Chapter 4
There it was… The bandit camp, a large array of tents set up in no particular manner. Shady looking men of varying sizes and shapes on different duties, patrols, hostage guards, guards or simply wandering through could easily be spotted. Out of various tents; cries of dissimilar volumes, notes, pitches and intents rang out mixing into others and creating a cacophony of noise such that whatever beasts which were around the area were driven away.
Embraced by the shadows of the trees, the quartet known as Team Kurenai sat in states most similar to snipers, lying in stasis and observing their quarry. Positioned at different angles to provide maximum coverage, they tried to discern any method to the bandit's arrangement. After some time spent in silence, team sensei/leader Kurenai signaled with her left hand to call off the scouting brigade. One by one, the young assassins peeled away from the cover of the forest making their way back to their base of operations, their own camp, setup at just the right spot for maximum coverage and yet avoid detection. With nary a backwards glance, Naruto left the trees, alongside his teammates, leaving behind a clone which somehow, melted into the bark of the tree leaving behind only a silent noise. Back at home base, the three genins crowded around the red-eyed woman as she laid down their plan of attack, strategic attack patterns and points, and the evacuation of the hostages. Looking down at a small sheet of paper; it showcased: a large red, hollow circle, indicating the bandit camp; a smaller green one inferring safety zone, aka home base; and contained in the red circle a blue spot, a black dot and a larger black dot; the most probable locations of hostage tent, the bandit gang leader's tent and the area with the greatest collection of bandits respectively. After some time spent hashing out details, the plan was finally set in motion, all they had to do now was wait for the moment.
~Damned Namikaze~
Konoha: Training Ground 7
Kiba slid across the coarse dirt, tearing through loose soil until he came to rest, back pressed against an oak tree. Moments later his beloved sidekick/battle pet did the same, together they rose slowly glaring and growling at the collective foe… the quiet, blue clad, fan bearing Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke in turn stared at them almost uninterested in the spar currently ongoing. The Inuzuka pair rushed him again, going in with claw swipes, kicks and bites. The parameters of their spar were clear, no outside weapons or items, no justu and no tapping out till one could no longer stand. Sasuke held his own well against the continuous, two-pronged attack; constantly switching between defense and offense, kicking away Kiba, he grabbed Akamaru who had leaped at him and tossed him some distance away. Kiba rushed his opponent with a yell only to swiftly get kicked across the jaw, he fought against the sideways momentum and successfully landed a blow managing to stun Sasuke, he took the advantage going in for quick strikes. Soon he pulled back, both he and Sasuke panting, each person thinking over their next move. Sasuke took the initiative, attempting to copy a move he had seen a while ago. Throwing a kunai in wide arc, Kiba supposedly dodged, only to spot another travelling behind it, yet it was also dodged effortlessly. Having been tricked into thinking that was the actual ruse, he began to gloat.
"Ha, for someone called Rookie of the year, you sure throw like a sissy" Kiba mocked as he went in to grapple with Sasuke unsuspecting of the knives flying behind him.
Whereas, behind Kiba, the first kunai struck and bounced off a tree by its base the second coming behind it struck it at an angle causing it to be redirected to the unguarded back of Kiba. Due to the fact that Sasuke had not achieved all parameters to perfectly execute the maneuver, the rebounded kunai missed Kiba on its return heading towards him instead, breaking away from an arm-lock with the dog-boy, he hurriedly pulled out a third blade to redirect the flying knife. Kiba hurriedly jumped to the side, though not without receiving a light cut across his shoulder. He had not expected any such tactic, sensing a presence behind himself, he looked back to see Sasuke had already predicted his jump pattern and followed after him. After receiving a mind-fogging kick Kiba slammed into the ground, dazed by the force. He slowly rose to his feet, swaying when Sasuke reappeared before him poised to deliver the final blow.
"That's enough" the voice of their sensei, Kakashi rang out clear. Sasuke put his hands down, glanced at the heavily breathing Inuzuka and walked away. Kiba shuffled, Akamaru alongside him, to the cool shade of the trees where their masked sensei and third teammate, Sakura sat.
"If you're done observing, would you kindly come out" Kakashi said to no one in particular, causing the present three to wonder who he was talking to. The air around them seemed to swoosh and they all turned sharply to see the ANBU who dropped behind them. Without any ceremony nor fanfare, the masked individual gave a rolled letter to Kakashi and swiftly hightailed it. Kakashi pulled open the red tape, subconsciously aware that whatever made the seemingly emotionless ninja to run was contained within. As he read the first few lines, his lonesome eye widened considerably, by the time the first paragraph was done, waves of killing intent wafted off his form in overbearing fashion, so much so that his team began to quake in fear, and then…
"DAMN IT NARUTOOOO!"
~Damned Namikaze~
Kakashi trudged into the meeting room of the clan heads of Konoha, having recently been bequeathed the status of clan representative of the Namikaze clan. In simpler terms, while Naruto was the clan head, Kakashi was the one to handle all official works due to the fact that one could not be a fully responsible clan head unless he were a chunin. And so, it was under great compulsion he walked into the meeting room early, though most of the clan heads were already present. He sat down besides his surprisingly early superior, jounin commander, Nara Shikaku.
"Yo, commander" he greeted the man platonically, an occurrence that could and would never have been repeated by any of the other ninjas serving under the man, owing to his status.
"Ah, Hatake, I didn't know you had finally taken up the offer on re-integrating the Hatake clan." The scarred ninja responded to the unusual greeting in a way almost reminiscent of a certain gate keeper.
"I still haven't" Kakashi answered back as he took his seat.
"So… you're filling in for someone, you can do that?" it was only Shikaku's perpetually lazy nature that kept him from raising his voice.
"In a way…" Kakashi half-answered before the man cut him off.
"Bye, oi, Chouza, could you fill in for me, thanks I owe you" all this were being said even as he walked to the doors and the whole present council looked at him with weird stares.
"Get back to your seat Shikaku" the mob boss Hokage yelled as he pushed open the door, whose handle Shikaku currently grasped. "Kakashi is here on different business."
"Should have known it was too good to be true." The man sighed as he walked back despondently to his seat ignoring the controlled snickers.
The Hokage, traditionally, sat at the head of the curved table, aged wizened eyes scanning the entirety of his crop of clan heads; from the seemingly detached Aburame Shibi to the newly added Kakashi and the poised, statuesque figure that was Hyuuga Haishi.
"First order of business, today, we would be integrating a new clan into Konoha and their clan head" at that, every eye including the insipid, accusing ones of Shikaku. "Yes, Kakashi here is standing for the new clan, Kakashi?"
The grey-haired man rose, "I, Hatake Kakashi, am here as a clan representative…" with that, the room burst into muted yet excited chatter positively shocked that the leader of their newest member was yet a genin. Just what was such a clan to receive such honor?
"SHUT UP!" the shout from the Hokage returned the room to normalcy except for the fact that the heads seemed frozen in different states of discussions, "Kakashi, please continue"
He cleared his throat and continued "as I had previously stated, I am here as a clan representative for the Namikaze clan. This time, the ANBU guards who normally stood guard fell from their hiding places in the ceiling corners and the council literally exploded into chaos. The Nara smiled wistfully, the fearsome Inuzuka, Tsume was actually crying and the oh so quiet Haishi clambered atop the table and began an actual, elaborate victory dance, complete with 'v' signs and twerking. Underneath the table both Sarutobi's and Kakashi's hands seemed to stretch to insane lengths as they tickled each other's fingers and giggled silently.
Damned Namikaze
"Oi, Hideki, you coming or what" a skinny man called out towards some bushes. With him stood another bandit, these were the men on west patrol duty, three in all and one, the afore mentioned Hideki, was currently taking a leak.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way," there was a pause "hey, when we're off duty, are we heading to the TENT?" he asked as silent splashing sounds emanated from behind the bushes
"Hell, yeah we are" the formerly silent man finally spoke, anticipation vivid within his coal eyes "though this time, I see if the boss would finally let us take one of the younger gals, I hear they are especially tight" he almost drooled and the imagination of his deficient short-term dream seemed to play mid-air.
Hideki spoke again from behind the cover of the trees "man, I wish I had one right now, the soft, supple flesh, the warm velvety sweetness, the mo- ack" he was cut off.
"Hey, Hideki, what's going on back there?" There was no response, suddenly the familiar darkness, forest sounds, air and the burgeoning trees seemed overbearing. "Iwabe, go see what's going on"
"No way, I'm gonna risk seeing another man's d" Iwabe refused.
"Fine I'll do it" he treaded slowly towards the hidden alcove "H-Hideki, y-you okay back there?" When he got behind the cover of the leaves, no one was present "If t-this is some p-prank, you better stop it now. Iwabe, I don't see nothi-…"
This time, there wasn't so much as a sound, simply silence, a cold gust of wind blew and Iwabe felt a cold presence all around. He shook on unsteady legs; he managed to pull out his trusty wakizashi, backing up against air, head moving in multiple directions, in a futile attempt to spot his foe. All of a sudden, he back up against an object and relaxed, thinking it to be a tree. He tensed again, trees had rough barks, not soft, silky cloaks. His head, of its own accord, slowly, an inch per second, swiveled around to stare into the eerie, swirling blackness that was his attacker's hood.
"Run" the sole word came not from him or even his intimidator, but from the air, trees, the forest itself seemed to speak to him, implore him to seek safety. Yet he could not will himself to move and so, without even a scream, but jaws wide open, Iwabe joined his crew in the belly of the Shinigami.
Kurenai dropped to the forest floor, besides her sole male student, she had watched him take out the guard crew with, would she call it, sadistic efficiency. She looked at him through the corners of her eyes; and with his usual posture could not tell if he felt troubled by it or not. Therefore, she decided to take the safer approach,
"Do you feel conflicted" she asked, searching for any clues to indicate emotions, trembling shoulder, a shudder, a softer tone of speaking, did she dare add, hidden sniffles.
"No" she was struck by how flat and calm he sounded, his voice was still same, tone unchanged, like it was something he did everyday "they were the enemy, they once lived, now they don't" pause "we should head back, finish up the mission." He turned around and disappeared into the trees above. For a moment, Kurenai felt like their positions were switched, no one could possibly be that callous with regards to loss of human life, she remembered her position as leader of the mission and radioed the remaining two members.
"Hinata, Ino, move out, operation B-3, we'll cover you" answered by a chorus of 'Hai' she also disappeared into the trees, it was about time they took care of business.
Damned Namikaze
On the North-east side of the camp, Hinata, Ino and Tsukaze blending into the shadows of the forest dashed in a clockwise around the camp. Operation B-3 had been suggested surprisingly by Tsukaze and supplemented by Hinata. Operations A-1 through A-4 had fallen off the table as they either didn't cover the foreseeable amount of opposition they would be facing or needed more experienced personnel to work. B-1 and B-2 had been by a coalition of Ino and Hinata mixing and trying to modify the previous strategies yet didn't work with their skill set. But when B-3 came, it looked the most promising while accomplishing the objectives.
It was simple, Naruto and Kurenai dropped in a part of the camp engaging the enemy on the frontlines, while the enemy were distracted, the remaining part of the squad would slip into the camp close but not exactly opposite to the battlefield. At this point, Kurenai objected saying it was a spin-off of her plan A-2. She was encouraged to listen to the whole plan. Instead of heading for any captives, as some possible ex-ninjas may guess the frontal attack as a distraction, the entry squad would then go around the camp, four-fifths of a circle and then proceed into the camp after going past the attack squad surprising any would-be ambushers with the lack of their presence. In the end even Kurenai agreed it was a solid plan and Tsukaze made a pass as her position and was promptly shut down. Even Ino confessed it would be weird being led by a wolf, and they were all met with swift protest from said wolf. As for Naruto, he just sat there silently watching the on-going deliberations.
So, at the moment, Ino led as their route took them across the attack point, though Ino could see the fighting was in their favor, Hinata had a much clearer view with her byakugan, of which we shall tap into using our superior deity powers and the POV equilibrium. Kurenai had about 6 bandits laying at her feet, obviously dead and various others trapped in illusions Hinata knew she would never want to know. The red-eyed beauty was currently engaged in a weapon lock with a scrawny looking man wielding a dagger, yet as she pulled and stabbed, she was constantly blocked. Behind her, a much larger man lumbered towards the pair, club in hand and only the fact she was a jounin and looked to be aware kept Hinata from yelling out and risk ruining the mission. Kurenai pulled back from the bladed protection causing the man to stumble due to a sudden lack of force on the opposing side. She nimbly ducked under her would-be attacker, neatly slashing the back of his knees and cast the hell-viewing illusion on him rendering him immobile and unresponsive; she then tossed her smaller dagger at the scrawny dude's hand riding him of his dagger and tossed another at his temple. It was a clean shot needing no repeat. On Naruto's end, the bandits were larger yet fewer, as more of them rushed him and still even more fell by him simultaneously. Though he had no visible weapons, his crop sported a lot more cuts and slashes; the bandits seemed to grow enough brains to compute that simply rushing and trying to overwhelm him was futile, they all drew back warily. Naruto showed no outward nor inward satisfaction at the impromptu breathing room he was given, an effort of defense and self-preservation on their part but it was irrelevant. Suddenly, his aura transformed, feeling so cold like it could morph a volcano into a glacier, and with as simple a movement as a step, his adversaries dropped to the ground with a variety of cuts and wounds, all death-sentences. In less than a minute, they all went still offering their soul to the afterlife, while their killer walked away without remorse nor regret or even happiness. He wished his brother was having a better day.
Back in Konoha
Kakashi looked up from his orange companion, after the outburst from the Inuzuka, it had been expected, though his money had been on Sasuke he was surprised it had taken this long.
"We need real missions to test us, not chores some civilians pass up on doing" he sighed as Kiba ranted off within the confines of the Hokage's office. The older man tilted his head to look past the genin at his sensei even though Kakashi was much taller and could be seen above their heads.
" What do you think Kakashi?" the masked Namikaze-Hatake sighed, inwardly this time, studied the pleading faces of his students set before him and one indifferent but hopeful one.
"Hokage-sama, seeing as we have completed the minimum required D-ranks to qualify for a C-rank, and the skills of my team are up to bar, I request a C-rank mission for my team, sir." Kiba pumped his fist, Sakura was barely an inch away from squealing delight and Sasuke had that 'oh yeah, I'm really awesome' smirk plastered on his face.
Sarutobi examined the faces of the quartet beyond his desk "you're in luck, Team 7, I have a mission and it's just the right one for you." His response was the lighting up of his genins face. He pressed a dialer and spoke into it, "send in Tazuna". After a few minutes of quiet and an awkward silence among the younglings, the door pushed open and in walked an old man, bottle in hand brow slacks and a weird hat tied around his neck. Sakura had a done a U-turn and had a horrified expression glued to her face, while Kiba stared in knowing confusion, Sasuke disregarding the man entirely.
"Oi, Hokage-sama" he began, eyes raking over the trio of rookies, as if a woman judging what fish she wanted to take home "this isn't the protection I ordered, these are a bunch of brats." Kakashi sighed again as he held back Kiba and Sakura from harming their potential client and at the same time balancing his book on his elbow and reading it unhindered by its unorthodox position.
"On the contrary Tazuna-san, you requested a c-rank mission, this team is well manned and skilled to handle a c-rank, seeing as its biggest threats would be simple bandits, unless you have a death warrant on your head." They all chuckled lightly, but in the recesses of his mind, Kakashi noted that their prospective clients seemed more forced. He brushed it aside; though, not like any deadly, famous ninjas were after him, (if only he knew how he jinxed himself) and ordered his team to get read to depart. He only hoped Naruto was having a better day.
Damned Namikaze
Hinata and Ino dropped into the from the trees into the area around the largest tent in the vicinity, Tsukaze hidden at the edge of the foliage to keep a clear path for their escape. Byakugan blazing to watch for any stragglers, Hinata glanced about making sure to periodically shift the spot covered by her natural blind spot, she finally motioned to Ino to proceed after several moments spent in tension. As they parted the flaps, hands flew to their mouths to prevent cries of shock. Some bandits hadn't gotten the memo reading 'camp under attack' and remained in the TENT. Ino glanced about in terror, children crying in cages, older girls tied together in a corner and lastly the women; some passed out from beatings, others having been raped and ditched, still more were being raped, desperate eyes begging for release.
"Hey, who're you two, never-mm– seen you around" some random bandit called out causing all eyes capable of understanding, both others bandits and the captives to turn towards then.
"Help us!"
"Please stop them"
"Don't go"
"I want my mommy"
From the cacophony of pleading voices, Hinata's pupiled eyes hardened and as she bent low, the light glinted off her head band.
"Shit, they are ninjas" the dude hurriedly pulled out of his unfortunate partner along with his crew as they reached for their weapons. Hinata and Ino, undeterred by the brandishing bandits, charged at them and in less than five minutes, it was all over, men lay groaning in phantom pains as the girls went to work releasing the sobbing children and women. A shadow darkened the entrance of the tent, the two kunoichis focused solely on cutting their quarry free were unaware.
"Look out" with the yell, Hinata spun around to see a bandit rushing towards them, sword raised high. Without thinking she pushed chakra to her hands, byakugan blazing and lashed out at his chest. The result was instantaneous, he flew back and crashed against a supporting beam, again her hands covered her mouth. Looking at him, he was dead and if there were any doubts, then the sword that fell through his neck certainly proved that point. Ino walked up to the distraught Hyuuga as she fell to her knees byakugan still active as she burned the sight to mind,
"Shh, i-it's al-right Hinata, he-he was a bad g-guy" she tried to comfort the girl as even her throat tightened. "We, we still need t-to get th-these people to the safe zone." Having reassured the former captives of their sense of security, they filed out, Ino in front Hinata behind as they shuffled towards Tsukaze's clear hiding spot causing the children to stop crying and look the large wolf in awe, the older ones and women with apprehension where he took frontal watch, Ino wedging herself in the middle of the procession as the headed back to their own camp.
Meanwhile
On the attack front Kurenai withdrew her kunai from the fallen man and looked across the clearing strewn with bodies, fallen weapons and blood, the air a fog of dust, smoke and the stench of blood. Her eyes softened as she examined the carnage wrought on the earth, such was the life of one in her profession, it wasn't the first she had seen such and she was certain it wouldn't be the last. In the recesses of her mind, she wondered if her female students had accomplished their directives, or if they needed help urgently. Suddenly, slightly startling her out of her musings, her radio crackled to life, Ino shaky voice ringing through informing her of a successful exit. She looked over to her partner and smiled, the younger ninja reciprocated with silence
"That was surprisingly easy, no? Let's get back to-"
"Apologies, but you wouldn't be going anywhere" the Konoha nins turned to see a figure approach them, walking out of a dust cloud. "Shame 'bout this bunch, they looked competent enough," as he spoke, he kicked at the dead body of a bandit laying in his chosen path "guess, I'll have to eliminate you myself."
Finally standing about forty meters away, they noticed he was short, barely reaching up to 5 feet with a slashed mist headband on his forehead.
"Would you take this one" Kurenai asked Naruto.
"Don't dump your trash on me" he finally responded as he turned to face his would-be contender. The nuke-nin popped a lot of veins in his head as the disregarded him.
"Trash huh, I'll show you how trashy I am." He shouted as he pulled out two previously hidden blades and faced Naruto. Kurenai sat on a rock, eyes trained on battle-in-progress determined to learn even a little bit of her student's prowess in a life-or-death situation. She however quickly got tired as Naruto simply stood-by listening to the shorter man's irritating taunts. In a second, the forty-meter gap was covered and Naruto had a knee deeply planted in the man's chest, she sat upright in shock, she didn't even sense him move. Before he could follow up with an elbow to the solar plexus, the mist nin flipped off the knee gasping heavily.
He wiped off some blood escaping from the corner of his mouth "Alright, you're fast, I'll give you that, but have a taste of this" his swords turned a sickly purple-yellow "I can apply chakra to my swords, making them poisonous." He smirked mockingly "now let's see you go all speed-demon while I swing this around."
As he said, he began swinging wildly to make a barrier of poisoned edges but on further observation, a secondary threat was discovered. His swings left a shimmering glow before they shot towards Naruto tearing through the earth in an attempt to nick the cloaked ninja, putting him on a constant dodge. "How do you like my technique, I call it after-wave, my swords leave paths of charged poisonous chakra suspended in mid-air which I can control to defend or attack as it is also made from my chakra. The perfect defensive offense technique ever," he gloated.
Naruto kept moving in circles and mist man (can I call him mist man? I call him mist man) kept swinging wildly, in no particular order, having the advantage of unpredictability of flight pattern or speed. Kurenai contemplated helping, hands starting to form seals for a vertigo-inducing genjustu before everything stilled. Mist man stood shocked as Naruto's right hand grasped his left at the wrist, his (Naruto's) elbow hooking into the joint of his preventing movement. A quick release and a swift jab to the Adam's apple caused him to drop his weapons, hacking and choking on his breath. He didn't even see the next knee, only felt its force as he flew backwards, he summoned enough co-operation from his body to form hand signs. When he landed, hundreds of needles of water shot forwards piercing into Naruto, who burst into smoke to reveal a hole-riddled branch (ever wonder how their substitutions always come out with perfectly cut logs, I'm like who the hell carves those?). He frowned, swiveling to see air, instinct screamed at him as he formed a thin dome of water, from his ever-present water bearers, all around him in time to block a foot though not completely as it passed through barely missing his chest. He kept up his shield, an exercise of futility as in a repeat of his previous accomplishment, Naruto stomped the ground and a large shockwave blasted throughout the terrain, so big it almost knocked over Kurenai in her safe spot. When the wind and dust died down, he stalked forwards making mist man crawl away in fear from his prone position on the ground.
"Stay back, I'll give you anything, just don't kill me, I'll give you anything, anything" Naruto stopped causing a small wave of relief to wash over him.
"Can I have… Your life" mist man stared down in shock at the entry point of his own sword as his heart slowly stilled. Naruto sighed softly as Kurenai walked and pulled out the blade sealing it and its twin away, surprising himself as he enjoyed her silent presence. "You may leave, I'll clean up this landscape" Kurenai cocked an eyebrow, looking at him with concern before she nodded and leapt into the trees. He sighed again and pulled down the hood of his cloak revealing a curtain of golden locks, he stared across the once forest, now a charred plain.
"Such devastation, can it ever end" he whispered to the wind which seemed almost to be mourning "it requires purification" he concluded. The trees swayed, the wind screamed, and finally the heavens released their tears; the view panned out to show the landscape, our protagonist with his back turned to us, smoke and dust rose and fell simultaneously. He looked across the scarred forest "as the heir to the dem-."
Chapter closes
OMG! Guys sorry for the long wait, but if anyone had doubts, no I did not abandon this story. Never will. I had a computer update and forgot to back-up my files, so yeah, 6 chapters got flushed down the drain and my internet started fucking up, throw in some author's block due to stress of a rewrite, yeah, pretty messy. But now, everything's A-Okay, I just had to make up my mind and re-type, I only changed the beginning of the chapter, the Naruto-mist man fight and some things in-between. Hinata's kill remained the same and the Kakashi scene, I only added some new stuff. I would have loved to see your reactions to the original chap. 4. Also, I've started working on a Naruto/YJ story and Naruto/PJO but don't expect it just yet, I want to get up to 15 on this before I post other works, cool? Cool.
Ciao, GreenBar-17