AN : Thank you for your support!

This was originally two chapters, both written before I even released the last chapter. However, I decided to hold off on releasing them, and reworked a lot of the plot and writing, so here we are.

TurboVortexXD : I listened and re-formatted every chapter on both of my stories. I simply just forgot to before. Also, I wrote this in Docs, the formatting looked much nicer there.

AliasTesin, Kaoribirdy81, lostxinxthexdarkness, thank you for your comments!

I may or may not put Itachi into the position of Hokage. Don't get your hopes up, though.

Let me know if you like longer periods between updates and better chapters, or shorter update periods and smaller ones.

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Disclaimer : I do not own any part of the Naruto franchise.

Chapter 4 - Shimogakure Mission Arc : I

Kakashi clapped his hands.

"We will be sparring!"

"Sasuke, you'll spar with Hinata. Naruto will be fighting me. Jutsu, seals, and weaponry are allowed, as long as they are non-lethal."

They nodded, and separated into groups.

"Hajime (Begin)!"

Sasuke launched himself at Hinata. He knew that given time, Hinata would overpower him in taijutsu, so he made the first move.

His fists flew at Hinata, striking at her exposed side. Hinata narrowed her eyes, and dodged. She spun like a top, arms outstretched in the beginning stance of the Kaiten.

Although Sasuke knew she couldn't do the Kaiten yet, that stance was also a Jyūken strike, so it was still dangerous.

Immediately, Hinata turned the tables around by going on the offensive. In close-ranged combat, she was undoubtedly superior. Her hands cut through the air like knives; one strike would be enough to wound Sasuke.

The Uchiha knew this, so he jumped back, weaving his hands in midair while doing so.

"Katon : Gōkakyū (Fire Release : Great Fireball)!"

Sasuke released a great ball of flames at Hinata, who simply dodged.

Everybody was used to the fireball by now, Sasuke uses it way too much.

Hinata realised his game. Sasuke was keeping her at a distance, so she could not reach him.

Her eyebrows scrunched. That is not good.

Pushing chakra into her feet, Hinata rocketed towards Sasuke, her hands poised to strike once more.

Sasuke gritted his teeth, and launched some kunai. They proved to be useless, as Hinata spun through them as if she was dancing.

He was backed upon the very edges of the training ground. He was out of room.

A sigh escaped his lips. A single step beyond the borders was considered a loss.

His only option was to fight, and Sasuke would be darned if he didn't go down without a fight.

Hinata met him, palms flying in all directions, seeking his vitals.

Sasuke whipped out his tantō, and began retaliating. Each stroke of his sword pushed Hinata back a bit further.

With her all-seeing eyes narrow, Hinata settled into a new stance.

"Hakke Rokūjyon Shō (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)!"

Sasuke's eyes widened, as Hinata revealed her trump card.

"Two palms!"

His kenjutsu forms immediately began to spiral out of control as the onslaught of unfamiliar strikes closed in on him.

"Four palms!"

Sasuke's sword fell out of his hands.

"Eight palms!"

Hinata stopped. Sasuke had lost. Enough tenketsu were sealed that he couldn't fight effectively anymore. She walked over, and unsealed his chakra pathways.

Sasuke winced. The feeling of his key chakra points being opened was one he would never get used to. "When did you learn the Sixty-four Palms?"

Hinata smiled. "Around half a year ago. I've been working on it for a while. Eight palms is all I can go up to, but I should reach sixteen soon."

Sasuke nodded, still bitter at his defeat.

Kakashi took note of everything, and turned to Naruto. It was their match now.

Naruto huffed.

Even now, Kakashi-sensei still has his book out. Wasn't he scared of the pages getting torn by Naruto's wind-infused staff?

No matter, if he didn't care, then neither did Naruto.

"Hah!"

A cry rose out of Naruto, as he swung his staff at the orange book. He had channelled wind chakra to both tips, which gave the weapon a deadly grinding force.

Kakashi snapped his precious literature shut, and stuffed it into his hip pouch.

"Good, you've learned to go for people's weaknesses."

However, one shunshin later, and Naruto was on the verge of loss. No matter what, Kakashi was still a jōnin.

Naruto knew that he was trying to press him into doing his best, so he complied.

"Fūton : Daitoppa (Wind Release : Great Breakthrough)!"

A large gust of wind lifted leaves, grass, and particles of dirt into the air. Although it did little to faze Kakashi, it acted as a good cover. Using this screen of debris, Naruto created clones and stationed them all around.

Kakashi quickly shunshined out of the smoke, and landed on top of a convenient rock that wasn't there before.

His mind reeled, but he acted too late. The rock turned into a Naruto clone, who grabbed his legs and impeded his movement. Three more Narutos burst forth, and a hail of shuriken and kunai sped toward Kakashi.

The jōnin frowned, and with a swipe of his hand, snatched all the metal projectiles out of the air. Pushing chakra into his limbs, he dispelled all four clones in a matter of seconds with simple taijutsu.

Naruto smirked. He clasped his hands together in a Hitsuji(Ram) seal, and activated his trap.

A matrix appeared beneath Kakashi's feet. His eyes widened as he began to feel a strong pull towards the earth, and something drained his chakra. Internally, he smiled. Naruto was improving.

Naruto cheered, and then felt a hand on his shoulder.

"But - Wha-? How did you escape?"

Kakashi eye-smiled. "You forgot one detail. I can also make clones."

Naruto pouted. He lost.

"So, summarise your mistakes."

Naruto began first. "I assumed you would not use a decoy, and let my guard down before victory was assured."

Kakashi nodded. "Nice planning. However, always have a back up. You let your guard down, and you had no way of escaping."

Kakashi looked at the other two. "Anything to add?"

They shook their heads.

He turned to Sasuke and Hinata. "Your turn."

Hinata started. "I should learn more jutsu for long-ranged attacks. I was forced to go on the defensive because all my techniques are close-range."

Kakashi nodded. "True. The reason the Hyūga are less prominent on the battlefield is because of their limited techniques, and close-mindedness to learning non-clan jutsu."

Hinata nodded. This was true; even her father did not know any basic elemental jutsu.

Sasuke smirked, but he was quickly put down by a glare from Kakashi.

Sasuke pursed his lips, and spoke. "I did not anticipate Hinata had a new technique. As a result, I was overconfident and was caught by surprise and lost my offensive edge."

Kakashi nodded. "Good, you all have a good grasp on your weaknesses. Now see where teamwork comes in? Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata can act as your backup. Where you should fail, they will come in. Sasuke, Naruto is very good at intel, as you may expect with his clones. He can provide all the necessary information. Hinata, Naruto and Sasuke both can act as long-ranged fighters. Where you cannot fight, they will, and thus can create openings for you to enter."

He looked them straight in the eyes, hoping that the message reached them.

"Do you see? Teamwork is what Konoha is known for. In fact, we pioneered the four-man squad system, and other villages adopted it after seeing its effectiveness. Bonds can save your life."


Jiraiya sighed.

He understood why his sensei had left the office for the battlefield.

This job was so damn hard and annoying!

Why was there always some kind of big mess that ruined his day?

Last time, it was Itachi's narrow escape from the Kinkaku Unit. Within a week, dozens of spies from the Kumogakure Alliance had infiltrated Konoha, presumably to target said young shinobi.
Or attempted to, at least.

Jiraiya and the ANBU forces sniffed them out, one by one. A few in the trees, waiting to strike. A few suppressed their chakra signatures in the crowd, to gather intelligence. Some even went as far as to sneak into protected facilities such as the Academy, Hokage Tower, the Torture and Interrogation chambers, and even the Intelligence Division Headquarters.

It was quite a hassle to find and subdue or kill them all. Not to mention the terrible calamity that ensued in the Academy when they thought Jiraiya was an intruder (Needless to say, he re-emerged with a few pencils stuck in his nose).

Now, there was this.

How had the Sandaime worn the hat for so long without ever noticing Danzō's private army?

These Ne, apparently they were called, were not only obedient towards Danzō alone, but also are brainwashed to the point where they cannot function without orders!

Heck, their social skills are probably worse than the Uchiha's!

His head was aching. Messes just keep popping out of nowhere.

"Hokage-sama! Team 7 returning from D-ranks!"

Jiraiya hid a grin at the sight. All three of the genin were covered in foliage, dirt, and scratches.

Ah, the wonders of D-ranks. Or more specifically, the pains of Capture Tora.

"Sensei, can we pleeaase get a C-rank?" begged Naruto, nearly on his knees.

The Godaime Hokage raised an eyebrow. "For that show of frankly incredible, unrivalled respect, I'll allow it." He pulled out the mission lists.

"So, what do you want, Kakashi? Low level escort mission? Clearing out some bandits? Relay mission?"

Kakashi pondered this for a moment. "We'll take the relay mission."

"Alright then. It'll be a simple information delivery, some basic supplies to our newly established base in Shimogakure. Body armour, kunai, shuriken, some rations, et cetera."

He looked up, giving Kakashi the destined route for their trip. "You'll be taking a small wagon's worth of supplies. Bandits are the only thing you should have to worry about, as this route is through allied territory, and there are shinobi outposts along each segment of the road."

Jiraiya sent a look in Kakashi's way. "Careful though, at points on the route, you get very close to neutral borders, so watch out."

Team 7 nodded, and accepted the mission.

As they left the Hokage Tower, Kakashi instructed his team. "Alright, now let's talk about what we pack. All of you have to pack rations, water, survival equipment like you were taught in the Academy, weaponry, extra clothing, and camping material."

Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata nodded.

"Naruto, pack some simple seals, as well as your fūinjutsu set in case we need to set up barriers or ambush others. Hinata, bring some of your healing balm. Sasuke, you'll have to bring the civilian clothing and other materials needed to maintain a cover."

Naruto whined, "But sensei, why do we need to be civilians? Why can't we act as something else?"

"Such as?"

"... I don't know, but I don't wanna act around and do nothing all day!"

Kakashi sighed. "This is what war does. You children are supposed to be happy to have free time, to enjoy yourselves. However, because of the war, all you've ever known is training and more training. We'll rectify this eventually. Now go home and pack. We leave the next morning, at the northern gates."

The now ten year old genin nodded, and left.

Hinata had an odd bedroom.

By scraping together enough ryō with Neji, she purchased quite the setup.

A mini stove, a collection of pots and pans, kitchenware, and many potted herbs.

She hummed as she plucked some herbs, pulled out a bamboo cutting board, and a delicate knife.

The petite knife was a perfect fit for her small hands. The silver blade dropped down, and soon, the herbs were chopped up into coarse bits.

She then proceeded to heat some oil, and poured it over the herbs.

Hinata then bottled the herb-infused oil, allowing it to cool.

Humming as she took out the supplies, Hinata felt calmer than before. Although it may not seem like it, she was nervous for her first C-rank.

Filter, mix, and store.

The Land of Fire was a great place for herbs. Being full of forests and greenery, it was the ideal place for herb picking.

Although she never could go out and pick them herself, buying imports with her own allowance was quite simple.

After all, Konoha had so many allies due to the protection the village extended to others. None of the allied neighbouring countries have been attacked, and most of the fighting is taking place in enemy and neutral territories. As such, the general economy of the Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire) was not affected to a great degree.

Hinata frowned as she capped the container of her new medicinal salve.

She hoped the mission would go well, but she had feelings in her gut that told otherwise.

Hinata ignored that instinct, and focused on her salve-making.

"Nee-chan!"

A little girl burst into the door, and Hinata looked up and smiled. "What is it, Hanabi?"

The five-year old girl hugged Hinata. "I heard you were going away tomorrow. Are you?"

"Yes. But I'll be back in around two weeks, so don't worry. It's just a mission."

Hanabi mumbled into Hinata's side. "Come back soon. I'll miss you."

Hinata smiled. Her sister was so adorable, she'd do anything to protect her. "Alright. I'll try and be back soon."

"Okee."

"What?"

Mikoto was highly confused. "What do you need civilian clothing for, Sasuke-chan?"

Sasuke groaned. "Kaa-chan, I'm not little anymore, don't call me that! As for the clothes, it's for a mission. We are to blend in as civilians."

"Alright then, Sasuke-chan! Besides, you are little. You haven't even reached the standard Academy non-wartime graduation age!"

Sasuke pouted. "But it's wartime, so I'm an adult."

Mikoto frowned. "I know. And I don't like it. You should be having fun with kids your age, not training and going out onto the battlefield."

"But I have to. To protect Konoha, and make you, tou-san, and aniki proud!"

Mikoto's heart almost burst. "Sasuke-chan, just promise me to stay safe, alright?"

Sasuke replied, "Alright, kaa-chan."

His mother smiled. "Now go. Get a good night's rest, and I'll find the clothes and other things for you. Your father's bound to have some confiscated civilian items from all the police work he did."


Naruto gasped as a pain ripped throughout his body.

He collapsed onto the floor, taking several heaving breaths

It felt as if his very soul left him. What went wrong?

Sitting up, he crawled over to the formula, eyes frantically searching for any mistake.

He checked the matrix again and again, he had the time-space switch, the physical anchor, the chakra stabiliser, and he checked all the kanji and matrix connector lines, they were all correct.

Then why did it feel like he was nearly drained of all chakra at once?

Then it hit him.

"Oh," he spoke out loud, feeling his own stupidity hanging in the air.

He forgot to add the chakra anchor.

No wonder he felt as if nearly all his chakra was gone, because it was.

Rectifying this would take a long, long, time.


Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"It'll be fine," he said to himself.

He wished so.

However, past memories haunted him.

Kakashi just wished that his team had better luck than he did with missions.

He will stay with them no matter what.

He will not allow another young team to die.

Not like his team.

Not like Obito.

Not like Rin.


"Alright, team!"

The four were standing outside of Konoha's north gates, with a horse cart full of supplies.

Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto each brought a large backpack, over half their own height, of camping material, rations, and other mission protocol items.

"We need to create a backstory. Hinata, Sasuke, you two will be siblings, my children. Naruto, you'll be my nephew."

Sasuke frowned. "But how will we pass off as siblings? We don't exactly look alike, and Hinata's byakugan gives it away."

Kakashi's lone eye twinkled with humour. He held up a makeup kit and several bottles of hair dye.

They collectively groaned.

In the end, Naruto's hair was dyed brown.

Hinata's hair was dyed midnight black to match Sasuke's.

Kakashi's hair was simply darkened to a heavy grey, and patted down, to avoid the instantaneously recognizable look.

"This will be our backstory. Sasuke, Hinata, you two are twins, and are my children. My wife is dead, and I had a brother who also died, after giving birth to Naruto. I've been raising him since he was three. I'm a merchant from Konoha doing business with Shimogakure. My name will be Ōkashi. You get to keep your names, as you're simply children, and no one will know."

Said children cheered. It was quite a relief to keep their names, as calling each other by foreign identities is quite troublesome and difficult.

And so, off they went. Naruto and Sasuke rode on the horses' backs, while Hinata stayed in the cart with the supplies. Kakashi led the horses and walked in the front.

"Let's stop here for the night."

No matter how skilled they are, they are still children. Sasuke looked like he was about to pass out, Hinata's eyes were heavy and drooped, even Naruto was fatigued.

Kakashi secured the horses, and they set up camp for the night.

"Sasuke," he gestured. Sasuke nodded wearily, and blew a small stream of fire at the erected pile of wood. First the twigs, then the logs, and soon, the entire structure was alit with bright red, yellow, and orange.

After Kakashi caught and skinned a wild fowl, they ate. With food in their stomach, the children soon climbed into their respective sleeping bags, and slept, lulled into a deep sleep by the warmth of the campfire.

Kakashi smiled fondly at the sight. Normally, they would take shifts and keep watch, but a shadow clone would suffice.

They are children, after all. Not his ANBU trainees.

Naruto woke up to the sound of rustling leaves.

Was Kakashi-sensei still awake?

"Hush! We can't wake them, or we're dead! Remember, orders were to destroy the cart, and kill if possible!"

The foreign voice immediately shook off any remaining sleepiness he had.

They were under attack.

His mind immediately raced. Was Kakashi-sensei off scouting? Why wasn't he here?

No matter. Naruto's priority was to protect his friends.

His hands formed a cross, and in a poof of smoke, two clones appeared beside him.

He waited for a moment.

No movement.

It seems they did not notice the noise. Good.

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, and the other three of him simultaneously transformed into flies, and quietly crawled into the other tents.

The fly in Kakashi's tent dispelled, sending Naruto a wave of information.

Kakashi was gone. In his place was a few bundles of cloth and a piece of paper that faintly emitted a chakra signature.

Naruto grinned. Kakashi-sensei was fine, and preparing to strike.

Then, suddenly, his blood went cold.

The clone in Hinata's tent dispelled, and a feminine yelp echoed throughout the forest.

In the trees, Kakashi's eyes widened in alarm.

He quickly leapt off, but he was a moment too late. The bandits had already begun charging toward Hinata's tent, intent on silencing the girl.

Naruto heard the noise, and also ran.

"Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones)!"

Somersaulting in midair, Naruto and his clones jumped into action. With a cry, he whipped out his bō staff from his supplies, and cracked it down upon the head of the bandit closest to him.

Using that momentum, Naruto launched himself and kicked the chest of another enemy.

"Sasuke! Wake up! We're under attack!"

Naruto rushed towards Hinata's tent, and opened it, to find Hinata bewildered and in sleeping clothes.

"Are ya alright, Hinata-chan?"

She nodded. Naruto turned and ran towards Sasuke's dwelling. However, upon reaching it, Sasuke was not there.

"Charge!"

The group of bandits, around twenty, advanced forward.

Naruto nearly froze. Where was his friend?


A woman fussed about.

Many things needed her attention.

Her child shouting for food, his stubby little hands and feets pounding away, stirring up a racket.

The plants crying for water and care, their leaves dry, curled, and shrivelled.

She swooped around, brushing the dust off of countertops, shelves, and tables. The grey substance lifted into the air, irritating her nose, and inducing a few sneezes.

As the baby's cries grew louder, she huffed, put her duster down, and turned her attention to the toddler.

"Mama!"

"Yes, Kono?"

"I'm hungy!"

"Hungry, Kono-chan."

"Hungy!"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she retrieved some food. As her baby ate happily, she quietly closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence for a while.

"Ma…ma, I'm tired."

Such were children. They play, they get hungry, they eat, then they sleep.

Smiling lovingly at the now sleeping boy, she continued on with her work.

Finally, after a long time of cleaning up and working, she paused and wiped the sweat off of her slim eyebrows.

Sitting down, she reminisced of the past, while softly stroking the top of the toddler's head.

Departure seemed only like yesterday.

"Oh, my dear, where are you? Are you doing well?"

Reaching a hand out, as if she could feel him, she prayed.


"We will be advancing into Kusa no Kuni (Land of Grass) first."

"Why is that?"

"They are the closest nation besides Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire), and are not particularly strong."

"I suppose we'll be heading straight for the capital?"

There was a pause.

"No. Kusagakure comes first. Then the capital."

"How many men? And who shall lead?"

"...Aoi Rokushō, for now. A battalion of a hundred chunin, fifty jōnin, and ten teams of genin. We're low on numbers, so tell them to stick to the shadows and strike only when they are confident in victory."

"Alright. I'll go."

"Also, tell our spymaster to send someone to Konoha. I have a feeling that's where the last one is."


Sasuke had been awoken by Naruto's clone fly.

However, before the clone realised this, Naruto dispelled it.

And then came Hinata's scream.

Sasuke may not have known there were bandits, but he could hazard a pretty good guess as to what was going on with all the footsteps and battle cries.

So his mind raced. Hinata will be the first target. Naruto likely sent the clone to alert him because it wasn't an immediate danger.

So, he quietly slipped out to flank.

Sasuke sneaked into the sparse foliage, covering himself with the leaves and became part of the shadows. He observed the scene from high ground, narrowing his eyes at the dozen or so bandits beneath him.

He smirked.

"Katon : Hōsenka (Fire Release : Phoenix Sage Fire)!"

A bundle of small fireballs were released from his mouth, and struck the enemy. The ones that were hit screamed in pain, as their hair and clothes caught on fire, and their skin melted under the intense heat.

Sasuke's confidence grew. It appeared that they were only common thugs, likely sent their way by some higher ranking individuals, or just stumbled across their camp and tried to rob them.

He flipped off of the tree, and joined Naruto in a close-range battle against these thugs.

"There you are!" Naruto shouted. "I was worried!"

Sasuke smirked. "Would I die that easily?"

Naruto pursed his lips, ignoring the jab. "Can you take care of these guys? I'll leave a clone, but I need to go help Hinata."

Sasuke snorted. "I don't need your clone."

Naruto glared at him, but ran towards Hinata.

"Just give up, girl!"

Hinata bit her lip. Her opponent was wearing her down.

He was a young man, with an odd hitai-ite with four vertical score marks.

Hinata was being put on the defensive. The enemy wielded an odd chakra blade of lightning. This blade cackled with Raiton (Lightning Release) chakra, and she knew a hit from the weapon would mean grievous, if not lethal, injuries.

In between the hits, she gasped out. "W-who are you? Why are you attacking us?"

The enemy shinobi smirked. "Well, it wouldn't be very professional of me, but let's just say it's a personal grudge."

"Hinata-chan!"

Hinata's eyes widened, and in that moment, the shinobi's blade grazed her arm, leaving a long, bloody trail.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, and joined the fight. "Don't you touch her!"

His staff whirled with wind, and the lightning blade's electrical charges flickered.

The foreign shinobi scowled. He was at an immediate disadvantage : wind was superior to lightning. However, it doesn't matter. Even if he didn't use the blade, he could still easily beat two second-rate genin who only know of teamwork, right?

He stepped back, and retracted the blade. Naruto and Hinata's eyes widened as the sword construct seemingly vanished into the vajra-shaped hilt.

Their opponent dropped the sword into his hip-pouch, and steadied his stance for taijutsu.

Naruto grinned, and did the same.

However, before they got a chance to clash, a shadow flew in.

The enemy shinobi was on the ground, unconscious.

There stood Kakashi.

He smiled at Naruto and Hinata. "Naruto, treat Hinata's wound. I'll clean off the rest of the thugs."

Naruto nodded. He took out a roll of gauze, and bandaged Hinata's arm. Peering closely at it, the laceration was already cauterised due to the intense heat of the chakra blade.

Speaking of which…

After finishing the job by applying some of the handmade salve, he walked over to the unconscious shinobi. Reaching into his pouch, Naruto pulled out the vajra handle.

He grinned at Hinata. "Sasuke's probably gonna like this thing."

She returned the smile, and nodded.

"What am I going to like?"

Sasuke walked over. He was slightly roughed up from all the fighting, but no visible injuries.

Naruto tossed him the vajra. "What is this?"

"A chakra sabre. Our enemy was using it. Try channelling chakra, or Raiton (Lightning Release) chakra."

Sasuke did so, and his eyes lit up as a blade of lightning formed. "Isn't this the Raijin no Ken? The sword of Tobirama Senju that was stolen a few years ago."

Hinata's mouth formed an o. "Oh! So that's the person who stole it! He said he had a grudge against Konoha, that's probably what he meant. He was likely deemed a missing-nin after stealing it."

Sasuke nodded slowly, marvelling at the blade.

Kakashi popped up behind them. "As the rules for looting, winners keep it all! Sasuke, you just got a new sword."

"Now, on to your performance. Naruto, good plan. You tried to alert the others quietly, so you can attack in surprise. But, attempting to engage a shinobi with far more practice and experience in taijutsu is a foolish idea. Hinata, you need to sleep lighter. You were in a deep sleeping state, so when Naruto woke you, you screamed. Sasuke, never flank by yourself unless your teammates know of it. Every move should be communicated prior, and if it isn't, then don't do it. Other than that, you all did fantastic."

His eyes gained a look of concern. "However, this does not bode well. We are right on the Kusa-Ame border. This one, if I recall, was called Aoi Rokushō. He convinced a genin to steal the Raijin no Ken, then left the village during the night. It appears he's now a part of Amegakure. I think we can safely conclude Ame is preparing, if not already going forward, with a plan to conquer Kusa."

The three genin nodded.

"We'll have to accelerate this mission. Relaying this information is important. Hopefully we'll meet one of Hokage-sama's contacts on the way."


A hand slammed down, and the owner coughed, his breaths short and abrupt, wheezing as the air escaped his lungs.

"Are you alright?" asked a feminine voice to the side.

After hacking for a good minute, he rasped. "Rokushō was a fool. An utter fool. I warned him to not go for revenge, that he shall have his vengeance in due time. But he left his subordinates, and pursued a team of Konoha shinobi, and died."

The woman scowled, the expression evident in her voice. "The idiot. What should we do with his squad?"

"... I'll send Tendō (Deva Path) to bring them back. We'll have to recoup and form new plans."

She nodded. "Are you sure you want to send Tendō?"

"Yes. Ame's forces are not many, we need every shinobi. Tendō is the only one strong enough to ensure that."


Kakashi pushed open the door to the bar. Despite it being nearly midnight, the bar was bustling with life. It seemed that this town had a lot of late drinkers.

"Could I get a dish of sake?" his hands flew and twirled.

The bartender quietly nodded, whilst returning his signals.

"What do you wish to do?"

"Send this letter to Hokage-sama."

The man nodded. "Hiro, go send a message to your aunt!"

A young boy emerged from the back of the bar, took the letter, and ran outside.

Kakashi blinked, and looked at the bartender, whose eyes were filled with mischievous pride. "Shisui?" The boy who ran outside was like a young version of Shisui. Was it a clone?

"Sorry, can't drop the Henge here, Kakashi-taichō."

Kakashi returned his smile. "I know. Stay safe alright? Borders have been quite tumultuous with enemy activity."

Shisui nodded. "Gotcha. I'll keep an eye out. Also, say hello to Sasuke for me, won't you?"

"Alright."

Team 7 was on the road once again. The horses clacked in front, and Kakashi idly sat in the front, whip in hand, as he steered the cart.

The rest of the trip was relatively peaceful. Upon arriving at the newly established shinobi outlook, they were greeted by some familiar faces.

It was Team 8 : Sakura, Kiba, and Shino.

Naruto greeted them. "Hey guys! Why are you here?"

Kiba grinned. "We got a C-rank here to help with construction. Why are you here?"

Hinata replied. "We also got a C rank. We were protecting the supply cart here."

Sakura smiled hesitantly at Sasuke, waving slightly at him.

Sasuke ignored her.

The pink haired girl turned away, disappointed.

Hinata watched this interaction curiously. It suddenly struck her that Sakura had always been timid, just as much as she was herself before Naruto and Sasuke came along.

And that was saying something.

"So, how was the trip?"

Kurenai and Kakashi sat in a small tea shop, sipping their tea.

The children were outside, talking and having fun.

Kakashi let out a breath. "We were ambushed in the night by some bandits, and a shinobi from Ame."

Kurenai's eyes widened. "Did anything happen?"

"Thankfully, no. I was able to prevent any deaths, so none of them have been exposed to that yet. Only Hinata was injured, and even then, it was only a mild cut."

Kurenai sighed in relief. "Good. I've been trying to do that too. They're kids, they deserve at least a little more time before dealing with death."

The silver-haired jōnin's eyes closed.

"We both know it is inevitable. Konoha's forces are getting slowly worn down. Unless a new player enters the field, we're destined to lose."

He looked at Kurenai, eyes tired. "At that point, we have no choice but to send them to the frontlines."

Kurenai trembled.

She knew this was true, yet…

She wished that they could keep their innocence.

Just for a little longer.


Tendō looked down at the fallen daimyō.

The man grunted. "Tsume no Kuni (Land of Claw) may fall to Ame, but I will never submit to you!"

Tendō looked at him with ruthless ringed eyes, and snapped his neck.

"The world shall know pain."

So began the annexation of Tsume no Kuni by Ame no Kuni (Land of Rain).


Rōshi grunted as a piece of paper lacerated his arm.

He narrowed his eyes, as his opponent wove her hands together in preparation for yet another attack.

Three paper tags flew at him. Rōshi knew what they were, and knew the danger they posed.

"Doton : Gōremu (Earth Release : Golem)."

From his mouth, a wave of earth was expelled.

The mud and soil quickly formed and hardened into a vaguely humanoid shape, which Rōshi quickly piloted into the three converging paper bombs.

An explosion occurred upon impact. The combustion shook up dust everywhere, and he knew that his quick golem did not hold up against the explosive tags.

From the dust, three more paper tags fluttered in the breeze thrown up by the attack.

He grit his teeth and spun on his heels, dodging the waves of paper projectiles. This was not going well; he was being forced into defence.

"Yōton : Shakugaryūgan (Lava Release : Scorching Stream Rock)!"

A torrential stream of lava rushed out from Rōshi's throat. The molten rock grouped and solidified into boulders, glowing with lines of red.

His opponent narrowed her eyes. Most of her jutsu were paper constructs, meaning that anything that burns is her mortal enemy.

"Shikigami no Mai : Yari (Dance of the Shikigami : Spear)!"

Pieces of paper tore away and out of her body. The many sheets swirled around, and converged into elongated shapes with two side prongs and a razor sharp tip..

The paper yari met the molten rock head on, disintegrating nearly immediately.

Then, suddenly, the boulders of lava exploded.

Rōshi silently berated himself as he backed away quickly. He had underestimated his opponent, and was almost caught in the explosion.

Looking up, she was already forming more yari with explosive tags.

"I have to use it, otherwise escaping might be difficult."

Rōshi let out a primal roar, and a cloak of crimson appeared around him.

"So, you're finally using your bijū?"

Her hands waved in a wide arc, sending yet another wave of paper tags.

Rōshi's eyes widened. As he dodged the bombs, he shouted. "How do you know that? Since when did Ame have a spy system?"

Her facial expression remained stony, and replied with silence.

Rōshi's expression turned grim. "Guess I'll have to beat it out of you."

He lunged forward, several times quicker than before.

The blue haired kunoichi narrowed her eyes, and dispersed into a tornado of paper.

The jinchūriki's head spun around, looking and searching for the enemy.

The papers converged, and moulded back into a humanoid figure.

Rōshi snarled, and dashed forward, hand outstretched. With a single downward palm strike, the paper clone was dispelled.

"You! How dare you draw upon my power without permission!"

Rōshi frowned. "Shut up. Either I use your chakra, or we both die here, Yonbi."

"Banshō Te'nin (Heavenly Attraction of All Creation)!"

Rōshi was suddenly pulled. Alarmed, he struggled, but with a quick strike to his head, he fell unconscious.

"You were taking too long."

Konan looked at Tendō. "I was cautious. I did not know when he would unleash his bijū, and what form he would use."

Tendō's face remained emotionless. He simply slung the unconscious jinchūriki over his shoulder, and left. "I'll send out all the remaining Paths. They will form pairs. You go and recruit new members for Akatsuki to hunt the remaining bijū."

Konan lightly nodded, and the two parted ways.


"So, do we have an agreement?"

Ē leaned forward, eager to hear the infamous Fence-Sitter's final decision.

Ōnoki, the Sandaime Tsuchikage, rubbed his nose.

"The question is, once this is over, will Kumo turn its back on us? Or will the treaty hold?"

Ē frowned. "I have no guarantees. However, I can promise that as long as I am still the Raikage, and I will hold that title for as long as I can, Kumo will not attack Iwa unless provoked. You have my word."

Ōnoki nodded. "I see. If that is the case, I see no reason to not move forward with this treaty, and join forces."

Ē grinned. "Konoha's days are numbered."

Ōnoki agreed. "Indeed. However, to use this to our full advantage, we must keep it a secret."

Akatsuchi frowned.

One of his subordinates was acting odd today, seemingly very stressed and anxious.

The chūnin smiled nervously. "Yes, I'm alright, Dodai-senpai."

"You seem quite nervous."

"U-uh, yes. I heard news of our joining the war soon. I have a family, and I'm nervous for my newborn son."

Akatsuchi's face lit up in surprise. "You have a son? Congratulations!"

Internally, he was suspicious. Such news would not be well kept. He might be lying.

"Y-yes, senpai. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go home."

Akatsuchi was quiet, but waved his hand and dismissed him.

He went straight to his home.

He let out a sigh, knowing that this was likely it for him.

Taking a glance around at his empty apartment, void of any sound or liveliness.

Taking the few possessions that he had, he left his home.

The chūnin took to the shadows, carefully sneaking around, and soon, was on the border of Iwa.

He took one last look at the village that he'd spent half a decade in, and left, with a letter clenched tightly in his hands.


Jiraiya looked at the letter several times.

Ame was on the move? It had not been a huge military power previously. Had they somehow fooled the rest of the world into underestimating them?

At least the Nidaime's blade was recovered.

As he scratched his chin, contemplating on how to act with this information, a shinobi burst into the room.

"Hokage-sama, I have news!"

Jiraiya looked up. It was messenger shinobi.

"Intel reports say that Amegakure has annexed Tsume no Kuni. According to the rumours, it was one man who called himself Pain, who did the annexation all by himself."

The Hokage dismissed the shinobi and sighed.

A new player had entered the arena.

This really doesn't bode well.


The chūnin grunted, the pain from his fatal wound finally settling in. The blood streamed steadily from the deep laceration on his chest, and his lungs slowly filled with the crimson liquid.

Akatsuchi frowned, deeply saddened.

"Why did you have to betray us?"

The shinobi grinned weakly, with no real substance behind his smile. "I was never on your side to begin with. I was sent as a spy, and I will die as one. Know this : even though Iwa and Kumo will try their best, Konoha will prevail."

"And why are you so sure of this?"

A true smile lit the shinobi, whose feet were already in the coffin.

"My summon took the letter back already. The intel is already sent."

Akatsuchi cursed; he was too late. The intel likely was leaked before he even caught up.

"I die with no regrets. Perhaps I'll see you one day in the afterlife, eh, Akatsuchi-sama?"

"My one regret is not seeing you grow up, my son. Sorry, wife, I did all I could."