Hello all. Here's chapter 3 so the voting for Elmer's inclusion is over and I'm sad to say that Elmer won't be included as he only got 2 votes. =(
"Let's take a break after this chapter." Bugs suggests to which the others agree.
Whistling could be heard as the resident redhead of the Hidden Leaf sorted out some supplies that he had pulled out of a crate labeled "ACME Jumbo Catapult". He set aside some lumber, some nuts and bolts, and a wrench that was as tall as he was while he unfolded a large blanket that was made entirely of thick leather.
"Hm. This could be either really funny or really painful." Wile says with a hum as he has used the same before.
"Alright, all the pieces are here," he muttered to himself as he looked through the blueprints. "Let's see… The longest piece of wood is meant to act as the arm while the others are meant to be the base."
"What exactly is the purpose of such a large catapult sochi?" Kushina asks out loud getting a shrug from Naruto.
"And just what is my kit up to THIS time?" Asked the Kyuubi, amusement in her tone.
'Just the main part of my latest prank. You know how I always had a thing for painting, right kaa-chan?'
"Of course, I know that, my tricky artist. Remember what I told you years before…"
'The world is my canvas and I'm the brush,' he finished with a smile. 'I know, kaa-chan. Anyway, my latest work of art will leave this place being the biggest masterpiece of the Land of Fire!'
"That's quite ambitious." Daffy says in amusement.
He then made a platoon of clones and ordered them to get to work while his surrogate mother giggled in his head. Within the span of half an hour, a humongous catapult rested proudly before him with the arm wound back in a ready position. Grinning like a loon, Naruto had his clones all take their position within the leather sling of the catapult, all of them grinning just as wide as he was.
"You certainly have the grin down." Porky points out.
"Men!" Began Naruto, now dressed in military garb fitting of a samurai general. "You'll be heading out into enemy territory with nothing more than your nerve, your wit, and the clothes on your back!" Saluting them, he finished, "it was my honor to serve with you all, and Godspeed!"
"You make a good general." Bugs says as he's done the same before.
"SIR!" Saluted the clones in return before Naruto pulled the lever and sent them all flying, never losing his salute as he watched them fly off.
A lone tear fell as he whispered, "those were the finest men I could've ever made."
Sniffling could be heard and he turned to his left to see his sister dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Those poor boys," she choked out. "May the kami watch over them."
The watchers all salute the clones as well. Even Kurama salutes the clones.
He turned back to where he had shot his clones, watching as they all transformed into trailing smoke clouds of various colors. "Let's see the results!" He suggested with a grin before Anko put a hand on his head and used the Body Flicker to bring them to the top of the Hokage Monument. Once there, the duo saw that the smoke clouds had covered the entire village top, enshrouding it in a swirl of color before the smoke dispersed.
"I wonder what the image will be." Anko says thoughtfully.
Once it cleared, the two outcasts of the village grinned at the sight of the village resembling a massive painting. The painting was in the form of the Kyuubi sitting proudly with her tails curled into her while her eyes had the Uzumaki Swirls for pupils. On her forehead was a purple snake coiled in an infinity symbol.
"Now THAT'S what I call art!" Kushina squeals in delight. Anko has a huge grin while nodding in agreement.
"I call it My Family!" Exclaimed Naruto as he stood facing his sister with his arms wide. "What do you think?"
Anko chuckled at the sight, nodding in appreciation. "Not bad, squirt. Not bad at all."
"It looks lovely, kit," Kyuubi praised as she used her chakra to send a pleasant feeling to his brain. "I love how detailed you were with my fur."
'I did my best, kaa-chan,' replied the boy happily. If he had a tail, it would be wagging excitedly from the praise.
"Well, I think we've terrorized the populace enough for one day," stated the violette while stretching her arms upwards. "You still have to meet up with your team for a mission."
"Aw, that's sweet sochi." Kushina gushes while hugging Naruto.
"Think sensei will let us go for a C-Ranked Mission today?" Asked the Jinchuriki in a hopeful tone.
"Maybe. Though with the amount of paperwork we've no doubt built up for the old man, I think he'd be happy to send you out, if only to get you out of his hair for a while." They began to walk down the mountain and to the training grounds as she talked. "Kurenai-chan and I both know that you're ready for that kind of mission, but I'm not too sure about the other munchkins on your squad."
"Nobody is ever really ready for a C-rank mission as anything could happen to increase the difficulty and thus increase the rank." Kushina says sagely with the other ninja nodding in agreement.
"They're ready," stated Naruto, not a flicker of doubt in his tone. "We've been training together for about a month now. I know they're ready."
Anko smirked at his words. "That confident, are you?" He nodded and she ruffled his hair. "Alright squirt, I believe you. But still, make sure to keep an eye on them, kay?"
"You better keep an eye on your teammates sochi." Kushina demands.
"Right!" Agreed Naruto with a salute. They soon entered the training ground and saw Team 8 waiting for them.
Kurenai was tapping her foot and giving the duo a stern look, making them grin sheepishly at her. "I'd ask about it, but I'm not sure I want to know why you decided to literally paint the town."
Everyone is laughing at that.
"Because the world is my canvas?" Suggested the whiskered Genin, making her eyes narrow. "Wrong answer?"
"What do you think?" She asked rhetorically before she led her team, and Anko, to the Hokage Tower.
Ino moved to walk next to her crazy teammate and nudged him. "I thought it was pretty cool. How'd you get the entire village painted?"
"Clones, the Transformation Jutsu, and a ridiculously oversized catapult that could make on think I was overcompensating for something," answered the redhead, making Anko snort.
"Which I'm not." Naruto says with pride.
"Which he isn't, by the way," she commented, making Ino flush red. Anko grinned at that, pulling out a kunai and licking it. "Thinking inside the gutter, blondie?" She asked in an overly sweet tone. "That's my cute little brother, y'know."
"That's my line y'know!" Kushina says with her verbal tick causing her to blush.
The Yamanaka heiress waved her hands frantically with a nervous sweat while Naruto snickered, Shino remained silent, and Kurenai rolled her eyes. The group then entered the tower and walked to the mission desk where the Hokage and a couple of Chunin, including Iruka, were stationed with handing out missions. Once the Kage took note of the two village loons, his brow twitched.
"I thought I was the only one to get the old monkey's eyebrow to twitch from my pranks." Kushina sulks getting pats on the back from Naruto.
"Team 8," he greeted. He was a village leader, so he had to act the part no matter how much he wanted to scream his head off. "What will it be today? I have a list of D-Ranks that you could partake in."
"D-Ranks! Yuck!" Kushina, Naruto, and Anko says at the same time.
"Actually sir," began the red eyed Jonin, "I believe that my team is now ready to take on a low C-Rank Mission. Preferably one that…gets their feet wet, sir."
The elderly man frowned slightly at that. When Genin "got their feet wet", it usually meant that they would be performing their first kills. The best way to do that for starting Genin teams was with a mission concerning bandit groups or low-ranking missing ninja. Any other way would be too much for them.
"Is that true?" Naruto asks the older ninja getting nods in return.
"Are you sure about this?" He asked, all thoughts of the impending storm of paperwork from Naruto's prank pushed to the back of his mind.
Kurenai nodded. "Yes, I am sir." (Fixed your mistake with this one, pain.)
"Very well then," he said, pulling out a scroll. "This is a typical bandit extermination mission."
"E-Extermination?" Squeaked out Ino, feeling anxious.
"Yes," answered Anko, losing all sense of playfulness. "These kinds of missions are meant to help young Genin like yourself. It may seem cruel, but think of it this way. What if you came across this situation later on, with no experience whatsoever, and you froze? Tell me what you think would happen."
"Damn. Now I really wish Kakashi had done a better job." Kushina curses.
The kunoichi was silent, not wanting to say the answer. However, Shino answered, "we'd be open to an attack and would most likely be killed."
"Yes, you would," Anko stated. "This mission will help you get through the trauma of first kills."
"Ino," Kurenai said, getting her student's attention, "if you're not ready, then we can do this another time. There's no rush, and there never will be."
She bit her lip, fingers fiddling together as she thought it over. Looking over to her teammates, she saw Shino look back at herm but she couldn't tell what he was expressing because of his attire. As for Naruto, she saw him give her a smile. It was small, but it carried a tremendous amount of reassurance and support.
"That was nice of you Naruto." Bugs says with a smile getting one in return from the whiskered blonde.
Slowly, she smiled back before turning to her sensei and nodding. "I'll do it now. I'm ready, Kurenai-sensei."
She gave a small smile at the determination in her student's eyes. "We'll take the mission, Hokage-sama."
"Very well then," he replied before giving them an overview of the mission and handing her the scroll.
[Scene shift]
"Do you understand the mission, Bee?" Asked a dark-skinned man with slicked back, pale blonde hair, a short mustache and goatee, and a figure that was nothing short of ripped.
"Was that Ay?" Kushina asks out loud.
Standing across from him was another dark-skinned man that was also incredibly muscled, though not to the same degree as the first. He wore a standard Hidden Cloud Jonin, though he only wore the vest and had seven sheathed swords strapped to his back.
"Octo-pops!" Naruto cheers.
Behind this man were three Genin. Two were dark-skinned, though the female had frizzy red hair and fierce amber eyes while the male had short and spiky white hair and black eyes with a lollipop in his mouth. The last was a light-skinned blonde with her hair cut short and straight while her eyes were an icy blue. What stood out to most, mainly because they were perverted men and jealous women, was her bust size which was already bordering on a C-Cup.
"Damn. She must be an early bloomer like that Hyuuga girl on Kurenai-chan's team." Anko says with a whistle causing Naruto to blush.
These four were Killer Bee ("Octo-pops!" Naruto interrupts (Damn it, Naruto!)), Karui, Omoi, and Samui of the Hidden Cloud while the man they stood before was Ay, the Fourth Raikage of the Hidden Cloud.
"So that was Ay. Looks like he did become Raikage like he said he would." Kushina says with a smile.
"Yo bro, we got this for sho'!" Rapped Bee, making Karui groan and face palm while Omoi sighed and Samui cracked the faintest of smirks.
Ay sighed at his brother's antics. "Just take care of it. Your Genin need to deal with their first kills and this is the best way. Besides, we've received reports that these bandit groups are converging into one united group."
"That's bad, right?" Porky asks the ninja, getting nods in return.
"We got it bro, just like I said. Those bandits are as good as dead."
The Raikage nodded before he dismissed the team. The Hachibi Jinchuriki led his Genin through the gates and towards the Land of Hot Water. Based on reports they had gotten from scouts, various bandit groups had decided to ally themselves into one cohesive unit and take over the country, using it as one major base.
"Doesn't the Land of Hot Water have their own Hidden Village?" Naruto asks. "They did before the Hidden Hot Spring decided to become a tourist attraction." Kushina says.
The problem there was that the Land of Hot Water did business with both the Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Leaf, so Killer Bee had little doubt that a Leaf team would be sent out as well. Relations between the two villages were still strained due to the failed kidnapping of the Hyuuga Clan heiress back when the Third Raikage was still in charge.
"WHAT?!" Kushina screams in horrified anger.
'Yo Eight-O, how do you think this'll go?' Asked the Jonin to his partner.
"You'll be stupid not to expect a team from the Leaf. Just hope that they don't start anything, or that your team doesn't instigate a fight. Your brother is trying to repair relations with them after all," replied the Hachibi, Gyūki.
"Why would someone want to kidnap a child?" Daffy asks in shock.
Bee nodded in agreement as he stooped leaping through the trees, making his team stop as well. "Listen up you three, for these are important words from me. We might run into some Leaf Ninja, but we will not injure."
"Good." Naruto says with arms crossed.
"What do you mean, sensei?" Asked Omoi as he shifted the lollipop in his mouth.
"Bro is trying to stop the hate between us, since we took the daughter of the Hyuuga's. so don't start any fights, or I'll be sure to work you through the longest nights," he rapped in response, though there was a serious edge to his tone.
"I would do the same if my students started something." Kushina says with a nod.
The three nodded, prompting Bee to move them out once again. After some time, Samui's curiosity got the better of her. "Sensei, the Leaf has a Jinchuriki too, right?"
"Last I heard from bro, the Kyuubi was killed fourteen years ago. But I don't think that's how it down, since that rumor makes Eight-O frown."
"Is it possible that we'll run into the Jinchuriki during this mission?" Asked Karui with a raised brow. She was curious as well, and a part of her hoped that the Jinchuriki would off her a good fight.
"You let her beat you up because you refused to talk about that Uchiha, gaki (brat)." Kurama huffs at Naruto who blushes in embarrassment.
"We won't know for sho'," Bee answered. "We'll just have to see as we go, yo!"
The three Genin nodded as they followed their sensei through the country.
[Scene shift again]
"Alright, we're nearing the border of the Land of Fire and Land of Hot Water," Kurenai called out as she led her team through one of the many forests in their home country. "We'll set up camp on our side of the border and do some recon when it gets dark."
"Smart Kurenai-chan, very smart." Anko says with a grin.
Her team nodded, though Naruto had an excited grin on his face. "Sensei, I believe I may have a plan that could provide the most success," offered Shino.
"We'll discuss plans after we've set up camp," she replied as she leapt down from the trees and landed in a small clearing. "This should work for our camp. Naruto, go catch us some fish at the river we passed. Ino and I will set up the tents and Shino will get us some firewood."
"Can't have a camp without a campfire." Bugs says with a nod.
Once the jobs were assigned, Team 8 went to work. It didn't take long to set up the two tents they had brought, and it was around half an hour later that both boys came back with their hauls. Since it was still a bit early in the afternoon, the team had some time to kill before it got dark enough and they enjoyed the fried trout that Naruto had caught for them.
"Mm. Fried trout." Wile E says while drooling.
As they ate, Shino offered his plan, "I believe that my beetles would provide undetectable scouts to recon the inner workings of the camp while the rest of us could survey the outer perimeters. Ino-san could also use her clan's signature jutsu to take over a member and map out the camp from the inside."
"Seems like a good plan." Kushina says with a nod.
Kurenai hummed in thought. It was a sound plan, but she was apprehensive about sending Ino – even if it wasn't her body – into the metaphorical lion's den. Turning to her female student, she asked, "think you're up for it, Ino?"
"I'd feel the same if it were me." Kushina says sagely.
The Yamanaka heiress took a breath to gather her thoughts. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried, but I'm ready to do my part for the mission."
The Jonin nodded with a supportive smile, making Ino smile back. "Alright, we'll go with your plan, Shino. Once we have a general idea of the layout, along with important tents, we'll get to work on taking them out. Naruto," she called, getting the redhead to look at her. "I'll be counting on you to run sabotage strikes on them. Create as much chaos as you can to throw them off and keep them from regrouping."
"Sound plan." Daffy says with a nod.
"You got it, boss!" Replied the Jinchuriki. "Those guys won't know what hit them!"
Unknown to them, they were being watched by a falcon that observed them with an intense gaze. Once it had heard enough, the falcon took off and flew across the large plain that was being occupied by dozens of tents and campsites. It then descended once it reached the other side, landing on an outstretched arm of a redheaded Cloud Genin.
"Wait what?!" Everyone exclaimed at once.
"What'd you find out, Sora?" Asked Karui as she walked back to her team's camp.
"Your sensei was right to suspect a team from the Leaf. It's a standard Genin team like yours with a kunoichi Jonin, a kunoichi Genin, and two male Genin," answered the falcon. "Based on their appearances, I'd say that you're dealing with an Aburame and a Yamanaka."
"You guys have talking animals?" Porky asks in shock. "You guys are animals too." Naruto says back. "We're toons." Bugs replied.
"What about the other two?" Asked Omoi.
"The Jonin doesn't look to be from a clan, though she has strange red eyes and black hair. She might be an Uchiha, but I doubt it since the rumors were that there are only two left; both male."
"What?!" Kushina screams in shock. "What happened to Mikoto?!"
"And the last one?" Queried Samui.
"A redheaded boy, but he seems to act more like a child than a Genin," answered Sora. "Although, the Jonin has tasked him to cause the most damage to the camp and keep them disorganized."
"Which a loon can do." Daffy says smirking.
"A child he might seem to appear, but don't underestimate him, ya hear?" Asked Bee to his Genin, making them nod.
"One last thing. They plan to do some recon during the darker hours and then strike once they've made a decent layout," informed the falcon before she disappeared in a plume of smoke.
"Wait, there's a Falcon Summoning Contract?" Naruto asks in disbelief.
"Alright then, yo. We'll strike when the Leaf team does, for sho'!" Rapped Bee, telling his team the battle plan. He then surprised them when he sat up straighter, looking at them seriously. "Understand that this mission is meant to see if you have what it takes to deal with the harsher aspects of the ninja lifestyle. You're expected to perform your first kills on this assignment."
"Wow. I never knew that Octo-pops could be serious." Naruto says in surprise.
The trio looked nervous at that, thinking over what was expected. The Jonin left them to their thoughts as he started to perform his own recon of the camp.
[Third scene shift]
Naruto sighed as he sat cross-legged on a tree branch, watching his team perform recon and waiting for the signal. This was his job that Kurenai assigned at the last minute, but she had him go to the other side of the camp so that the whole team met on the same side.
"Good plan." Everyone says while nodding.
"So bored," he muttered, resting his chin in his palms. "How much longer?"
"Patience, my kit. They'll be back soon," reassured his mother figure. "Besides, one of your…cousins is here."
'A cousin?' Asked Naruto in surprise.
"That's right. My brother Gyūki is here with his Jinchuriki. That would make the Jinchuriki your cousin of sorts."
'Wow… Wait, isn't Uncle Gyūki from the Hidden Cloud like Aunty Matatabi?'
"Yes, he is. Be careful though, Naru-chan. The Leaf and the Cloud still aren't on the best of terms after that Hyuuga incident."
Mentally nodding, Naruto refocused on the camp. His slit pupils gave off a ghostly glow as he watched Kurenai and Shino make it to about halfway around the camp from both sides. Kurenai was carrying Ino's body on her back and had them covered in a genjutsu that his eyes easily saw through. As for Ino, she had taken over a random member of the camp, though she has put some white bandage tape underneath the man's right eye so that the others would know it was her.
"Is that true Kurama?" Naruto and Kushina ask at the same time getting a snort from the fox. "No." Kurama replied.
"Only halfway," he sighed out. "I wish something exciting would happen soon."
"It's not cool to talk during a recon, you know," commented a female voice, making Naruto blink and look up, spotting a blonde Cloud Genin seated on a branch above his.
Shrugging, he replied, "I'm not really on recon. I'm just waiting for a signal before I can go nuts; which, by the way, is my specialty."
The grin he gave at the end made her smirk. While many saw Samui as an apathetic, if not cold, person, she actually enjoyed people who had their own unique quirks. While her sensei could be better, she honestly enjoyed how he could make a rap sound and look so entertaining. It was how he was, and she respected and liked that.
"I feel the same way." Anko pouts at the lack of bloodshed.
"So, what's a Cloud kunoichi doing here?" Asked the redhead. "Are you guys trying to take these bandits out too?"
"That's the plan," answered Samui as she moved down to his branch, sitting next to him. It was a rookie mistake, being so close to a potential threat, but she sensed no ill will from the Genin next to her. "We had received reports a few days back saying that these groups were planning to take over this country and make it a base."
"Get on with the bloodshed!" Anko demands.
"Yea, the old man mentioned something about that. He said that it'd be bad since we receive imports from the country in exchange for some escorts and exports."
"Old man?" Asked Samui.
"Yea, Old Man Hokage!" Explained Naruto with a grin. "He's a cool guy, but he's really, really old!"
She smirked at his words and how expressive he was. "But, he's not a Kage for nothing, right?"
The Uzumaki shrugged. "I guess, though he did induct me in the loony bin." He ignored her looking at him with a raised brow as he continued," he said he wanted me to take some time to calm down and even had some people try to talk to me about it. Problem was, they ended up renting a room of their own in that place."
"Ha! Did Hiruzen know that you called him an old man sochi?" Kushina asked with a laugh to which Naruto nodded with a wide shit-eating smile.
"So…you're crazy?" She asked bluntly.
"Nope!" He answered. "I'm not crazy; I just don't give a darn!"
His grin and proud look broke through and she couldn't help but snicker. "You're a strange person…"
"Naruto Uzumaki," he supplied after her pause, offering her a hand to shake.
She took it with a small smile and shook it. "Samui," she introduced.
Naruto was about to ask her something, but a blinking green light caught his eye and he saw Kurenai holding a miniature light meant for signaling others. Sighing he stood up and rolled his neck. "Well, that's my cue to go. It was nice meeting you, Samui."
"Bloodshed?" Anko perks up.
"It was cool meeting you too, Naruto," she returned as she watched him leap down and make his way over to his team. Smiling to herself, she commented, "he's a weird one."
[Scene shift #4]
"Okay, here's a basic layout of the camps," Kurenai said as she showed her team a map made from the combined efforts of herself, Shino, and Ino. She pointed to a large shape in the center and informed, "this is the conference tent. It's where the leaders of the different groups get together and discuss plans and supplies. At each cardinal end, there is a sentry tent keeping an eye outside of the camp. Though, they're not all that observant since they didn't spot us."
"Aw. No bloodshed." Anko pouts again.
"That or they didn't have sufficient ninja training," supplied Shino, making Kurenai nod.
"True. Here," she pointed at a shape near the conference tent, "is there supply tent. It's where they hold their food and extra weapons. And right behind the conference tent-"
"-is the tent they call their spoils tent," interrupted Ino with a disgusted look. "There were a few women tied up in there."
Kurenai frowned as well in disgust. Turning to Naruto, she saw him looking at the map seriously, not a trace of his naturally crazy self to be seen. "Naruto," he looked up at her," avoid that tent. Anywhere else, go all out."
"Bloodshed." Anko says pouting.
"Got it," he replied seriously as he stood up and walked away from the camp. His team followed him as he stepped out onto the plain, still hidden by the shadows of the surrounding forests. 'Kaa-chan,' he called out.
"Hm. I wonder what is going to happen now." Kushina says curiously.
"I know, kit," she answered, giving him some of her chakra.
"Let's show these bastards what a devil can do," he said before he gathered his chakra and spun in place.
[Scene shift #5]
"Oh boy," Gyūki commented as he felt Kyuubi's chakra.
'What's the issue, Eight-O?' Asked Bee.
"My sister is here. Turns out she survived and was sealed away; not killed."
'The Kyuubi Jinchuriki? You serious, Gyūki?'
"See for yourself," the Hachibi said to his container.
Listening, the rapping Jinchuriki leapt up onto a high branch and saw a child-sized, red tornado of death tear through the camp, bringing chaos and disorder upon the bandits as they all tried to get organized. He also spotted a Leaf team entering the camp right after the tornado, though they were one short.
"Just like Taz." Bugs says with a fond smile while Anko cheers at the bloodshed.
'The tornado must be the Jinchuriki, yo,' he mused to himself before turning to his team. He saw that they were ready and nodded, giving them the go ahead to charge in. he himself stood back and watched with a focused gaze, keeping an eye on his students.
"Hm, hey Scheffinator, is it possible to bring Taz in?" Bugs asks out loud. "That's up to pain17ification, not me." Scheffinator says while appearing on screen. "I know you and Daffy wanted Elmer brought in but I'm sad to say that he won't be brought in since my readers didn't give enough votes."
With Naruto, he kept tearing through anything in his path, spinning around with clawed hands cutting the air around him. Kyuubi's chakra worked with him, making the air surrounding him razor sharp as he moved around like a spinning top of destruction. He had just torn through his eighth tent when he stopped moving and slowed his spin down.
"I miss Taz. He was fun." Bugs says fondly.
When he stopped spinning, he took note of the tent Ino said held the women in it. With a frown, he stepped inside and took note of the six women looking at him in fear. It tore at him seeing that, seeing that these women were almost broken by these monsters who didn't deserve to be called human.
"Agreed!" Everyone shouted as one.
Slowly, he walked over to them, making sure to convey reassurance in his eyes. It helped, though not by much since the women he stepped up to still shivered in fear. He knelt down next to her and untied her binds, shocking her by how much he made sure not to hurt her.
"Good going sochi!" Kushina praised while hugging Naruto, who blushed.
"There," he said after he freed her. "Go free the others. I'll make sure no one else comes in."
The woman nodded with tears in her eyes as she rushed over to the others, untying them as fast as she could. Once the others were freed, Naruto made ten clones that stood close to them.
"What are you planning sochi?" Kushina asks with narrowed eyes.
"These guys will make sure you get out of here safely. Once you're out, run as fast as you can. They'll stay with you for as long as they can."
The women nodded and rushed out. The one that he freed, however, stayed back and hugged him tightly, tears still falling. "Thank you," she choked out before she followed the others.
"Aw, that's so sweet." Kushina gushes.
He watched them run out with the clones guarding them, a frown in place. 'Kaa-chan…'
"Yes, Naruto?"
'I never want to see that again. People shouldn't be so broken and afraid…'
"What will you do about it then? No matter what, there will always be someone being broken in the world."
'Then I'll fix the world. I'll take all of the cruelty and give it back to those monsters tenfold. I promise.'
Kyuubi smiled at her kit's words. "I know you will, my precious kit…"
[Scene shift #6]
Ino was shaking as she saw the pandemonium that her teammate had caused. Men were screaming in panic while others were trying to bark out orders. Kurenai had told them to split up so that they could make sure no bandits escaped.
"That's certainly ambitious." Bugs says with an approving nod while the other toons nod in agreement.
She gulped as she gripped her kunai and walked carefully through the camps. Nerves on high alert due to her anxiety, she was able to roll away when a man tried to grab her from the wreckage of one of the tents. He had a look of anger on his face, though there was also a cruel grin.
"Kill him blondie!" Anko shouts to the screen.
"Well, well," he began, "look at what I've found. A little girl playing ninja."
She gulped again as she held her kunai in front of her. "I-I'm not playing! I am a ninja and I won't let you leave!"
"Is that right?" He asked. "Well then, by all means, stop me." He then pulled out a cleaver knife that was stained with blood like one in a butcher's shop. "I'll try not to cut you too bad. After all, I'm sure I can have some with you."
"Kill him Ino!" Even Naruto is shouting now.
"Don't touch me!" Ino shrieked as she threw her kunai and then reached into her pouch and threw five shuriken. She was growing scared and the fear rose when she saw him bat away her kunai and then duck behind a crate to avoid her shuriken.
"Oh dear." Kushina says in worry.
"Oh? Is the little ninja scared of me?" He asked cruelly, making her back away. "That's good… You should be, little girl. After all, the things that would happen to you…"
The way he trailed off left Ino shaking in place. The man smirked at this and readied his cleaver before he rushed at her. All the while, Ino was frozen in fear as he drew nearer. Her nerves screamed at her to move, but she couldn't. This man, this monster, terrified her and he kept getting closer.
"Come on Ino! Move!" Naruto screams in worry.
"Move, damnit!" Yelled another girl's voice, shaking Ino from her frozen state just in time to raise another kunai in front of her on instinct.
A sudden squelch was heard alongside the sound of someone choking on their own blood. The Yamanaka heiress forced her eyes open slightly before they widened in horror at the sight of the man stabbed by her own knife directly in the center of his chest. The man choked out something, but all it did was make him spit out a little blood that landed on Ino's cheek.
Everyone winces at the scene.
Slowly, the man fell to the side and Ino let go of her weapon before falling to her knees, tears falling and eyes frozen in a state of fear and horror. She never noticed a redheaded girl landing next to her and helping her up, a sword in her hand that had blood on the blade.
"Poor Ino." Naruto says with a look of sympathy.
"Let's go," Karui said softly as she led Ino away from the camps. She herself couldn't stand the sight of so many dead bodies.
[Scene shift 7]
Shino was panting as he crouched behind a stack of crates. He had just taken another bandit with his beetles, and the sight of the body having been drained of all life was taking its toll on him.
"I feel sorry for Shino." Naruto says with a wince.
The mission was much more than he thought it would be. He had believed that he was ready for something like this, but he had overestimated his own fortitude. He knew that this was the mission, but he didn't want to take another life. It was too much for him.
"Wuss." Anko sneers getting a dark look from Naruto.
"Hey, I found one of them!" Called out one of the bandits, making Shino turn to see that he had been spotted and was now cornered by five more bandits. "Let's take him out, quick!"
The Aburame heir swallowed in worry as he forced himself to stand. Just as he was about to send out his beetles once more, someone landed behind the bandits. The newcomer had white hair and wore a Hidden Cloud uniform as he flew through hand-seals.
Naruto sighs in relief that one of his friends wasn't going to be killed.
"Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder!" Omoi called out as he released his jutsu, cringing at the sight of the lightning striking the bandits and high-lightning their own skeletons with the shocks. Within seconds, the men dropped and didn't move, making him sigh tiredly. "I can't take this anymore," he muttered before he turned to Shino. "You alright?"
"Ouch." The toons all say as one.
The Aburame nodded. "Yes, thank you for your help. I don't think I could've taken them in my current state."
Omoi nodded and turned to the rest of the wrecked camps. "I barely had that left in me, to be honest." He sighed again as he walked over to Shino. "We should get moving before more find us. I'm spent and I don't want to run into anyone else. There's no telling what they'd do to us."
"Good idea." Everyone says at the same time.
"Agreed," replied Shino as he followed the Cloud Genin.
[Scene shift 8]
"Wind Style: Gale Sword!" Samui cried as she swung her sword, sending out a wave of razor-sharp wind that cut into two bandits in front of her. The men cried out in agony as they dropped, trying desperately to cover their wounds.
"Nasty." The toons say while cringing.
The kunoichi was panting hard as she used her sword to help her stay standing. There were still four more of them surrounding her on all sides. "She's spent, boys! Let's take her down and show her just what she got herself into!"
"Where's her backup?!" Kushina demands with a snarl.
"Yea! You see those tits?!" Gleefully called out one of them. "Imagine how big they'll be later on!"
She glared at them with her icy eyes, forcing herself to stand with her sword at the ready. "You won't…touch me," she panted out.
The men just chuckled at her defiance as they moved forward. However…
"Ninja Art: ACME Bomber!" Called out a familiar voice, making Samui look up to see Naruto in the air above her.
He glared at the men and thrusted his arms down at them. On his wrists were four firecrackers that were lit and shot toward the ground. They flew in erratic motions before they landed next to each of the bandits, detonating with the force of two Bomb Tags each. The last thing they heard was the men screaming before the explosions drowned them out.
"Now that's what I call a Dynamic Entry!" Naruto cheers.
Seeing that the threat was gone, Samui dropped to her knees and released a breath of relief while Naruto landed next to her. "You okay, Samui?" He asked in concern.
She smiled at him as she tried to catch her breath. "Yea… I'm cool," she answered. "Thanks for the save."
He smiled back. "Anytime." He then knelt beside her, bringing one of her arms over his shoulders as he helped her stand. "We should go. My teacher and some guy with a bunch of swords are taking care of the others."
"Aw, that's so sweet." Kushina gushes.
"That'd be my sensei, Killer Bee," supplied Samui as she walked out with Naruto. "He could've taken these guys out on his own if he wanted to."
"Not surprising since he holds the Hachibi." She looked to him in slight surprise, making him chuckle. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Besides, I hold the Kyuubi and she's made sure to look out for me. She even told me about Gyūki being in the area."
The others chuckle as well.
"The Kyuubi is female?" Asked Samui in surprise before a sense of feminine pride welled up inside her. The strongest of the nine Bijuu was female. "Cool…"
He chuckled again. "She's glad you feel that way. Anyway, I'm just glad that this is all over. I couldn't stand being in that place after I saw what they were doing."
She frowned at his words, nodding in agreement. "Yes… Let's just be glad that they'll be taken care of by morning."
[Scene shift 9]
The next morning, both teams stood across from one another with their packs readied for their return trips. "Thanks again for your assistance," Kurenai said to Killer Bee. "Your Genin really pulled mine out of the fire; both literally and figuratively."
"Bah. I'm a proud man!" Kurama says with a snort.
Bee grinned at her and rapped, "it was no problem, yo! We were happy to help, for sho'!"
Karui and Omoi groaned at their sensei's rapping while Kurenai sweat-dropped and Naruto grinned. Samui saw the grin and smirked as the Leaf Jinchuriki replied, "you rap pretty good, big guy! You think we'll catch on the flip side?"
"Wow, that was a good rap." Naruto says in shock.
Bee laughed at Naruto's rap. "Maybe you will, little man. The Chunin Exams are our next big plan."
Kurenai perked up at this. "That's right, and the Leaf is hosting them this year."
"Then you'll see us there," Bee rapped. "Just try not to be square. Catch you latter, bro! me and my team, we got to go!"
With that, the Cloud Jonin took off. Karui and Omoi gave the Leaf team farewell nods and followed after him while Samui stayed back. She gave Naruto a smile that made him blush slightly since it was beautiful, even if it was small. "See you around, Naruto. I hope to see more cool stuff from you next time."
Naruto perks up at the Chunin Exams, along with Anko who gives a sadistic grin.
He grinned at her and gave her a thumbs-up. "You bet!"
She then took off after her team while Team 8 turned around and made their way back home. As they left, they failed to notice a man slowly come out of the grounds with what could only be described as a large venus flytrap around his head.
"Damn, it's Zetsu." Naruto curses before getting hit on the back of his head by Kushina who scolds him about his language.
"Well, that was interesting to watch," noted a male voice.
"Two Jinchuriki have been identified," added a second one, but it came from the same man. "We should inform Leader."
"Sounds like a plan," replied the first voice as the man sunk back into the ground.
Well, here's chapter, and as I said, Elmer won't be included since people didn't ask for him enough. =(
R&R!