An.) Messing with the formatting a bit so the story looks nicer and is easier on the eyes. Hope yall can get used to it alright. I'm actually really surprised the first chapter did so well, viewership wise.
Also from this point forward, though it may seem lazy(which I definitely am) I'm going to write assuming the reader has actually read naruto. Things like explaining hidden villages and the concept of ninja are going to disappear. This is both to avoid errors, like forgetting to explain stuff that you'd usually know if you watched Naruto and also to save me the headache since I'm really motivated for this story and don't want to lose that motivation on arbitrary things. Afterall I'm not inventing a world, I'm just taking someone else's idea and changing it a little(read a lot lol). Also i just realized you spell negi with a j not a g. I hate myself but frick it, I'm not changing it. He is now negi with a g
Anyway, on with the story:)
The duo raced across the branches at breakneck speed, making no stops in an effort to lose any tracker the hokage may have sent after them once he realized they were missing. Sasuke looked towards Negi,
"So, what's the plan once we get inside the village?" Sasuke asked.
"We need to track down the rebel leader and defeat them in combat. Once we have them down, we need to either threaten them so we can decide the rebellion's moves or kill them and plant a puppet leader in their place."
negi responded analytically.
"They'll be well guarded, what's the plan to separate them and get them alone? We also need them alone long enough to beat them." Sasuke asked in a serious tone.
"That, I left up to a mole I've placed in the rebel forces."
"a mole? I hadn't realized you'd been planning for this for so long." Sasuke cut in with surprise.
"That's why I keep going on 'missions'. It was just a facade to get messages to the mole and receive updates. When my father learned of the war, I too saw it as a chance for konoha, but for me the opportunity was not for power, but for a chance to show the main branch that I am more than just a shield for them. That I am my own person. What better way to show that than to make waves the whole world will see." Negi finished and then, with a passion sasuke had never before seen negi raised his fist and declared,
"I will end this war, and it will be because of my abilities that we succeed in crippling kiri! I will be free from this seal!" The rest of the trip was held in silence, until they reached the outskirts of kiri.
War time clearly had a dark impact on the citizens of kirigakure. The buildings all around kiri looked old and weathered. A constant rain fell from the dark clouds, weather from the constant jutsu or other pollutants, the source of the never ending drizzle was unclear. Dirt paths, turned to mud, and wooden buildings falling apart, the city looked more like amegakure than it did kiri. As Sasuke and Negi moved through the shadows and back allies, families could be seen on the streets, their clothes torn and covered in mud, civil unrest present in every moment of their daily lives. Shops sold goods for inflated prices, people moved about, sometimes in a daze. Sasuke had never seen people look so hopeless.
"My contact should be just ahead, in the old, abandoned church to our north." Negi quietly informed me.
Kiri was located directly east of konoha, where marshes and fields of reeds dominated the landscape. Further east the oceans covered the horizon, giving kiri access to fishing and other commodities only the sea could provide. This was what gave them their advantage over konoha. Whereas konoha had to outsource ocean trade goods from the land of waves, kiri had an infinite, free supply. And so long as there was a market for fresh fish in kumo, iwa, and suna, Kiri would have the advantage.
However, war had made the cogs of industry run slow and soldiers who needed to be fed grew too numerous. Trade could no longer continue as the need for their own supply became apparent in their own country. Thus businesses had to run the price up as the supply dwindled and families went hungry. Sasuke felt a strange confliction as he witnessed first hand the effects of war.
Sasuke was too young to have seen war before. When he was born the 3rd war had ended only a decade or so beforehand and a new war had yet to spark that konoha would be involved in. Thus, while he may have witnessed murder, even large scale, as well as having murdered himself, sasuke was unused to seeing this many people in such dire circumstance beyond there control. Doubt began to grow within him. Was he really going to destroy these people's livelihoods just so Konoha may become stronger than it already was?
'No this is for the betterment of konoha. This must be done, I will not share fathers weakness!' Sasuke quietly steeled himself.
"-suke? Sasuke!" Sasuke quickly swiveled his head towards negi, stamping the embers of doubts in his mind.
"Sorry, what were you saying negi?"
"I said we arrived. Now quit your daydreaming and follow me inside." Negi and Sasuke quickly entered the abandoned church, looking over their shoulders to ensure no one became suspicious of them.
The church wasn't much to look at. With the amount of damage and overgrowth, it could hardly be called a church anymore. But nonetheless, a broken down statue of the sage of six paths still stood proud, uncaring of the ruin all round it. With rain water leaking in from the broken roof, and the darkness of the unlit shrine to the sage, it was difficult to make out the hooded figure waiting in the corner of the room.
"You're here, and I see you've brought backup. I trust this means we're going to start then?" the cloaked figure asked. The form was feminine with red locks falling out the cloak, resting on her shoulders. She wore a black cloak over a thralls brown shirt that was covered in dirt. In addition, she had on black pants that were torn below the knee, and simple shinobi sandals.
"Yes, we're going to bring down this country and then we'll raize the ashes of what remains." negi said determined
'And then my existence cannot be denied.' he thought solemnly.
"And you are?" The figure asked, looking towards sasuke.
"Sasuke Uchiha, jounin of konohagakure. Now I was told you have information on how we can get the leaders of both sides of this war alone, for a long time." Sasuke added impatiently, ignoring even the stranger's identity in favor of doing this quickly.
"The names tayuya, by the way not that you cared." The now named Tayuya responded annoyed. "And yes I can get you two a death matches 2 on 1 but it won't be easy. Negi's not given me much time for planning all this out but I think I can get the rebellion's leader easily enough. The mizukage however won't be easy. He's a force to be reckoned with and even the rebellion has this same problem. Now the rebellion's leader, Mei Terume, has a lot of trust in me. I can get her in a pretty shady situation and she won't even bat an eye." Tayuya stated confidently.
"In so little time?" negi questioned, his sense of caution lighting up in the back of his mind. "Are you sure she doesn't suspect you? Perhaps she lets you get her in such situations in her arrogant belief you will out yourself and she can still escape?" Negi said, now doubting the feasibility of their mission.
"No Mei isnt stupid, she knows she has enemies everywhere right now. I don't think she'd have trusted me so quick if I hadn't told her I was uzumaki."
"You told her?!" Negi exclaimed worried
"What choice did I have? You gave me 4 months to gain her trust! The mizukage is practically untouchable and Mei doesn't trust anyone!' Tayuya yelled her frustration evident in her voice.
"What does her being from a clan of weaklings have to do with the rebellion's leader? As far as I'm concerned her heritage changes nothing, whether or not the enemies know it." Sasuke said cockily.
"Weaklings?! Who the hell do you think you are, you pompous, duck-ass haired, arrogant-" Tayuya began but negi intervened in an effort to salvage the situation.
"Calm down tayuya. As much as I don't like others knowing of your heritage there are more pressing concerns."
"Why is it such a big deal?" Sasuke asked with genuine curiosity in place of the usual sarcasm.
"It's a big deal, asshole, because uzumaki women can use the chakra chains, and having a bloodline in this country is a death sentence, you bastard!" Tayuya yelled clearly intent on murdering a man with her glare alone.
"Yes, the bloodline purge in this country has been happening for years now. Mei Terume and her supporters are what remain in this country of those who have bloodline releases. For them to know tayuya is an uzumaki, will cause others to know soon as well. The last thing we need is for someone to recognize you while traveling with us, and cause this village to know konoha is getting involved." Negi informed me.
"Konoha is joining the wa-?!" tayuya yelled, a little too loudly for comfort. Negi rushed to silence her his hand going to cover her mouth.
"No, you fool, but our presence will not be taken for a sign of anything else." Negi whispered urgently.
"Ugh, get off me. Jeeze I'll quiet down, not like anyone is listening to us anyway." tayuya trailed off quietly.
"Hmmph, You're both idiots. Uzumaki reports back to the rebellion and gets a meeting with terume. Once you've gotten her to a position where we can deal with her, spike your chakra as high as you can. Uzumaki have incredible reserves i hear.`` Sasuke advised.
"I don't take orders from you asshat, and even if i did i wouldnt spike my chakra in front of Mei even if my life was on the line. Her ninjas even get a whiff of a jutsu going off while she's unprotected, they'll be running after us before we've even gotten her winded." tayuya said.
"Then how are we going to fight her?" negi questioned.
"Look, once I have her in position I'm going to simply raise my chakra a little higher than usual. Negi can follow me with his byakugan and keep a careful eye on my chakra network. Once I've given the signal, rush towards our position. If all goes smoothly, she'll be dead before the rebellion has even noticed our presence." tayuya explained methodically.
"We're not going to kill her." Sasuke responded.
"What do you mean you're not gonna kill her?! I thought that was the whole point?!" tayuya yelled again.
"Keep your voice down!"Negi reprimanded, "no we are simply going to defeat her, and then use whatever leverage we need to make her follow our orders until the end of this war. We'll do the same to the mizukage. Will make them do as we want, even if we need to torture them!" negi finished darkly. Tayuya remained silent, shocked clearly by her features. The two men before her seemed leaving no room for discussion on the matter.
"A-alright. Then sh-shall we set out?" tayuya asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, let's crush this village beneath our boots!" Sasuke finished resolutely.
An.) and that's it for the second chappy. Hope y'all liked it. Alot of set up this chapter, but it'll all be worth it. Next chapter will be the fight against mei where you guys will learn just how strong our protagonists really are.