CHAPTER – 10

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Anime/Manga.

AN: Hey guys, how are you all doing? Well this update was a little delayed since I was busy. Anyways, I passed High School and now I'm in college so that's good I guess. There's an English literary club here which I plan to join in a few months so you guys can count on my writing skills to improvise in a few chapters.

Thank you all those who showed their appreciation, it compels me to make it better and keep on writing.

The OC that I use belongs to 'Scarease' (Yes, I'm talking about Emi). Thanks to him for the excellent OC.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

'Flashback'

"Far-off communication"

They all were back to back before the water from the clone's body wet the ground.

"Any news on Kisuke?" Haku asked as he spun a kunai. "Not yet" Emi answered. "They are about twenty" he said "Go wild" Haku declared as he launched a kunai which pierced the wall and hit a person in the neck. The three of them rushed outside the house and the battle began.

Haku's senbons' wiped out half a dozen of them. His technique of throwing senbons had developed nicely. His senbons had eagle-accuracy and tremendous power.

Emi took on eight of them. Her skill with dual Katanas was noted by the whole of Kiri. It took little time deal with her opponents. She either pierced the heart or cut the neck of all her opponents.

The remaining enemies had their bones and skull smashed by Tayuya's iron flute/club.

The opponents were around Chunin level. Being a little threat, they were beaten easily without any exaggeration. 'Nice and quick' was Team Stampede's signature style.

XXXXX

"I'm sorry guys!" they heard a yell as the last of the opponent was going down.

Kisuke, along with Naruto landed in front of them moments later.

"I'm sorry. That bastard General managed to inform the others that we were here before I could kill him." He explained.

"I thought you were 'Fast'" Tayuya finished her sentence in a mocking tone.

"A man shouldn't always be 'Fast'…if you know what I mean…" he winked.

"Fuck you too" she mumbled.

"You guys alright?" Naruto asked. After a quick affirmation from all of them, Naruto gave his next commands; "Alright there's no time to lose. Haku and Kisuke, you guys go after the third General. Rest with me; we'll attend Kiri." It didn't even take them a moment to split up.

XXXXX

Naruto's group stood up on the roof of a house in the heart of the village. Naruto tied a bunch of exploding tags to a kunai and threw it in the air. With a quick hand-seal, the tags exploded in mid-air. The plan was to gather the people's attention, and it worked remarkably.

Soon enough, a huge crowd gathered in front of Naruto's group.

Most of the inhabitants recognized Team Stampede. Many were glad upon their arrival, many were astonished by their courage and many were a little upset at their foolishness, but all of them wanted to cheer for their saviors. They'll refrain themselves from doing so due to the fact that Kiri soldiers might be hiding in the crowd.

"People of Kiri" Naruto massaged his neck with a little chakra "I'm Naruto Uzumaki a.k.a Fukuro, Leader of Team Stampede. Today we are here to declare to you all that the war has officially ended. Now, you people are free." He gave them a moment to absorb the fact.

"The days of struggle are over. The three Generals are dead. Rebel forces will be arriving soon. Food and water supplies have already been deployed. You are all FREE!" he declared with raised hands.

He curiously scanned through the faces of the people. Suddenly the crowd cheered as their doubts vanished. They all had a mix of different emotions. They all cried and smiled. They all cheered for them, for Team Stampede, for the Rebels.

Naruto smiled as a teardrop rolled down his face. He never thought that he would emotionally connect so much with Kiri and its people.

From within the cries of joy and laughter, he heard a yell "That's not possible…how…? You…DON'T LIE YOU BASTARD. NO WAY THE GENERALS CAN DIE!" The man jumped from within the crowd straight towards Naruto. Naruto heard Emi's footsteps as she dashed in front of him. She firmly placed her right hand on her left Katana and glared at the oncoming enemy. They all heard a sharp sound of metal connecting with bone a few moments later. Emi sheathed her sword as she mumbled "Ittoryou: Iai" The man's lifeless corpse laid beside her.

The crowd cheered again.

XXXXX

A week later:-

The food and water supplies had reached a few hours later after Naruto's declaration. A day later, the Rebel forces arrived. Mei Terumi was officially declared as the Fifth Mizukage. She had formed her council shortly after. Kiri was recovering at a rapid rate under the Rebels' care.

Team Stampede was granted a special status by her. They could enter and leave Kiri as they please without any questioning, much similar to a Sage. Furthermore, Kiri's shinobi of rank Jounin and below will obey any order given to them by Team Stampede, without any further consult with the Mizukage or the council.

XXXXX

Naruto saw Terumi sipping sake as he entered her office. "It's already that bad huh?" he asked with a grin. She shook her head "Don't ask. This job is hideous."

"Well good luck for that" he said.

"Where are you going?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Time for us to go Terumi. A close friend of mine might be in danger. We will leave right now, in the middle of the night."

She paused for a second, but then said "I understand. Anything I can do?"

"Nah. I don't want to make a scene so we'll leave without anyone else knowing besides you. I came in to let you know."

Terumi stood up "Listen Naruto…The debt we own you all can never be repaid, but know this; we always have your back, no matter what." Her voice was firm. Naruto smiled "That's nice to hear. See you soon" and the clone popped.

XXXXX

"Ok, I informed her. If Pervy sage's info is correct, we'll be facing the toughest enemy till date. Be ready for the worst. This might be as far as we go." He said with authority and hidden concern, though the other four already knew about his concern. They all nodded in confirmation.

Naruto was wearing his usual attire. A v neck-black-half sleeved t-shirt, a slim fit black pants tugged from the bottom in his black shinobi sandals. He had fingerless gloves and hidden knee guards. A blood red-long-leather overcoat draped over his shoulders completed the look.

Every member of Team Stampede had a unique dressing pattern, but they all wore an overcoat of their preferred colour. Naruto and Emi draped it over their shoulders, but the others wore it properly.

They sealed their bags in sealing scrolls and left the bungalow.

XXXXX

"So any message from that Sakura girl?" Tayuya asked as they dashed through the misty forest.

Naruto nodded "Yeah, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura and Kiba are leaving for Suna. The info is every bit true. It seems Gaara is the first one…the first target of, the Akatsuki" he clenched his teeth, "I'll save him, at all cost!" He heard Haku cough a little to get his attention "We…We'll save him, Leader" he said smiling. Naruto nodded with a grin after a short pause "Yeah"

"So what's the plan?" Kisuke asked.

"We'll take aboard a ship from the shore and sail to the bottom of Konoha, cross it ASAP and rest in any small village once we get across the Konoha-Suna border. Am I right, Haku-san?" Emi said.

He nodded "Precisely. That's it for now. We'll do further planning when we rest and review the situation. We would need to know the latest news to make further propositions."

"Oh and also" he said "we'll be as low profile as possible. Don't wanna spoil the fun Akatsuki" Haku smiled, rather hideously.

"Is it just me…or has Haku became a little…scary, nowadays?" Kisuke whispered to Tayuya.

"What else do you expect him to be? A cute little kid who loves Unicorns?" she said in a sarcastic voice. Kisuke suddenly turned a little red.

"We talked about this!" he said trying to whisper and yell at the same time "Not another fucking word about Unicorns!"

"Whatever" she mumbled.

"By the way…" he said to her after a few seconds "Do you really think I'm cute?" he smiled deviously.

"Fuck off!" she said red-faced as she pushed him away to another tree.

"Ok enough guys, we're at the port" Haku said.

Four Days later:-

"No matter how resistant I think I'm, the heat always gets me" Emi said wiping her forehead.

"Same" the others mumbled.

"He's taking too long Naruto" Tayuya said.

"No I am not" Haku's voice surprised them a little. "YES YOU DID IDIOT!" Tayuya yelled at him.

"I hope you found a room…at least for your sake" Emi said staring at him. Haku took a step back "Why yes I did" his voice cracked a little.

"That's good news. I assume it's a prime travel season?" Naruto said. Haku nodded "Sure is. Come on let's go" They all picked up their bags and followed him.

Haku had found a room in a large hotel. The hotel was in the middle of the main market, which made it easier for the team to restock their supplies.

"Wow I'm actually impressed! How did you manage to find a room in such a place?" Naruto said. Haku gave him a grim smile "There's a 'slight' problem though…" he said.

XXXXX

As soon as Tayuya opened the door, her surprised expression alerted the team. Kisuke peeked over her shoulder. Narrowing his eyes, he said "How are five people supposed to even fit in this room?" "Well…they only had single-bedded rooms. This was all I was able to find." Haku tried to save himself.

"It's ok guys, we just need a place to sleep. It'll do." Naruto said.

"Yeah…we'll have to 'adjust' a little." Kisuke gave a perverted smile to the girls. He was down after a couple of kicks.

"Ok guys, get some sleep. We have to be at our best when we get there." Naruto said seriously. He began preparing his futon, with others choosing to do the same.

A firm stack of pillows separated the gentlemen and the ladies. Kisuke was kept at the far end, away from the ladies. The fatigue from their travel days got to them and each one slept like a log.

Next Days:-

"Alright guys, I bought some dangos" Kisuke announced, entering the room. He was greeted by cheers. The sweet fragrance filled the entire room, not that it was particularly huge, but still. The dango platter was put in between, surrounded by them all.

"Zo anhyzwing-" Naruto swallowed the dango in his mouth "So anything suspicious yet?" he said, clearly this time. Kisuke shook his head in negative "Our disguise works like a charm every time Naruto. Don't worry, we aren't amateurs."

"And we aren't the best" Emi added.

"True" Haku said "News is out that we left Kiri. People might be searching for us already."

"We'll have to be more careful" Tayuya said as she picked up the last dango and put it in her mouth. She looked up to find four death glares directed towards her. Gulping the dango swiftly, she sighed. Seeing her reaction, they all started chuckling.

"Guys!" Haku said suddenly "Two shinobi on the front door!"

"Fuck!" Naruto whispered and took out a kunai. It took them a mere moment to go from 'chuckling happily with friends' to 'ready to fight any moment alongside comrades'. This was the life of a shinobi.

Naruto raised his hand, effectively halting his team from taking any action. "Not yet. Wait it out." He whispered.

A few seconds later, they hear knocking. "Who is it?" Naruto yelled.

"A client." Came a voice.

Without any second thought, they all assembled in a default formation. Naruto took a chair and sat near the window. He placed a chair in front of him, facing his direction. Haku and Emi stood behind him, on either side. Tayuya too was standing close to Naruto, while Kisuke went on to open the door.

Waiting on the door was a clique looking businessman in his forties. He gave the same vibe as Gatou. The man was wearing a luxurious black suit. Behind him were standing two men wearing formal suits as well. They appeared to be his bodyguard, and they definitely were shinobi.

"Team Stampede? I assume you recognize me." the man said strolling inside the room. His initial impression was of a pushy and pretentious person, the type hated by everyone.

"I'm afraid I don't recognize you." Naruto said.

"Ignorant aren't you? I'm not the same though. I know you well, Fukuro-san" he said in a superior tone. With raised eyebrows, Naruto offered him a seat.

"Dango?" the man said in disconcert as the sweet smell filled his nostrils. A sweat-drop rolled down the heads of every other person in the room.

"Uh…nevermind that. You said you know me well?" Naruto impulsively changed the topic.

"Ah yes" the man assumed his initial tone of speaking "I know about you Fukuro-san. I know you're from Konoha, right?" he had a confident smirk. Naruto narrowed his eyes. 'This info was never public! How the hell does he know that?!'

"The facts that Team Stampede is one of the best group of mercenaries out there and that you are from Konoha made me approach you. I have someone I want to be killed, someone from Konoha Shinobi Forces." The man said.

Naruto sat back and crossed his arms "Explain." He said. The moment the man said that his target was a Konoha shinobi, Naruto had declined the mission. He was keeping his image of being interested so that he could save the person. Every Team Stampede member understood this.

"To start with, my name is Yamamoto Hideaki. I'm a well-known businessman from the Wind Country. I would like to expand my business to the Fire Country, but I'm being halted by one person. It seems that the Hokage's advisor, the Jounin Commander Shikaku Nara is strictly against it. He is influencing the Hokage to stop me from expanding my business at any cost. I want him dead." The man said. Naruto listened patiently until he understood the whole situation.

'Of course…if he enters the Fire Country, he might try to influence us just as Gatou did to the Wave Country. If Shikaku-san opposes him that much, it must be important.' He thought.

"I refuse to do this task," Naruto said with a straight face. The man was aghast, "Fukuro-san, invading Konoha would be a child's play for you. I must convince you to reconsider your decision." A little desperation crept in the Yamamoto's voice.

"Any one of you interested in doing the mission?" Naruto asked. "No" "Nah" "Nope" were the replies from his teammates.

"You see Yamamoto-san? It will be for the best if you leave now." Naruto said in a concluding tone.

"Don't be so inconsiderate! Do you know how hard it was to track you down?!" Yamamoto was beginning to lose his temper. Naruto sighed "Get your boss out of here" he commanded the fellows behind Yamamoto. They flinched for a second but then decided that it would be for the best to avoid a fight.

"Come on boss, let's go" one of them whispered. The other one gently grabbed his shoulder and tugged him.

"Stop this nonsense! Is this what I hired you for?!" the man swung his arms around "Beat them up till they realize their mistake!" he pointed towards Naruto.

For obvious reasons, his bodyguards hesitated. "But…they are five…" " Let's go already" they mumbled in feeble voices. "Is this what I hired you for you faggots?!" the man whined "Ok let's do it your way. For every hit you land on Fukuro, I'll make the money I gave you double of the previous amount. How does that sound?" Yamamoto smirked. He knew how to handle people of this category.

Their eyes glittered with greed. After thinking for a second, one of them charged ahead aiming towards Naruto. With greed blinding him, he overlooked Kisuke who was standing right beside him. Kisuke simply extended his foot and tripped the Bodyguard. He snickered; watching a shinobi trip was hilarious. Before the man's face hit the ground, Kisuke kicked him on the stomach and made him stand upright again, displaying his meteoric reflexes.

'What hurts the most is something you don't see coming. No matter how many times you hit them from the front, their body will be prepared. Hit them from where they least expect it, and they will be down in no time. Hand to hand combats are more of a psychological game than a physical one. Remember this rule of Taijutsu, always.'

Being able to do nothing else in the congested space, Kisuke simply shoved off the grunting man towards Emi.

Using a simple Ogoshi (A judo throwing technique), Emi threw him straight towards the window behind. Being relatively fragile, the window broke letting the man fall out of the building with full momentum.

"Oh he won't die, it's only the third floor" Emi said answering Tayuya's glare.

XXXXX

The main market street was crowded with civilians carrying out certain errands, from buying groceries to pickpocketing. The sharp noise of breaking glass forced them all to steal a glance at the source. Huge amount of gasps and a few shrieks were heard as the crown panicked at the sight of a man being thrown out of a building. The man fell on his back. The crowd formed a huge circle around his unconscious form as they tried to get as far away as possible.

About half a minute later, they saw another man and a woman flying out from the hole together. In mid-air, the woman flipped as she grabbed the suited man from the neck and positioned right below her. At the very last moment, the woman jumped off using the man's body for leverage. The man crashed face first, while she landed gracefully just beside him.

Another man followed them soon in the same manner as the first one. The man was clearly thrown out by someone. Just as he was about to fall, the woman jumped and kicked him in the back, softening his fall substantially, even though he probably suffered considerable damage from the kick.

Once more a man flew out of the hole, though it was clearly voluntary this time. The man landed just beside the last guy who fell.

"This is the final warning" he growled.

"Isn't he?" "Yes! But how?!" "Shit!" the whole crowd began to whisper. They recognized him.

"That's Fukuro! TEAM STAMPEDE IS HERE!" a man shouted from amidst the crowd.

"If I find you trying to kill Shikaku Nara again, I'll kill you" Naruto used dangerous amount of Killer Instinct. He turned to Tayuya "We're leaving, right now" She nodded and jumped back into their room.

"No you're not" a female voice came, followed by a kunai flying towards Naruto. Naruto caught it without giving a second thought "Try it" he smirked.

"Very well" the voice came again. The lady jumped in air, separating herself from the crowd.

She mumbled the name of her jutsu, and as soon as the words fell on Naruto's ears, his eyes widened.

"Stop!" he shouted.

AN: Enjoy the cliff-hanger.

I inserted a little humor in this chapter, which is very new for me. Do tell me if you enjoyed it or if it was a turn-off.

Naruto might have made an image as a 'serious fellow' over you, but be assured that Naruto is still the same as he used to be. If you add intellect and maturity to his character, this is how he becomes.

I seriously envy OPINIONS. If you feel that I'm begging for Reviews, don't get me wrong. I'm begging for OPINIONS. If you don't want to review, just PM me. I don't care how it's done, but I just want to know what people actually think/how can I improve? etc.

Thank you.

If you find any mistakes or plot holes, feel free to correct me.

Smell ya later.