleep and never wake up…an odd coincidence, wouldn't you think?"

Tsunade's glare was as sharp as her threat was real.

Nobunaga was now deathly silent.

Sakura couldn't help but silently beam. Tsunade-sama…you've got him scared! Way to go!

"Remember what I said about war making strange bedfellows?"

Tsunade's glare disappeared. "Hm?"

Oda Nobunaga's smile suddenly, without warning, morphed into a smug smirk. "Because I'd like to inform you that any assault on my person, or on River Country's territory will result in immediate retaliation by not only Sawa, but by Iwa and Kumo as well."

That little statement was like a bomb in the Hokage's Office. Everyone's eyes – save for young Udon and Moegi – understood the threat of that announcement. Tsunade quickly regained her composure and growled, "Explain."

"What's there to explain?" Oda Nobunaga grinned wickedly. "Iwa bears a grudge against Konoha for the losses inflicted upon them by the Yondaime Hokage. Kumo bears a grudge against Konoha for the last war, and a faulty consolation prize: apparently, the Hyuga corpse you gave them was very unsatisfying, or so they told me. Trade between the River Country and both the Earth and Lightning countries has increased exponentially in the past five years."

Tsunade was quickly becoming more and more disenchanted by this news. Sawagakure and the River Army was one thing. But Iwagakure and Kumogakure as well?

Nobunaga continued. "I will be honest: Akatsuki was far more destructive than you realize. Were it not for the willingness of the Earth and Lightning countries to store our Kurohyougunsha and other assorted weapons, the attack on the Wave and Rain would have been delayed by at least three years." The Field Marshal smirked. "If Akatsuki had investigated more than just the existence of Jinchuriki in both Earth and Lightning, we would have been in trouble. How fortunate for us though."

Tsunade scowled as sweat dripped from her brow. No…this is not how it's supposed to go!

"Our close relationship has been kept underwraps for some time, but our recent attack on the Rain Country should provide a decent opportunity for our alliance with Iwa and Kumo to go public. A trifecta of the Hidden Stone, the Hidden Cloud, and the Hidden Marsh…I imagine you're still reeling from the losses inflicted by the last two invasions that struck Konoha."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed at the memory of Orochimaru's invasion, and the more recent attack by Akatsuki's Nukenin.

"…in any case, the Earth and Lightning will both receive a share of our conquered territories. Their main motivation is the subjugation of Konoha and the Fire Country. So you can't touch us without fear of a full-blown war. Even though you're allies with Suna, the current Kazekage has many enemies in Iwagakure; after all, the demon Shukaku was the most reviled sight in the Earth Country for a time. I'm sure some Iwa-nin are eager to avenge their losses from when the Kazekage had gone on missions as a Genin."

Tsunade's teeth were now showing, her mouth contorted into a full-blown scowl.

"But as for us, well…" The three Sawa-nin suddenly opened their vests. "We practically have no such obstacles in our way."

Sasuke immediately understood why the Shadow Clones had tried to keep their chakra auras even.

It was to hide the chakra of the explosive tags attached to their chests.

Yamato immediately began performing handsigns. "GET DOWN!!!"

The tags became alight.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The windows of the Hokage's office shattered as smoke and fire erupted from the ceiling of the building. The smoke drifted out of the windows…revealing wooden pillars around where the three Sawa-nin had once stood.

Yamato had performed Mokuton; Shichūrō no jutsu with the wood of the palace. Most of the impact had been reduced…but looking around, he could see the injuries.

Tsunade was unharmed behind her thick desk. Yamato was also unharmed. Sakura, Sasuke, and Kurenai all bore a number of splinters from the explosion. Shizune bore a large wooden fragment on her shoulder and small burns along the fingers.

But the worst were Udon and Moegi.

The boy was on his knees, unconscious; the entire front of his body bore second-degree burns. Moegi was on her back, her legs bore wooden shrapnel, and her arms had been burned even more horrendously than Udon's burns.

"NO!" Shizune and Sakura were quick to begin the healing.

Aoba suddenly slammed the door open, coughing up smoke. "What…what happened?!"

"An act of war," muttered Tsunade as she stood up, her fists tightened out of sheer fury. That Sawa would even try a stunt like this…even with their alliance with Iwa and Kumo, this would not go without retaliation!

It just wouldn't.

Oda Nobunaga…you'll pay for this dearly. You underestimate the will of fire of the Leaf!

xxxx

END PART II, ARC I

xxxx

Author's Note: …that battle went longer than I thought it would. Eesh.

Anyhow, chapter 367 has revealed that Naruto's mother is Uzumaki Kushina…and that his dad is Namikaze Minato (AKA the Fourth Hokage). So it's official. I don't intend to change Kazama Arashi though. I'll stick with that name to the end.

Speaking of names, Oda Nobunaga. Yes, I know it's the name of a historical figure. But even Nobuhiro Watsuki took some liberties with historical figures like Saito Hajime. I CAN DO THE SAME

Also, this is the longest chapter of Legacy ever. Be grateful…cause there's more coming!

Couple notes: Hope you all like the new techniques I made for Yamato and Sai (and the bit of freaky psychoness with Sai at the end). Also, does anyone else think that Sakura is guilty of uber pwnage in episode 26 of Shippuden?

also omg will udon and moegi make it

FIND OUT SOON. Or not. Maybe. Expect a new chapter in a week or so.

See you soon, and please review!