Chapter 20: The Man behind the White mask

"It's not the face that makes someone a monster, it's the choices they make with their lives."

–Naruto

An hour earlier

The sudden rush of air flows through his face, as he jumped from branch to branch. He look at his left and right, seeing his team mates, Tako and Niadra.

"Are we there yet?" The brunette on his left, Niadra, asked him "Feels like we've been running for atleast 10 mins."

"A minute more, and we've arrived, don't worry. Just concentrate at running." The jet black slender man, Tako, replied. "Also, don't disturb Kiyoshi while he's running! He might get distracted and hit his head!" Tako laughed. He flips him off, and they continued running through the forest.

The forest clears down through as the trees get sparser and sparser before they reach a large campsite. He motioned for them to stop, and he looked at the campsite.

"Is this it?" Niadra, again asked him "Why can't we just send an ANBU squad to kill all of them?"

Kiyoshi look at Niadra and motioned for her to stay silent. His eyes looked over the overall campsite and noted things of importance.

"Look." Tako whispered to Kiyoshi "The report says that all of the merchants had little to no items with them, right? If so, then what are those?"

Kiyoshi looked at where Tako was pointing and saw he was right. There were five carriages, filled to the brim with what looked like food, miscellaneous items, and the most disturbing of all…

"Those are weapon shipments!" Niadra whispers ferociously "What were those 5 merchants names?"

Kiyoshi took a piece of paper from his vest and gave it to Niadra.

"I know these names. They were the frequent suppliers of weapon shops around Konoha. Look, one of them. Riya Hitoshi, the heir of a weapons manufacturer located at the Fire Daimyo's castle town. Giro Takasugi, CEO of Greater Goodness Inc., who sells shinobi weapons and armor."

"That means…" Tako looks grimly at Kiyoshi "We have to tell Hokage-sama immediately!"

Kiyoshi nodded, as he took out a piece of paper. As he put the tip of his brush at the paper, he hears a slash behind him.

"What do you think of my army?" He hears a deep grumble from behind him. He looks behind him, and saw a figure with a white mask with a sword reflecting off a red menacing light. In front of him was Niadra, with a shocked face as her last expression before she falls over the tree. As she fell, the masked figure took the report he had given to Niadra, and read it.

"Tsk, I see your Hokage has finally figured out what I was doing. Pity" He says as he cleaned off the blood on his sword with the report "Would have been a lot better if it was a surprise. But, it'll be fun."

"Kiyoshi, get away! I'll deal with him! Concentrate on sending the report to Hokage-sama!" Tako said as he did an array of seals before shouting

"Doton: Doryūheki!"

Suddenly, a wall of earth rises from the ground, which blocked the masked man from the two of them.

"Run Kiyoshi, do it!" He heard Tako say before he pushed him away. Kiyoshi followed the order and run through the forest. He ran for a few minutes before he stopped. He took out his piece of paper, and brushed a few strokes before he heard a blood curling scream in the cold, night air. His heart beating heavy, but his head clear, he wrote what he saw in what he could before he heard a giant thud behind him.

"That's pretty interesting. What do you got there?"

Immediately, he casted a single sign, and a heavy breeze took the paper into the orange, setting sun.

"Damn. A wind user." The masked figure grumbled "Can't you speak? Shout or say 'I'm gonna stop you!' like a typical shinobi?"

He unsheated his Kunai, and spat at the ground. He charged in, expecting to atleast hear a clang of metal but was surprised when his kunai didn't hit the figure. Or anything in that matter. He looked around, kunai, in hand. Then he felt something cold in the nape of his neck.

"One wrong move, and you die. But, dying would be more fun wouldn't it be?" The masked man asked behind him "But I can't live through this world without knowing something. Why aren't you speaking?

He felt a hand tugged his hair hard before his eyes was looking at a white, porcelain mask. He felt his mouth being forced open by a hand "So that's why! You have literally no tongue!" The masked figure say as Kiyoshi forcefully closed his mouth.

"You're pretty rare. No tongue. Wind user. You'd pay a lot of money in the black market as a slave" The man said before he felt a sharp pain behind his neck. "Then again, that'll be a hassle" He heard the figure say as he let out his final breath.

"What do you have, Kakashi?"

Kakashi looks at Hiruzen grimly "Guards at front saw a paper flying in the air. It's from the team you sent out, Hokage-sama"

"That means they're dead then." Hiruzen sighed. "What does the paper say?"

"Only a few words. Weapon. Box. Mask. Man. Evil." Kakashi looked and said the paper's content "Whoever wrote this, they were in a hurry."

"It is vague, but it give us some perspective. Weapon and box probably means Weapon crates or shipments. We could assume that these mercenaries are supplied with weapons. However Mask, man and evil could mean a lot of things."

Kakashi read the three words again and again before he realizes something "Or one."

Hiruzen looked at Kakashi with a raised brow "What do you mean?"

"Mask. Man. Evil. I knew a person who could very well fit this description. But the problem is…" Kakashi brows furrowed "It would be a few more years before he would be active."

Hiruzen realized what Kakashi meant, and signaled the ANBU protecting him to go away. He activated his security seals before he looked at Kakashi "Who is it?"

"Tobi. Or as you would know him, Uchiha Obito." Kakashi answered gravelly

Hiruzen looked at Kakashi, and rubbed his temple "Why?"

"He blames me for the death of Rin. He blames the world on his suffering. This is why he does this things."

Hiruzen sighed "This is all my fault. If I hadn't assigned you to that mission, the world would have been more different than what it is now." HIruzen looked at Kakashi "Tell Shikaku to prepare an assault plan. I want the mercenaries dealt with mercilessly and swif-"

Suddenly he feels the ground shake, and he stands up in shock "What was that?"

"Hokage-sama!" A shinobi barged in his office "Someone is attacking the front gate!"

"Get my garbs! Kakashi, get your team. We'll need all the power we could get."

"Hai!"

10 Mins earlier, at the forest of death

"Shut up Naruto" Sasuke says to Naruto as he took a few steps. Suddenly he felt a tug, and he found himself not able to move. "This is!-"

"Shadow Jutsu completed." The shrub said before a boy with spiky hair popped out.

"Ah! I can't believe we got caught in your trap!" Naruto said in frustration "I thought no interfering huh?!"

"Well, Ino wanted to go inside before it got darker. It was a pain in the ass to deal with her. Sorry Naruto."

Two more popped out as Ino and Chouji finally revealed themselves "What the- Sasuke-kun?!" Ino said in surprise and shock "Shikamaru, let go of them!"

"But if we get their scroll, then we could finally go inside. Really, woman, such a pain."

"But, Sasuke-kun will hate me!" Ino pouted.

"How did you even know we're here, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked

"Pretty easy. Your tracks. Plus the setting sun reflected on your hair quite a bit. It was pretty easy to lure you out just by letting you believe that everything was safe." Shikamaru explained "Once I heard you land, the trap was finished. What scroll do you even have, Naruto?"

"The Heaven Scroll."

Shikamaru groaned as he let go of the jutsu "We have the heaven scroll as well. Dammit, woulda been less of a pain in the ass if you had the earth scroll."

"Sasuke-kun! I'm so sorry that you had to go through that! Are you hurt? Are you okay?" Ino asked Sasuke ravegely as she looked at every possible nook that Sasuke had.

"Stop that. It's annoying." Sasuke said to Ino, which he tried to shake off.

Sakura looked at Ino in disdain 'You stupid excuse of a-!'

"Woah there! Sakura-chan, chill out!" Naruto said as she notices Sakura fuming in anger. "It's not worth it! You'll just break every bone in her body!"

"I'm a medic, Naruto. I can just heal her up and do it again!" Sakura said as she rushed to Ino.

"Ha! An excuse of a girl like you can't hurt me!" Ino snarkily replied

"You bitch-" Sakura managed to say, before they felt the ground shake.

"What was that?" Naruto said before he run to the top of a tree, and looked in the distance.

His eyes widen as he saw the red, orange flames in front of the gates, and a large boom would happen before the ground would shake again.

He saw a silver blur go to the forest, and Naruto jumped down.

"Kakashi!" Sasuke said in surprise, as he saw the silver-haired jounin "What's happening out there?"

"Someone attacking the gate. Hokage ordered us to go!" Kakashi hurrily replied "Come on, let's go."

"Who is it, Kaka-sensei?" Naruto asked as he landed from the top of the tree

Kakashi looked at Naruto with his one eye, sharingan blazing "It's Obito."

Gaara woke up from his nap by a sudden boom before he felt the ground shake. He looked out the window at the room he was staying at and saw the bright flames of fire. Suddenly, he heard his door open and he found Temari.

"What's happening?" Gaara asked his sister "Is someone invading Konoha?"

"I don't know, but Baki-san said we're gonna be staying here, until we're given the word to move."

Gaara nodded, and Temari left his room. As soon as he heard the door close, he closed his eyes.

He opened it, and found himself facing the One-tail

"Shukaku. What's happening down there?" Gaara asked the One-tailed Racoon "Is the Kyuubi saying anything?"

"Nothing. That fox isn't saying anything at the slightest. He's been pretty silent ever since…that day."

Gaara nodded "We're gonna help out. Prepare for a big fight." He said to Shukaku before he went out of his mindscape.

Naruto's heart thumped faster and faster as his brain went into overdrive 'Why is Obito early? Why is he here? What's his goal?'

Kakashi stopped, as Naruto spotted Sarutobi standing in top of a building near the front entrance "Hokage-jiji!"

Hiruzen looked around and saw Naruto, which he greeted with a nod "Naruto."

"Is this really Obito?" Naruto asked Hiruzen "Why the hell is he early?"

Hiruzen shook his head "I do not know. The Sealing team is going through hell keeping the front door locked. I'm surprised they haven't breached the walls though."

"Have you assigned shinobis to parts of the wall in case this is a distraction?"

"I did, do not worry. I have the ANBU try to go around and kill them but I haven't received a report."

Naruto looked at the front gate with a worried look "That door isn't gonna last much longer. What about the other shinobi villages? Have their representatives said anything?"

Hiruzen shooked his head "They are staying silent. The Grass genins used the escape route to go out with the civilians. The Sand haven't replied-"

"They have replied. " A voice said as Naruto looked up and saw Sand, and a familiar face

"Gaara! Thank god you're here!"

"Gaara of the sand, son of the Kazekage. It is nice to see you here, but I fear if you die in this battle, Konoha will receive the brunt of your father's anger."

"It does not matter, Hokage-dono. I am here at my own free will. I can help."

Hiruzen raised his brow, but understood.

Suddenly the door blew wide open, and smoke enveloped the immediate area. As the smoke cleared, a figure with dark, black robes and a White porcelain mask stood in the center.

"Konoha. It has been so long since I have been here. Now." As he raised his hand "Let the slaughter, begin"

A/N: Three posts in a row?! What is this sorcery? I told you I would post another one within this week, and I have given you what I have promised. I'm literally writing this Author's note while my eyes are drooping. I'm tired. It's literally 3:46 AM from where I am.

I'm sorry for ending on a cliffhanger, but I felt that the battle would need it's own dedicated chapter so I'm gonna sleep, wake up, then write it up. I'll have it for you by the end of the day, don't worry. Anyways, hope you enjoyed! ありがとうございます！じゃね！