A/N: Hi folks, I hope all of you are well. Be safe and kindly follow safety precautions however hard it may be. Let's battle COVID-19 together. I will try to post another chapter as soon as possible.


Chapter 25 – The Rise To Fame

My expectations of things to rapidly change once I became a chunnin only ended up in disappointment. The rank was nothing more than a decoration as far as things were considered. We were still running the courier missions to the border stations, Fujita was still being an ass, Tsuki sensei was still being as cold and distant with me as much as possible, and Roku was the only one talking to me in our team in a normal basis. All in all, it was the same as it was a month ago.

But, I would have been a fool to not notice the tension between Roku and my other teammates. There was something brewing in there. Tsuki sensei was being unbearably harsh on Roku on some occasions. Fujita too talked less and less to Roku as the month wore on. But, as a result, me and Roku were getting even more closer to each other. We were even beginning to hang out after practice and missions.

On the other hand, Fujita was currently the poster child for sensei. In his view, Fujita could do nothing wrong. He mostly trained Fujita with increased attention, Roku on some occasions, but I was mostly left alone to deal with my training myself. Roku mostly trained alongside me when Tsuki sensei was paying attention to Fujita.

During training, I pushed Roku to her limits most often than not. As a result, she was making rapid progress to the level she was beginning to give me a run for my money during Taijutsu spars. Her Taijutsu was improving at an alarming rate that even I was astounded by it. Not to mention Fujita and Tsuki sensei. The weird thing was, even though Tsuki sensei was unbearably harsh on Roku, he still readily acknowledged her progress and constantly praised her.

All in all, Tsuki sensei was a contradicting mess. Neither me nor Roku could make heads or tails where the man was concerned. Discussing about Tsuki sensei's contradicting actions and his obvious favoritism of Fujita was the most discussed topic between me and Roku whenever we were alone. But, never once we discussed the obvious elephant in the room – meaning Tsuki sensei's dislike of me.

Things settled into a boring monotony as we ran missions to the border stations, trained, and hung out with each other as months passed by. By the time the fourth month came around, even Fujita was beginning to grumble about the state of affairs.

Minato was back in the field after two months of rest. He and Kushina seemed to be more close to each other than before. Kushina was beginning to become more subdued in his presence. The few times I had gone to dinner in their house, Team Minato had been giving me a stink eye. But, I didn't mind it much. For my attention have always been with the couple. They seemed to be more content than I have ever seen them. The look Minato gives to Kushina whenever she wasn't looking was filled with love. And Kushina, for her part, always had a content smile on her face.

Apart from that, I was getting more hugs from Kushina ever since our hospital conversation. We didn't speak about it, but I could sense that Kushina was more at ease with me. Earlier, she was always hyperactive and more exuberant. These days, she was content to sit in silence besides Minato and me whenever it was possible.

The other thing that changed about my relationship with Kushina was her renewed focus on my fuinjutsu skills. These days, she began to grill me on fuinjutsu concepts and drill me through various seals I have mastered. She also began to teach me some new complicated seals. Unlike before, she was patient in her explanations and gave me time to soak up her vast fuinjutsu knowledge. She even joked that I was an honorary Uzumaki, which touched me beyond my expectations.

Apart from fuinjutsu lessons from Kushina whenever we had time available, I was mostly training with Roku to improve her Taijutsu and concentrating on increasing my Ninjutsu arsenal. I met with Harami and Anko a few times over the month, which mostly ended up in us getting dango together.

The influx of missions had been non-stop. Our team rarely had a few days off in continuation. We had run into a few skirmishes along the way. While there was nothing major that occurred during these skirmishes, it was nevertheless an eye-opening experience for us. The way in which we laughably disposed of enemy genin, let us know how advanced our team was compared to average genin. Even Tsuki sensei was mildly surprised with this the first time. Still, it was a great boost of confidence for us all as a team – however dysfunctional we may be.

But, things didn't last the same way for a long time. Five months after our unexpected run into Iwa jinchuriki, the first change happened. Unlike the earlier courier missions, this time we were sent to the frontlines. Of all the frontlines it would have to be, they were sending us to the region where Kiri was most active.

We were informed three days earlier owing to the fact that we were being deployed for three months. This was the first deployment of our team into the Third Shinobi War. While we have been involved in countless missions and a few skirmishes until now, this was the first time we were dumped headfirst into the war.

The region between Kiri and Konoha has not seen much action compared to the border with Iwa. Still, it felt like we were sent to the frontlines far too soon. That led me to a very interesting conversation with Danzo of all people.

(*****)

"How do you feel about being sent to the frontlines this soon?" Danzo asked sipping his tea.

"It doesn't matter how I feel," I merely shrugged in reply taking a sip myself, "a shinobi needs to be ready to lay down his life for the village whenever he is called upon."

"You don't seem happy," Danzo observed placing his tea down.

"Only a fool would be happy to be sent to the frontline. I still feel that it is too early for our team to be sent to the frontlines. We are good, but we aren't that good. Even experienced Jounin lose their lives easily on the frontlines," I said grimacing.

Danzo observed me for some time, occasionally sipping his tea.

"I agree," he said, at last, making me look up at him in surprise, "it is indeed too early for you to be deployed to the frontlines. However, the needs of the village must be put first."

I looked at him thoughtfully for a few moments before guessing, "the village has received intel that Kiri is beginning to move actively."

"Yes," he said succinctly with a faraway look, "Our experienced Jounin are stretched thin along Iwa and Kumo borders. I do not trust Suna much. They seem reluctant in their co-operation with us."

"That leaves the remaining Jounin and Chunin," I nodded in understanding.

"Ideally, it would have been a few more months before deploying your team to front lines. But, the situation calls for it," he said in a grave voice.

"I understand," I replied intaking the seriousness of the reveal.

"The village's eye has been on your team for a long time. While most see potential and power, I am mostly worried about your team dynamic," he said shooting me a sharp look.

"We have some issues, but nothing major," I sidestepped knowing that this wasn't a conversation I wanted to have this close into being deployed.

"I disagree,"

"I don't und…"

"I don't trust your sensei."

Silence prevailed between us after that particularly revealing statement. I sat there sipping my tea wondering whether Danzo had noticed my sensei's dislike for me. I had tried several times to bridge the gap. Things have been progressing until that mission involving Iwa jinchuriki. But, these days, things have been going downhill very fast. At this rate, our team might be disbanded very soon.

"My sensei and I do have some issues, but I am sure he has the best interests of the team," I supplied, at last, hoping he would buy it and move on.

"I doubt it," Danzo scoffed – an honest to goodness scoff that entailed more emotion than I had seen in him for the past few years, "Mokurimo Tsuki had requested to be Uchiha Fujita and Akimichi Roku's sensei to look after his genin teammates' children."

I sat there wondering where this conversation was leading towards.

"He was offered to be Akimichi Roku's sensei as the Uchihas wanted Fujita kun to be placed in a team with you. However, he offered to take you in as the third student after understanding that he wouldn't get both of them if he didn't do so. Hiruzen, the soft fool, decided to grant him his team since Tsuki has water natured chakra as well. His hope was for him to train you with your chakra nature."

My lips thinned involuntarily knowing that I was merely a piece of extra baggage as far as Tsuki sensei was concerned. It did explain his dislike and animosity towards me.

"We had thought that he would take his position seriously and treat his entire team equally. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like he does. After his recent complaint against you, I took upon myself to shadow your team and observe your practices. After the investigation, it became clear that his priorities lie with ensuring Fujita kun and Roku chan make it out of the war. As for you, he doesn't care one bit."

"I don't need his help to survive this," I sneered in reply to his statement.

"As it may be, I can't help but worry that he might use you as a sacrifice in his goal to save his genin teammates' kids. After all, no one can say what will happen in a war," Danzo said with a slightly murderous tone.

"You don't have to worry," I assured Danzo – the concern he had for me did indeed touch me even if I had my guard against him all the time, "I haven't shown anyone my full strength either."

Danzo looked at me hard for a few moments as if he wanted to find the truth of the statement. Whatever he saw in me might have reassured him enough that he nodded in the end.

"I am happy to know that," Danzo said at last. "Your job is to survive this deployment. I will do everything in my power to move you away. You are already a Chunin. All you need is a good performance for me to recommend you to somewhere else. Do that, and I will take care of Tsuki."

"No need," I said knowing full well what kind of taking care Danzo meant, "I am comfortable with my team. Even though we may have many issues and distrust, I know how they operate and I can work around them easily. A new team would only complicate things."

"You will get a new team," Danzo said waving away my statement.

"I said I am fine," I replied not compromising in the slightest.

"Is it because of that Akimichi?" Danzo narrowed his eyes.

"Does it matter," I said placing my empty teacup on the table and standing up, "I will survive this war. Neither Mist nor Tsuki have what it takes to put me down. We will discuss about my future options after the war is over."

"You seem overconfident," Danzo said standing up.

"No, I merely know my strength. And I have Roku to protect my back," I replied with a smile and turned around.

"We will see," Danzo said from behind me.

"Yes, we will see," I said without turning around and walking away.

"Do be careful," Danzo's voice came from behind as I was almost to the door. "Uchiha Fujita is the commander for the area you are deployed. Your platoon will be mostly Uchihas."

I paused on the doorstep digesting the news. I knew this was going to be a pain in the ass. Fujita was going to be unbearable. Regardless, I think it was time that I stopped holding back. If I wanted to survive this war, then I needed to up my game to a considerable level.

"I understand," I said in reply and left Danzo's house.

(*****)

Five days after my conversation with Danzo, I arrived on the frontlines with a forty men platoon consisting mostly of Uchihas. Five teams consisting of solely Uchihas, two tracking teams, one chunnin cell consisting of six chunnins and our team were deployed.

The five Uchiha teams were all from Konoha Military Police. While they seemed competent, I couldn't help but notice that their skills were rusty from being cooped up inside the village for a long time. With the exception of the team leaders, all of them were Chunin. Fujita spent most of the time with his cousins leaving me and Roku to ourselves.

The most irritating part was the blatant disdain all the Uchihas were having for others. The chunnin cell consisting of mostly clanless shinobis distanced themselves from them as much as possible. We had three field medics among them. The rest specialized in non-combat areas making them look a bit week. The two tracking teams consisting of three Inuzakas, three Hyugas, one Aburame, and a non-clan shinobi kept to themselves. They were mostly scouting and bringing up the rear.

The only genin in the whole platoon was Roku and Fujita. With Fujita hanging out with his clan who treated him like one of their own and a future Jounin already, needless to say, Roku felt more isolated than ever. Not to mention me, the only Senju among a group of Uchihas.

Me and Roku kept to ourselves mostly, with Tsuki sensei dropping in from time to time to check upon Roku. I had no illusions as to the man's concern towards me after my meeting with Danzo. I had kept the contents of the meeting to myself as I didn't want Roku to worry over it. Even then, I still felt a pang of heartache to clearly know that my sensei had no concern for me at all. Guess, with my prior memories of Asuma, Kakashi, Guy and Kurenai, a part of me was hoping for a sensei who went to great lengths to groom his students into excellent shinobis.

None of those things bothered me much. It was my platoon leader who was my greatest concern. As fate would have it, Uchiha Ryoma was a typical Uchiha, who was more eager to showcase his prowess and an emotionally constipated individual, who thought everyone should kiss the ground the Uchihas walked upon. But, while I could have dealt with that, it was the second part of the identity of the man that gave me a huge headache.

Uchiha Ryoma was the father of one and only Uchiha Fujita – the ever-present pain in my ass. His attempts to separate me and Roku were so blatantly obvious that even Roku was getting irritated. If he had tried to provide some other form of companionship to Roku, it might have worked. But, the idiot was thinking only up to separate us. After that, nothing more. Tsuki sensei was his genin teammate and he fully approved of his efforts. As much as he wanted Roku to have a better rapport with Fujita, the man kept forgetting the issue was with Fujita all along.

Uchiha Ryoma enjoyed way too much in ordering me around by reminding me that he was the platoon leader. Most, if not all, menial tasks were given to me as he treated me as a freshly graduated genin from the academy. I could see the others present taking note of my treatment and grimacing as I did my jobs. Unfortunately for him, I didn't mind doing things like collecting firewood, cleaning up after everyone and such. Luckily for him, he didn't push me too much. I guess, he did understand the political ramifications of his actions and never crossed that line of no return.

Roku and Fujita were assigned some tasks whenever we camped too, which I suspect mostly was to separate me and Roku. But, Roku usually finished her job soon and came to help me much to the displeasure of Ryoma and Tsuki sensei. Fujita – the dumb brick, didn't entirely understand why his father was doing things. He would complete his job and immediately scamper off to pester his cousins who treated him with great respect - due to his father I suspect, while Roku came over to help me.

If anything, these actions only alienated Roku further from them and our friendship grew with each day. To say that I was relieved to reach the border station would be an understatement. While Fugaku was Uchiha, unlike Ryoma he understood things far better. He treated everyone present under his command equally and professionally. While he did give more high profile assignments to Uchihas, which I suspect was to increase their clan standing; he did maintain a semblance of fairness leaving no room to complain.

The first month passed with no major incidents of note. The only glaringly obvious thing was the frequency of run-in with Kiri Shinobis as the month progressed. Everyone knew that things were becoming more dangerous.

Our entire platoon was put on border patrol during the first month. We rotated with three other platoons every half day. Things were mostly dull on our end. It was the people who ventured past us who brought news about the increased activity of Kiri shinobi recently. In our free time, I pushed Roku to her limits during each spar. Roku began dread sparring with me. But, I gave her no quarters as I knew that the more I pushed her, the more likely she is to survive. Fujita mostly hung out with his cousins who all acted like eager bloodhounds that couldn't wait for the hunt to start.

Experienced Jounins advised them to be not so eager to enter the fray. But, all their advice was promptly discarded by them as they felt that they were superior to others and no one could match their clan's prowess. Meanwhile, me and Roku usually hung out with those who had been posted on the border for a long time after our spars. We listened to their tales and experiences in surviving the previous war. We soaked up their knowledge greedily.

"…. that's why you should never use Body Flicker if you aren't proficient in it. One mistake and you end up dead. Always look out for enemies, don't think you are too paranoid. Never ever think that. Paranoia is a healthy habit."

"True. Always go for the lethal parts, never hesitate," another experienced Jounin said seriously. "And if a retreat is sounded, book it like a bijuu is on your heels."

"And, keep a partner with you always to protect your back. Doesn't matter if you are against a Chunin or Genin," another supplied from the side.

"What about Jounins?" Roku asked eagerly.

"If you see a Jounin, avoid him at all costs. You don't have what it takes to take on a Jounin yet. There is a reason that they are a Jounin. If you have no other choice, try to delay him. Never engage head-on," the first Jounin said gravely.

Roku nodded as a somber mood set in. I sat there on the side soaking in their practical tips.

"Also, if you…."

An alarm blared throughout the border station calling all personal to report.

"Looks like the bastards are here," one of the Jounins swore.

"Get going, your sensei will be waiting for you. Remember what we said, forget about glory. Focus on surviving," another Jounin urged us as we moved along.

"Stay beside me," I murmured to Roku as we made our way to the outside of the bunker. "Don't rush off for any reason."

"I understand," Roku nodded solemnly as we moved to the assembling point.

We met Fujita and Tsuki sensei, who merely nodded gravely to Roku and me and motioned us to join our platoon. As we all finished assembling, Fugaku explained that three Kiri platoons have been spotted by the scouts and they are on their way. He preached about shinobi duty and how essential we are for a few moments, before barking out orders.

Our platoon was assigned as a backup platoon for one of the experienced platoon. Most likely we are meant to see minimal action today, but one never knew with war. We joined the experienced platoon and were soon deployed to meet the enemy far away from our base.

Things went smoothly for a while. We came across the Kiri platoon and engaged them in battle. I began to understand why the deployed personnel were mostly Uchihas. No sooner did the battle start, a mist enveloped the surroundings heavily coated in chakra. Our wind users tried to blow them away, but the mist was a mere opening move.

The Kiri platoon had taken the few seconds the mist was present and closed in on the distance. They targeted the wind users mostly trying to kill them off to employ the mist again. There were pockets of mist scattered across the battlefield. Explosions went off randomly and frequently. The entire battlefield was chaos incarnate. Luckily enough for us, the Sharingan users had a definitive advantage despite the mist and other parameters that hindered the sight.

Tsuki sensei led us into the fray when our platoon leader saw the Kiri reserve platoon beginning to act. Things were a mess after that to be honest. I only concentrated on defending myself and Roku. Me and Roku fought back to back mostly engaging in Taijutsu. Occasionally Roku would get carried away, I had to reign her in. Tsuki sensei hovered around us fending off Kiri Jounins.

Fujita was a major headache, he never fought in formation. He was like a madman let loose on the field. He shouted loudly and pumped out ninjutsu like it was nothing. Tsuki sensei had to restrain him several times from doing something incredibly stupid. Even then, Fujita was forced several times into a corner due to his exhaustion. His Taijutsu was not up to battlefield standards yet. Tsuki sensei had to save his ass far too many times, leaving both me and Roku to fend for ourselves in those moments.

Several times, I ran interference alleviating as much pressure from Roku as possible. Still, it irked me to spend more energy than I have to because Fujita was being an idiot and sensei was supporting him. As time dragged on more and more, Fujita went into danger more and more. He was entirely exhausted after pumping ninjutsu in the early stages. Tsuki sensei's concentration was mostly focused on keeping Fujita alive.

As a result, Roku and me sported several injuries. Small ones, but they could have been entirely avoided if not for Fujita, which did piss me off more. A few times a few other Jounins ran interference to help us out of some tight spots. I was immensely grateful for them. In the end, one of the Jounins from the experienced platoon took pity on us and began helping us out. The unimpressed stare he shot Tsuki sensei was worth all the small cuts, in my opinion.

I used my ninjutsu sparingly – only when it was absolutely needed. Roku was using her clan jutsu occasionally. I forbid her from transforming completely and told her to focus on using small transformations effectively during our spars. It seems like it had helped her a lot. Her endurance was close to mine and it was telling something. She helped me out of a few tight spots when the enemies realized that I was more of a threat than Roku.

Overall, the entire battle was a great experience. It taught both Roku and me how to conserve energy and fight on a battlefield. It gave us an idea about how large scale battles are usually fought. Most of the time, we merely defended without overextending ourselves. I decided that after a few more battles I might start actively attacking the enemies once I gained experience.

After an hour, the enemies retreated. I stopped Roku from pursuing them knowing full well a retreat would be called. Fujita, on the other hand, was gleefully sending fireballs at the retreating enemies who dodged them effortlessly. With every fireball that was sent, he looked more and more pale. With every dodge, he became more and more manic. In the end, Tsuki sensei put a stop to his childish actions. The look that the Jounin protecting us sent towards the duo was full of loathing.

While the dressing down Fujita received after the battle was hilarious, neither me nor Roku had any energy to take joy in that. The moment we reached the bunker we fell into an exhausted heap.

(*****)

I ducked under the kunai of a Kiri ninja and retaliated with a leg sweep, he jumped up trying to knee me in the face. I moved back and brought my own kunai at his abdomen. He scampered back only to receive Roku's punch and skid a few meters backward.

I followed up after Roku, both of us taking a side each and trying to attack him from both sides before he got his bearings. He fended off Roku but fell prey to my kunai. A sick wet crunch, followed by a scream of pain, indicated that I had successfully impaled him with my kunai in his sternum. My follow up would have finished him off, but I had to hastily duck under a fucking sword heading to my neck. Roku brought me enough time as she engaged the next Kiri ninja. The one I had stabbed staggered off towards their rear. He would have gotten off if not for the fireball that roasted him alive.

His screams pierced my ears. I looked around to find Fujita sporting a sadistic smile that made my hairs stand up. But, I didn't have much luxury to observe him as I saw the one with a sword battering on Roku after hearing his comrade's scream. I hurried to provide Roku support and give her a breather, putting Fujita out of my mind.

About two weeks after the first battle, we ran into our next one. This was relatively smaller in scale, but even more dangerous. Small scale battles were happening frequently across the border now. We had had a few skirmishes here and there, but this was our second battle. After the last dressing down, Fujita had calmed down and started working with us as a team. However, his pyromaniac tendencies were hard to contain.

Roku and me began to see a different side to Fujita as soon as the battles began. He preferred to let us both engage in Taijutsu before swooping in for the kill. His favorite was to roast someone with a fireball. But, the even more nauseating thing was when he was forced to engage in close combat. He usually picked his spot after either me or Roku delivered a critical blow to the shinobi. What he followed up was very sick to watch even by shinobi standards.

Fujita had become more and more sadistic these days. He enjoyed causing others pain. Several times we had shouted at him or kill the ninja ourselves to end his new-found fascination with hearing others scream. It was really sick to watch. Even our comrades were beginning to feel uneasy around him. The exceptions were Tsuki sensei and a few other Uchihas.

While they did acknowledge his disturbing behavior and advised him to tone it down, no one came down hard on him. Tsuki sensei promised Roku that he would take Fujita to a Yamanaka after this deployment. However, until then, we were forced to deal with his sadistic nature.

Disregarding his sadistic nature and his penchant to swoop in for the kill after we delivered the critical blow, Fujita created no more problems. He toned down showing off and kept a low profile. He worked hard during training and improved himself. While he did become shunned by his cousins after his deplorable first performance, he started spending more and more time with Tsuki sensei on improving himself.

Roku kept in touch with him and Tsuki sensei frequently. It looked like their relationship was mending little by little. I took it as a good sign for the team. Tsuki sensei began advising and training Roku in his free time after done with Fujita. He never sought me out though. But, then again, our relationship was way past that. I kept to myself mostly.

I also began to notice some disturbing aspects of Fujita. He never felt content with the amount of attention he received. Initially, I chalked it up to him wanting to improve further and Tsuki sensei was the ideal one for it. But, I began to notice this behavior repeat whenever Tsuki sensei took time off to instruct Roku.

The next one was his strange fixation on powerful moves that either Tsuki sensei or his father taught him. His thirst and demand for them increased more and more each day. It was like watching Sasuke after Chunin exams. Needless to say, alarm bells began to ring in my head.

But the most disturbing thing of them all was his sudden behavioral changes. Normally, he acted like a stoic person like all Uchihas only revealing his disturbing habits to those who knew him well. Considering how his father and Tsuki sensei thought the world about him, only Roku and me noticed. However, once we met the enemies his entire demeanor changed. He became a blood-crazed demon who preferred hearing his enemies scream. He preferred mutilating his opponent than to kill them. He liked to watch them being roasted alive in the fire.

Something about his recent shift in demeanor unsettled me. When I consulted a few veterans, they reassured me that sometimes new genins went through personality changes after their first battle experience. It was supposedly a common thing. They would be very violent for a while. But, once they came to terms with participating in a battle after a session or two with a Yamanaka, then they mellowed out.

It really explained why neither Tsuki sensei nor Ryoma was worried too much. Being new to the battlefield, I had no sense of what is considered normal in it - whether it was here or in my previous life. So, I put such thoughts in the back of my mind. Still, it did bring me and Roku chills.

Putting that in the back of my mind is one thing, but trying to ignore such things on a battlefield took much more effort. Me and Roku worked together to kill the kenjutsu user who went crazy after his comrade's tragic death. I was almost beheaded a few times, but in the end, I punched a hole in his throat bringing him down to his knees.

Fujita was busy engaging a Mist chunnin. Roku went off to aid him as I intercepted another chunnin from trying to aid his comrade. After dispatching him, I lost track of my actions as I fought for a long time. Occasionally I would aid Roku and she would aid me sometimes. Fujita would sometimes swoop in without warning to take the kill. I normally moved away preferring to not hear the screams.

This battle was smaller, but it lasted for more than two hours. It only ended when less than a tenth of our original shinobi were left standing. Since we mostly took on Chunins, our team managed to come out alive without any casualties. On the mist side, very few managed to getaway.

(*****)

"Roku! Duck!" I yelled frantically notching my arrow.

Roku ducked, but she was a tad bit late as the Kiri ninja's kunai grazed her shoulders. Her hiss of pain angered me as I let the arrow fly. As Roku rolled to minimize the impact of the fall, the man followed her to finish her off. My arrow bought Roku the much needed time to stabilize herself and catch the ninja's kunai with her own.

I hastily went to assist her only to find two chunnin blocking my way. I engaged them frantically as I undid the weight seals on my body for the first time in this war. From the corner of my eyes, I saw two chunnins gang up on Roku as well. Unlike me, she was struggling very hard to stay alive. She had already received a wound on her back that was slowing her down. Now combined with her shoulder injury, I didn't know how long she could last.

I looped my bow around one chunnin's neck and snapped it viciously and sidestepped the other one's lunge. In a blitz, I pummeled his body taking advantage of his overextended lunge. He fell down with blood leaking out of his mouth. I nonchalantly swiped my kunai across his throat and initiated a body flicker.

I barreled into one of the chunnin attacking Roku, pushing him away. Even so, the other one managed to stab her in the stomach. Her cry of pain enraged me as my eyes turned red and I lost all reason. I bypassed his stab and used my bow to shatter his jaw. He groaned and fell back as the other one engaged me. I broke his knee in two exchanges and brought forth my kunai to stab him right in his neck. He gurgled blood and spat on me. I pushed him away and turned towards the last one, whose jaw I had broken earlier.

He was hightailing it. But, I wasn't about to let him go. I threw my kunai up and retrieved an arrow in the same motion. Notched it, took aim and let it fly, before grabbing the kunai back. The arrow flew true as it punched through his head and he fell limp on the ground. Taking a glance at the surrounding and finding no one else, I checked Roku and put a patch on her stomach wound. I lifted Roku to my shoulders and moved towards the regroup point with a purpose.

Just one week was left before we were to be sent back home. And that was when the ambush had happened. Our platoon was patrolling a remote area far away from the bunker. The area had seen zero action but we were still doing our patrols over there just in case. The area was way out of immediate vicinity of Kiri sightings, and that was one of the reasons we were given this mission.

Our platoon wasn't exactly known for frontal combat. We mostly acted as backups for the experienced platoons. Being our first deployment, we weren't trusted with hotspots. Owing to the fact that the location of our patrolling area was way out of sight and it was only patrolled for precaution, no one expected Kiri to launch an attack from that direction.

The bastards had ambushed us during midday when the sun was high and everyone was relaxed. The ambush had been perfect. Two explosions - causing a landslide from a nearby hill; and before we knew it, we were neck-deep in a pit with half our Jounins injured. Not to mention two entire platoons descending on us within seconds of the landslide.

We had to fight our way out of the pit and then hightail it back to our regroup point if we wanted any semblance of sending a report back. With everyone fighting for their lives, we were all separated within moments of the attack causing entire communication breakdown. Me and Roku joined together to punch our way out. Luckily, the Kiri Jonins were concentrating on the Uchihas who were throwing jutsus around like idiotic morons.

However, it left us dealing with mostly chunnins. We fought out of an encirclement of six of them, only to run into six more of them. While I had received a superficial injury from the landslide, Roku's condition was a lot more worse. Injured in the back, stomach, and shoulders. She was essentially combat ineffective. The most worrying was the stomach wound.

I came across several dead bodies, both from Konoha and Kiri. Sparing them no glance, I crested another hill and found our regroup point. It was a narrow valley through which lay the only way to our bunker. I could still hear the sounds of fighting behind me, even though I was still a bit far away. I held no hope for the ones who were still engaged in combat.

As I neared the valley, I saw a group of four people in the valley. As I neared them, I couldn't help but curse my luck. Fujita was sitting across a medic working frantically on one of the Jounins. When I reached them, I saw Sharingan spinning in Fujita's eyes. Knowing full well how Sharingan activated, I gritted my teeth. As much as I thought of him as a pain in the ass, I didn't want him to lose someone this early in his life.

I checked out the other one, who was guarding the trio on the ground. He was another Chunnin, but wasn't combat type. I sighed knowing things were beginning to look worse and worse as each second passed.

"Report," gritting my teeth I barked at him.

He looked stunned for a second, before narrating how Uchiha Ryoma and Tsuki sensei had tried to lead the medics and other non-combat chunnins away. Unfortunately for them, a team of three jounins had blocked their way. Fujita's dad and Tsuki sensei held them off as the others led them away. As fate would decry, another team of Mist Jounin had joined the fray. Knowing they didn't have a chance, both Ryoma and Tsuki sensei had tried to retreat while fighting.

In the end, Tsuki sensei got critically injured and Ryoma had been killed right before their eyes. That led to the start of a massacre. Before they could finish though, luckily two Uchiha Jounin had fought their way out and came to aid them. Using that opportunity, Fujita had escaped with Tsuki sensei's injured body. The other chunnin and medic had escaped as well. They had merely regrouped here for a few minutes before we had found them.

"Is he stabilized?" I asked the medic.

"He is, but the injury is critical. We need to bring him to the bunker," the medic said solemnly.

"We will be lucky to make it back there," I grumbled lowering Roku.

Fujita's eyes widened as he saw the blood dripping down from her stomach over the patch.

"Bastard, what happened to Roku?" he shouted at me.

"I think the other injuries aren't that urgent, stabilize her stomach wound. She got stabbed in the stomach. I checked her earlier, while it is nothing critical, the blood loss will be fatal," I said to the medic not giving Fujita any attention.

"The patch wouldn't last long," she agreed as she began to work.

"I didn't have much time," I replied grumbling to myself. "What happened to the two tracking teams?"

"Probably dead long before the ambush. It was a pretty well-crafted ambush," the other chunnin replied with a scowl.

"It was," I nodded looking towards the direction of the ambush site.

"What do we do now?" the chunnin asked hesitantly.

"No use waiting here," I scowled not liking the idea one bit. "As soon as she has stabilized Roku, I want you and Fujita to report to the bunker as soon as possible."

"What about you?"

"Someone has to stay back and try to delay them," I said in a grim tone.

"Are you nuts?" the chunnin asked angrily.

"We don't have any other option, the information must be sent or else they will take the bunker unawares. I am the only combat oriented shinobi here," I said shrugging my shoulders as if marching to my death was something trivial.

"I will stay too," Fujita said angrily.

"No, you will leave with them," I said sternly.

"Who do you think you are to order me around Senju?" he sneered. "Do you think I am weak?"

"Shut up Fujita," I shouted at him in anger. "I don't have time for your childish insecurities or ever-present need to be acknowledged. I am ordering you to return to the bunker with the information and injured shinobi. Last I remembered, I outrank you."

If anything, Fujita looked thunderous. But, I didn't have time for that.

"Are you done?" I snapped at the medic.

"Ha… Hai," she said with a shaking voice.

"Make sure both of them are stable. But, don't compromise speed. The sooner the bunker is notified of the attack, the better. I will try to delay them as long as possible," I said to the chunnin. "I am leaving you in charge. If he doesn't follow your orders, report him to the higher-ups."

"I don't think it will be necessary," he said placating Fujita who was lifting Tsuki sensei gingerly.

"You don't know about him," I grumbled. "Now, get going."

(*****)

"What are you working on?" Kushina asked bending over my fuinjutsu workbook.

"Traps," I said not taking my eyes of the seal I was working on.

"Your own creation?" Kushina asked as her interest was piqued.

"No, I am merely adapting some of the ideas that I read about in barrier seals," I said shrugging my shoulders.

"I see," her eyes roved over my seals. "This is a brilliant Hato kun. You have taken sealing barriers, deconstructed them and repurposed them into traps."

"Yeah," I said as I sheepishly rubbed my neck, "I thought that there are already sealing barriers in existence, what if we used them to seal the targets in a particular location. Then, use some storage seals to release traps that are lethal in nature. It just grew from there."

"I see," Kushina hummed. "But, there is a problem with this kind of a seal. You can't implement a remote trigger into them. How are you going to circumvent that? It doesn't look like it is going to differentiate an ally from enemy."

"I trying to work in a proximity trigger," I replied scrunching my eyebrows. "As for that no differentiation between ally and enemies, I don't think that when I use I will have to worry about any allies. I will only use it as a last-ditch effort."

"A proximity trigger? Huh, that might work. If you aren't worried about catching your allies into the trap then this might actually work."

"I too think so," I replied beaming at her.

"So, what kind of traps have you been trying to implement?"

"The nasty kind," I replied with a smile.

(*****)

I watched the group of two injured and three fit shinobi leave. Fujita shot me an angry glare just before moving out of my eyesight. I merely rolled my eyes at his childish actions. There were three reasons I insisted that Fujita leaves with them.

One, Fujita would undoubtedly ruin my plan. Apart from being a pain in my ass, he also has zero subtlety. This would require a delicate touch. And he wasn't suited for these kinds of things.

Two, this was my trump card. I wasn't going to showcase it to anyone that easily. The more things a shinobi held in reserve as trump cards, the more likely he is to live a long life.

Three, if he remained, he will surely die. The only one who could escape from this valley alive would be me. I didn't want his death on my conscience.

Once sure they were long gone, I turned to survey the valley. It was small, narrow and perfect for me to set up my traps. I smiled in anticipation of my sealing masterpiece at work. There were only one entrance and only one exit. If the Kiri platoon wanted to get to our bunker quickly, the only path was through this valley. If they take a detour, then it would take a long time. By then, the news would reach the bunker and they will be alert.

All I had to do was to make sure none of Kiri shinobi passed through this valley. And such a situation was perfect to test out my masterpiece. I reached the approximate center of the valley and opened my backpack. I retrieved the five scrolls from there and placed it reverently on the ground. With a small smile, I made four water clones. We eyed each other and a brilliant smile plastered on our face.

The four clones went in four cardinal directions. I stood in the center. They identified the four endpoints and placed the scrolls there. I placed the control scroll below my feet. If I had managed to work in the proximity trigger, this would have been easy. However, I had merely bypassed that for temporary usage with Kushina's help.

As I sent my chakra through the control scroll, it came alive sucking massive amounts of chakra from me. I was lucky that I had large chakra reserves. Grimacing a little, I saw the sealing lines stretch from the center to the four cardinal directions and connect with the child scrolls placed there. The four water clones dispersed sending chakra into the scrolls, thus completing the field of sealing. A small circle formed around me – large enough to house three people seated, indicating a safe zone that Kushina had helped me work into. The sealing lines dimmed and faded away from the eyes. Only a Sharingan or Byakugan would be able to see through it.

It was complete. All I had to do now was to wait.

And I didn't have to wait for long. The Kiri platoons crested the nearby hill in high spirits and came to a stop. I stood there in the center of the valley looking at them with a cocky smile. I took a taijutsu pose and beckoned them in a mocking manner.

True to their stereotypical violent nature, a group of chunnin rushed towards me from the hill angrily. I stood there in the circle awaiting them. The jounins were cautious though. They felt that something was wrong and looked around for any traps. The chunnins rushed into the valley with a shout that would have terrified me if I wasn't already prepared. I could see the jounins watching everything that was happening like a hawk.

But, nothing happened to any of the chunnins.

I smiled mockingly at them as the first of the lot ran towards me. I notched an arrow and let it fly, he escaped as he rushed towards me. I merely notched another and let it fly. This one missed too. Everyone outside the valley was looking at in confusion. Next, I notched two arrows let one fly, the second a moment later calculating the man's dodging path. The second one impaled him in the eye and he fell over.

The moment was so surreal that everyone stopped. I could still see that they were confused as to whether I was planning to stop them all with a bow. I smiled at them in sympathy and started firing arrows rapidly. A few made kill shots, but most were evaded. Around four of the chunnins who rushed to meet me reached the place where I was standing.

What followed was a brutal Taijutsu exhibition as I annihilated them in seconds. No one expected someone to fight with a bow and a kunai and be that deadly. All the while, I never moved out of the circle.

When done, I kicked their dead bodies out of the circle in a show of dominance. I resumed my stance and once again beckoned the ones outside of the valley with a mocking smile. This time I really hit the nerve.

Once they confirmed that there were no traps and I was only using my bow and taijutsu to challenge them, almost most of the Kiri platoon lost their mind, with the exception of a few veteran jounins who were still hesitating. I let out a sigh knowing it was too much to hope. But, I was still happy to be net so many fishes.

I kept up the charade until I was beginning to get overwhelmed. By now, most of them were already inside the valley. Some bypassed me and were heading towards the exit. Knowing that it was time, I sent a spike of chakra into the ground and activated the seal.

"Watch out," one of the sensors (I think) called to his comrades.

But, it was too late. The seal activated and the entire valley was sealed. Traps came alive swallowing Kiri shinobi in multiples. The most brutal and devastating were those near the circle. Unfortunately, that was where more Kiri Jounins were present. It was a bloodbath. Limbs flews, heads rolled, shrieks were heard and many vomited blood. I watched with morbid fascination as I masterpiece came alive claiming countless lives.

There were one chunnin and a Jounin inside the circle. But, they were frozen in shock as to what was happening outside. I utilized the opportunity to close in on the chunnin and dispose of him effortlessly. The Jounin growled and at last focused on me.

"You are dead brat," he spat viciously. "You have nowhere to run."

He was right. I was locked inside a small circle with a Jounin. But, I still had a few cards to play.

Dredging up my reserves, I pressed my fingers on the blood flowing down my body from the wound obtained after a vicious kenjutsu user parked his blade on my upper arm. I smiled at the Jounin who was angrily staring at me.

"I am going to rip your limbs off and take you back to Kiri," he growled. "I am going to torture you for years to come."

"Ah, I think I will pass on that," I said slamming my hand down on the ground between us. "Kuchiosone Jutsu."

(*****)

I bit into a chakra pill and sat down to recover my drained chakra. Luckily, I wasn't scrapping my bottom yet. So, the chakra began to recover slowly. The seal would last for ten minutes. After that, I have to find some other way to delay the Kiri platoons.

Luckily most of them had already been eliminated. Only a few veteran jounins remained outside of the valley with the exception of the support corps. Considering it was Kiri, there were only a few left. I counted their number and let out a sigh.

There were more than ten of them still standing. I gritted my teeth knowing that the odds were stacked against me. No matter how good I was, I wouldn't be able to take on five jounins along with half a dozen chunnins. Even if they are support staff, considering the violent nature of Kiri they will be better than anything Konoha might offer when it came to battle.

One of the damning things about my seal was that while it protected me for fifteen minutes, it also locked me inside for the same duration. I was basically a sitting duck in such a situation. But, there wasn't anything else I could do about it, can I?

I began planning for the upcoming conflict. Several scenarios rushed through my mind as I analyzed the pros and cons of each of my actions. I was sure that they knew that the seal wouldn't last long. And they were sure as hell angry with me now. Who wouldn't be? After all, I have taken out more than nine-tenths of their platoons in one go.

They didn't have enough shinobi to mount an attack on our bunker now. That means, their mission is a failure. And the one responsible for it was me. They wouldn't let me walk off into the sunset now. All their failure could be redeemed if they capture me.

So, I could either book it and hope to escape or stay here and fight till the end.

Either option had its own risks. While booking it seemed pretty safe, the problem is whether I could outrun five jounins. I didn't care about the chunnins. I know that without the weights, I had a speed comparable to jounins. But, if any of them was speed-oriented, then I am done for.

Same way, if I decide to fight them, then there is only one ending to it. Certain death or capture. It wouldn't do good to go head to head with five jounins and half a dozen of chunnins. The second option was looking more and more idiotic and dangerous.

So, that leaves only one route. But, the question was how to accomplish it so that it gave me a considerable head start. My mind whirled with plans as I analyzed and discarded multiple ones. Soon, a solid plan began to emerge in my mind. Even though I wasn't sure it would work, it gave me the biggest chance of survival.

As I sat there analyzing my situation, I could feel that the strength of the seal was weakening. If the reactions on their side were anything to go by, I knew they had a sensor who sensed it too. Gritting my teeth, I made a decision.

My hands blurred as I executed the very first jutsu Hiruzen had taught me. Mist enveloped the entire circle, hiding me from view. Shouts of surprise and derision were heard from the other side. They didn't expect someone to use this particular jutsu against them. Giving them no opportunity to think about what I was doing, I did three things in quick succession.

One, I pumped as much chakra as I could into the mist making it impossible to find me.

Two, I quickly made a water clone, handed him my bow and arrows and suppressed my chakra to the limit.

Three, I dropped the seal prematurely taking them by surprise. As the mist rushed into the valley blanketing it, I booked it when they were still reeling from surprise, leaving the clone to delay them as much as possible.

(*****)

OMAKE

Uchiha Fugaku was furious. The day has been one of the worst ones he had experienced ever since he had taken command. Earlier in the day, reports of two small scale battles fought had arrived and the death toll was alarming. It looked like Kiri was fully committing to the war.

While Konoha might have an edge in terms of cooperation and battle tactics, Kiri had those bloody Kekkai Genkai users. Most of the deaths were their handiwork. And just when he had thought his day couldn't get any worse, he had received word that one of the remote patrols had come across two Kiri platoons. The result had been nothing pleasant.

Most of the platoon was dead or MIA. According to the report received. Two chunnins who were mere support staff and one genin were the only ones to make it out alive. A genin and a Jounin were in a critical state and need immediate medical attention.

To top things off, the only Senju in Konoha had stayed back to delay those two platoons. What a joke? He knew the brat was good, brilliant even. But, holding off two platoons was no laughing matter. That meant that they had to prepare for an attack very soon.

Not to mention the political ramifications of that brat's death. The council will not let this go that easily. They will pin the fault on him and try to discredit the Uchihas. Danzo would be ecstatic. He had been waiting to knock their clan down for so long and this brat's death would be the perfect opportunity. That is all for later. First, he will have to deal with that banshee known as Kushina. She will be out for his head if her precious otouto died under his command.

He felt like burning down every single one of his subordinates just assuage his anger. But, he knew that it wouldn't help him. So, he decided that it would be better to meet the two platoons away from his bunker rather than letting them in so close.

Leading three platoons himself, he had set out immediately to confront the enemies. At least, it would feel good to let loose his anger on those Kiri bastards who had caused so many problems.

Halfway towards his destination, he heard battle sounds. He leaped into the scene Sharingan blazing in anger and was promptly surprised. The brat was still alive. He was near to death, but he was still alive and battling – was he fighting two Kiri Jounin by himself!?

His eyes took in the scene and it soon became clear that the boy was focusing more on escaping than fighting. He had never seen such mastery of substitution jutsu below experienced Jounin. The boy was struggling a lot. Too many injuries, lots of blood loss, but despite all that he could see the boy's sheer determination to live another day.

He had to admit that Senjus were worthy foes of Uchihas. It was no wonder his ancestors had considered Senjus as the only one able to stand toe to toe with them.

"Shit, they are here," one of the Kiri Jounins shouted alerting the other to their presence.

"What do we do?" the other panicked.

"Let's leave," the first one said anxiously.

"I am not coming without killing this fucker. He ruined the entire operation. More than nine-tenths of us are dead because of him," the second one had a crazed glint to his eyes as he madly charged at the boy.

The boy was barely standing.

His hands flashed through and he let loose a fireball making the Kiri Jounin fall back. The first one fled immediately. But surprisingly, the second one was still going for the boy.

He felt his anger rising. Was he someone to ignore? He was the clan head of the Uchihas. Was it important to kill that boy even when he was present on the scene? This was an insult to his ancestry and himself personally.

So, he rightfully let loose his entire fury on the hapless vermin. Needless to say, he didn't last long. Satisfied, he turned back to find the boy being tended to by the medics. Only after seeing the boy alive did his heart loosened.

That was one nightmare averted.

Now, he had two platoons of Kiri ninja to kill. He motioned his shinobi to follow as he picked up the pace. Strangely enough, he wasn't able to find even a single Kiri ninja. Did they circle around and attacked the bunker while he was away? But, it wasn't possible. There wasn't time for them to attack with such a ploy. Everything had happened within an hour.

Still uneasy, he crested the last hill where the valley was supposed to be present. The moment the valley came in sight, his breath hitched. What greeted him was a gruesome battle sight. Body parts of Kiri ninja were present everywhere. The entire valley was dyed in blood.

More than nine-tenths of us are dead because of him.

The Kiri ninja's words echoed in his mind. He could feel a few of his chunnins retching to the side. Most of them were dazed at the sight. It looked like the boy took care of two platoons all by himself. His hands clenched. A feverish desire to fight the boy ignited in his heart. It took everything he had to control his impulse.

He would be a worthy opponent.

His mind whispered beguiling words. He gritted his teeth and turned away from the valley.

"Be careful, check the battle site. I will need a report on this immediately," he ordered his trusted aides and resolutely walked away from the valley trying to contain that maddening thought.