HOOOEYYY - this has been a LONG TIME coming y'all
So sorry for all the fans of this fanfic that have been forced to wait, like a million years for an update. Like I said in my rewrite of Kogane no Oji, my hard drive that had all of my WIP files and finished chapters got destroyed, so I lost everything in regards to fanfiction and my actual books. Shit's annoying asf. I stopped writing fanfiction for a fat minute because well, I forgot the plotlines I was going for. Everything was saved on that hard drive and one day, it just kicked the bucket and killed itself lmfao
Anyway, this was a long time coming.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Chapter 13: The Enemies Who Watch
Naruto flipped about, dodging swipes and swings, hands speeding through seals and signs. Charging toward him was the heir of the Godaime Hokage, Uchiha Itachi. Sandals clapping against the stone floor of the Uchiha Hideout training dojos, Naruto turned to Sasuke and Sakura, who were at the ready. Sasuke's Sharingan blared to life as he moved in front of Sakura, who sped through hand signs herself. As if in slow motion, his mind's eye had awakened, taking everything in.
Itachi was closing in, hands up, Sharingan activated. He could not risk looking him in the eye. His genjutsu was out of his league and out of Sakura's. The only one in their team who could possibly stand up to the Uchiha was his brother, Sasuke. Naruto knew this and immediately began to see a plan formulating. Thinking quickly, afterimages of his teammates began to move forward.
Sakura bellowed an echoing jutsu, earth beginning to crumble and shoot toward Itachi. As expected, the Uchiha dodged the movement, afterimages of his body showing his projected path. Flipping wide, his legs split, his left foot beginning to touch down on the floor. Sasuke moved in, chokutō katana raised, fire beginning to churn and knead in his sea of chakra. His footsteps took him closer to Itachi, but he knew to keep his distance. Closer, they approached one another, but Sasuke didn't swing, instead letting his feet slide forward.
Itachi somehow knew of the slight, dancing on the tip of his left big toe, sending his foot at Sasuke. Hands brought up, Naruto watched carefully, as Sasuke brought his katana up to intercept his brother's leg. The elder Uchiha simply swiped his foot under the blade, nicking Sasuke's armpit, a small pulse of chakra unleashed at the point of contact. Golden eyebrows raised as Naruto hadn't seen such a move from someone like Itachi, it was something he would expect from a Hyuuga.
Time returned full-force. He flipped and landed on his feet, giving a nod to his teammates before finishing his sequence. Landing on a tiger sign, he took a deep breath, unleashing a great fireball toward the Uchiha. Earth crackled as Sakura slammed her hands upon the floor, sending shockwaves and spears of compressed earth. Sasuke moved as he expected, coming close to the evasive Uchiha, only to slide forward. Sword up, armpit exposed, Naruto reacted, snapping his right arm forward, clicking the kunai mechanism hidden in his sleeve.
Itachi for a moment, looked surprised. If his face didn't reveal his emotion, the quirk of his eyelids sure did. Naruto smirked, giving a signal to Sakura, who immediately understood, speeding through hand seals preparing her next ninjutsu. Careful not to expend her chakra too quickly, she fell back, staying out of the pitch melee, knowing she was better spent elsewhere. She burst into full sprint, dashing around the edges of the dojo fighting ring.
Itachi turned his attention to Naruto and Sasuke, drawing his old ANBU blade in preparation. He clashed with his brother, sparks and flame flying from the skirmish. Jonin watched from the sidelines, amazed at Sasuke's ability to keep up, and not once did he even unveil his chidori. Keeping Itachi's attention on himself, Sasuke dipped and dived, moving between every practiced swipe and following with his own lunges and feints. Their Sharingan matching each other, tri-tomoe and all, it was an almost even match to layman eyes.
Seeing an opportunity, a pop was heard and Naruto charged in with his kunai sword, nearly slicing through Itachi's cloak. Feet moving between one another, it was a dance of death, one that could not be predicted by the average shinobi. Crimson eyes blitzing between one another and Naruto's incredible perception through battle, it was as if they had choreographed this battle. Movements in sync, the screams of steel sliding against steel, their show of strength was in fact, for nothing however.
Itachi was not a feared criminal, for nothing. His skills were pushing both Naruto and Sasuke to their limits. Twice, Sasuke was nearly disarmed and twice, Naruto was almost nicked. This man in front of him, was truly set apart from the rest. Gathering his wits, he charged in once more, the mind's eye awakening once more, this time however, it didn't freeze time. Like the battle with Orochimaru during the invasion of Konoha, time in fact, moved fast enough for him to perceive movements before they happened. There was still no explanation of how or why this was happening, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
It surely wasn't Ahri, after all, he asked her to remain on the sidelines for this fight. Sliding under what was a swipe from Itachi, he lunged forward, jamming his kunai sword into the man's side. Thinking he got him, even Sasuke moved in to finish him off, plunging his sword into his brother's side. It was not to last however, as the man simply split into crows. Caws, feathers, flapping wings, they were blinded. Bringing their swords back up, they slammed their eyes shut, Sharingan possessed in every crow's eyes. A flurry of red and black dashed across their once vision, leaving them open to attack.
If he couldn't see, his mind's eye was practically useless. Someone like Itachi could come from anywhere and everywhere. Seconds could turn to minutes and that was the most agonizing part of facing someone like him. A second wasted, is a defense not erected, an opening to exploit. Naruto and Sasuke could not allow that to happen. Training or not, after their battle with those Shin Clones in Tanzaku-Gai, they were not taking any more chances. Even the simplest of bouts was to be treated as a real battle.
Sasuke was the first to act, taking after his brother's prowess, he swung out with his chokutō, cutting through crows. With the sleight of hand that would make even the most infamous of pickpockets sweat with envy, twenty shuriken were imbued with phoenix fire flower jutsu, spiraling and hurling across the dojo sparring floor. Crashing against stone walls and protection seals, Sasuke followed once again, speeding through hand signs, completing his sequence in record time. He bellowed once more, bullets and missiles of firebolts screamed across the room, exploding on impact.
Naruto got the message, speeding through his own hand seals, slamming his back to Sasuke's. Completing the final sign, he took a deep breath. A stream of compressed and powerful wind somehow connected with Sasuke's fire dragon bomb, multiplying its size and strength tenfold. Jōnin and Chunin were in awe, hands to their brows, pressing their faces against the barrier seal. Even Itachi was surprised, this time, his stoic mask breaking. Speeding through hand seals of his own, he responded with a fire dragon bomb.
The resulting explosion shook the room, collapsing the floor under them. Thanks to ancient Uchiha and their forward thinking, the floor was immediately reformed with seals and ancient archaic ninjutsu. Earth reformed, stones were remade. Smoke billowing from the incredible clash, was funneled through vents and smokestacks. Through the dense black ash, Itachi readied himself, ANBU sword in hand and kunai in the other.
Piercing past tufts of smoke, a series of kunai and shuriken whizzed at him. As if it were the most trivial thing, Itachi blocked and redirected each attack, letting the projectiles bounce and clatter as they embedded their sharp ends into stone and wall. Blasting into view, Sasuke wielded a chidori, screaming to life. Beside him, Naruto held a massive rasengan in his right hand, wind compressing around its equator like shuriken blades. The man's eyes suddenly began to shift, taking the form of a three-pointed shuriken. The Mangekyō had awakened.
As they neared, something clicked in his head. Where is Sakura?
Before he could react, the earth beneath his feet exploded. A pair of hands rose up through the rubble, grabbing his ankles. He prepared his chakra, but Sasuke was closing in too fast and from Naruto's report of killing Kabuto, he could throw his rasengan. Even if he missed, he could somehow make it come back to him. Taking a deep breath, the Uchiha raised his hands, "I surrender."
Chidori and rasengan immediately dispelled, leaving the two boys at Itachi's throat with knives. Sasuke smirked. "Took you long enough, niisan."
"You have done well…" Itachi smiled. As he lowered his head, the man disappeared in a pop of smoke. A jutsu was called and a release, causing the barrier seals to shimmer and disappear. Walking from Tsunade's side, Itachi had the biggest smile on his face as he crossed his arms. "You have done exceptionally well. I must ask; when did you three come up with that strategy?"
"During one of our missions with Jiraiya-sama," Sakura smiled, "we learned what our nature affinities were and he just so happened to have all the material needed to train us to properly hone our natural skills."
"It was a pain in the ass to come up with something, but when we had the time to work on new tactics, we doubled down on our strengths and weaknesses." Sasuke gave Naruto a nudge. "Honestly, it wouldn't have worked without Naruto's quick thinking."
"That's good, because I will be taking you three on a personal mission." Itachi said. "Walk with me."
The three received their praise from jōnin and chunin contemporaries and followed after Itachi like children. Itachi shed his cloak, revealing his old ANBU armor, refitted and bound in new armor plates. Gone was his scarred hitai-ate, now, donning a regular Konoha standard issue protector. Turning to the three, he brought them into a war room, filled with maps and old pictures of men and women Naruto had never seen before.
"I have been doing some research into the Uchiha Massacre and what was left behind in my wake." Itachi said. "We all know why I did it, but a part of me feels like there's something that went wrong, something that didn't go to plan. Sasuke… the village distrusted us and our eyes. However, there are some things that have come to light. When I arrived in Konoha, finding the smoldering ash and flames, I went back to the Uchiha District and rummaged through everything I could find before it was all destroyed."
Walking to a desk pressed against a wall, the Uchiha returned, slamming a journal on the table. It was light brown, with a handwriting Sasuke did not recognize. Seeing the look, Itachi sighed. "This belonged to a woman… a girl, I once knew. Her name was Uchiha Izumi. I… I can't explain it… but I think she's alive."
Jiraiya moved through the ruined streets, Fukasaku and Shima on his shoulders. Fire rained from the sky, silhouettes zoomed across the clouds, dropping bombs upon the people still running for their lives. At his side, Kitsuchi and on the other, the man's daughter, Kurotsuchi. Plowing through overturned streets and crumbled bridges, they moved, dodging explosives and diving creatures of white clay. The Sage was careful, having seen grown men and women turn to bloody ash as they pierce the flesh of those mad creations.
"Jiraiya-sama," Kitsuchi bellowed, "watch out!"
The old man flipped as if he were in his younger years, dodging incoming debris and a white creature with spikes on its back. At the rear of the pack, one of the creatures stumbled. As if in slow motion, a small pebble fell ever so slightly, touching a spike. In an instant, the creature exploded in a fiery blast of orange and black, throwing the other creatures about, their spikes agitated and their bodies beginning to glow. With quick thinking, Jiraiya's hair grew, extending outward, covering both Kitsuchi and Kurotsuchi. The fires raged, throwing walls and broken homes into the sky.
"W-What is causing this?" Jiraiya turned back to the giant Iwa Shinobi.
The man frowned, slamming his fists together. "It has to be Deidara."
"Alright, the Chief Toad, Gamabunta is handling the summon tearing through the center of the village," Jiraiya said. "There is only so much he can do alone. Kitsuchi-dono, do you think you can give him a hand? I'm going to the Tsuchikage Tower to save Onoki!"
"I may not have trusted you when you first arrived, but I am glad that you're here, Jiraiya-sama." The man turned to the girl beside him. "Kurotsuchi, you're with me."
"I want to follow the Sannin." She said defiantly.
"This isn't a game, Kurotsuchi!" Kitsuchi bellowed. "We are being invaded by a madman. The safest place for you is by my side, not in a fight between Kage-leveled shinobi!"
"The old man doesn't know about those suicide bombers! He doesn't know that if we harm any of them, they'll explode!" Kurotsuchi shouted back. "I know this isn't a game! I've known the instant rubble fell down to bury me alive! I'm faster than you and I have Yoton, I can scale distances faster than you!"
"Kurotsuchi!" Kitsuchi glared.
"I'll make sure she's safe." Jiraiya said. "You have my word. It is rare to find youth so willing to jump into the fray."
"We haven't been at war for well over a decade." Kitsuchi said. "There has been no reason for it!"
"We're at war now!"
"Go…" the man relented. "I expect you back when this is over, Kurotsuchi. Tell your grandfather to get off his ass and kill that blonde piece of shit!"
"With pleasure, pops." Kurotsuchi sped through hand signs. Turning back, she brought her hands to her lips. With a cry, she spat forth a wave of quicklime shooting her back into the sky. As the quicklime began to solidify, she sped through hand seals once more, following after Jiraiya through the smoke and fire. A cry of a ninjutsu once more, water this time, spewed from her mouth, highly pressurized and focused into a single point, launching her back at high speeds.
As she planned, whatever creations flew through the sky, were immediately caught by her still solidifying quicklime constructs. Exploding on impact with the dripping ooze, fire and smoke filled the air, covering their ascent. She flipped through the air, landing on Jiraiya's shoulders. The two toads on his scroll, were in shock, but said nothing as they neared the Tsuchikage Tower, somehow still standing over the village.
Coming close to its highest parapet, shinobi were posted along the walls, firing ninjutsu into the sky, throwing kunai and shuriken in every direction, desperately trying to hit something. The white creations blew up, shrouding their vision further. Landing on the rooftop, shinobi turned their eyes to Jiraiya, fear and fury, they turned their weapons on him, until they saw Kurotsuchi jumping down from his back.
"Turn your attention to the sky, morons!" She bellowed. "That is our enemy, not the Sannin!"
"H-How…" A jōnin questioned.
"Call it intuition." The man said. "However, I fear I am not the only Sannin in this fight, right now."
"A-Another Uchiha… is alive?" Sasuke murmured weakly. "B-But how?!"
"I don't know." Itachi said. "It's a feeling that has rested in my stomach since Tsunade-sama began to heal my cancer. A feeling at the back of my head… it's there, almost like…"
"But… I thought you killed everyone."
"Not everyone died by my blade or kunai…" Itachi took a deep breath. "I placed her under a Tsukuyomi that made her live out a full life… for a moment I saw part of it and she lived a life with me."
"Where is all of this coming from, Itachi-niisan?" Naruto asked. "I've known you better over these last few months, but you've never displayed affection like this before! It's kinda freaking me out!"
Itachi chuckled. "I thought I was going to die. I had accepted that I only had a certain amount of time left on this world… but with Tsunade-sama beginning the treatment has renewed my will to live. The three of you have renewed my will to live. I destroyed the clan and I intend to give birth to a new one, one without the Curse of Hatred, one that is nurtured the right way… but if Izumi is out there…"
"T-There's no way to break out of Tsukuyomi." Sasuke said.
"That's what's so interesting about this journal." Itachi smiled softly, opening the journal. "She documents her journey as a genin and onto being a chunin. She is highly skilled in genjutsu and goes into depth on how genjutsu progress and break. She even tried to expand on how Sharingan genjutsu work, but… but it ends there…"
"What makes you think she's still alive, though?" Sasuke asked once more. "Nothing about what you said-"
"Little Brother…" Itachi turned solemn. "I know she's out there. She was the first person I targeted that night… because I wouldn't have had the strength to do what I did. But something tells me I didn't finish the job. Something is telling me that she broke Tsukuyomi."
"You're telling me that we're going on a wild goose chase for a gut feeling?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, I've done stupider things for less. I'm in."
"Naruto, come on, you can't be serious." Sasuke turned to the blond. "This is… this is insane! Everyone was dead! Everyone! Whatever Itachi didn't finish, I know Danzo did!"
"Listen, Sasuke," Sakura spoke up, to his surprise. "More Uchiha, the better. If we can somehow bring her back, imagine the morale boost that would be to everyone here? Uchiha were leveled down to the two of you. Only the main branch of the Hyuuga came with us, and that is the main family that made it. Dōjutsu are important to Konoha, and the Uchiha had the most powerful one. If Itachi believes there is another Uchiha out there, I think we should trust him."
Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. "Who is she? Why her and not any of our older clansmen?"
"She activated her Sharingan at five years old." Itachi said. "She had her sharingan years before I did. That alone…"
"Alright!" Naruto cheered, throwing an arm over Sasuke's shoulders. As the boy yelped and cursed, Sakura giggled, joining the two. The Uzumaki threw his fist forward, his shit-eating grin spreading by the second. "Operation: Get Itachi-niisan's girlfriend back, is a go!"
"T-That's not…"
"Nope, I think it's fitting." Sasuke gave his brother a deadpanned look. "I can't believe we're going on a mission to find your girlfriend."
"S-She wasn't…" Itachi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Nevermind."
"Jiraiya," Onoki hummed. "I was not expecting a Konoha Shinobi here in our time of need, much less a Sanin."
"Good thing I'm not here on Konoha business." Jiraiya nodded. "Things are… not exactly status quo at the moment, Onoki-sama."
"Yes, I have heard of the deteriorating situation in the Land of Fire." Onoki returned the nod. "Curious. If you're not here because of your new Hokage, why are you here?"
"The true Hokage, Senju Tsunade is leading a rebellion against Danzo," Jiraiya said. "We are in need of allies and supplies. We have hidden from his agents for months now and it is time for us to resume the war for our home."
"Why come to us and not Sunagakure?" Onoki asked, raising a finger in accusation. "The relations between our nations have never been the same since your cursed student killed over a thousand of our people in the last war. I wanted peace, so I can bring my people home from foreign conflicts and you want me to send them to die in your wars?"
"No one needs to die," Jiraiya said, "shipments of food and provisions would be perfectly fine. Mind you, more than just shinobi, thousands of civilians who are innocent of Shinobi Politics, have found their way into our fold. Those are innocent men and women, children, who were ousted from their home in brutal coup d'état. If not for Konoha shinobi, which I understand, then do it for the people."
"However, I know this isn't the time for such talk." Jiraiya said. "You are under attack by what I suspect to be Akatsuki and my former teammate, Orochimaru."
"Orochimaru is working with the Akatsuki?"
"No. They just happened to attack at the same time." Jiraiya frowned. "The Akatsuki has already taken the Seven Tails from Takigakure, the Four tails from you and the Two tails from Kumogakure. It doesn't take a genius to guess that they're after the Five tails. As for Orochimaru… his brutal assault on Tanzaku-Gai has proven to me that his goals have shifted. He's expanding his reach and created an army out of nothing. I don't know how, I don't know why but I followed his trail here. I intend to kill three birds with one stone, I suppose."
"The village will not fall, Tsuchikage-sama," Jiraiya bowed his head. "I promise you. As long as I still have chakra, the Akatsuki and Orochimaru will not succeed in their attempts to undermine you."
"Grandpa," Kurotsuchi stood up, walking to the man. "There is something that you need to know. Your jutsu might be the perfect counter to what's happening in the streets. Something is causing ordinary people to explode if they are injured. I don't know how or what's causing it, but that's how they got through the gates and that's how they've been causing so much destruction. On top of that, Deidara is somehow not running out of explosive clay. Everything we've tried, he just keeps making more and dropping more. He's already leveled half the village!"
"Do you know anything like this, Jiraiya?"
"Sadly, I do not." The Sannin said. "I have seen many things in my travels, and I've never seen anything like this before. I can't explain it. It's like they're trapped in a genjutsu, that also weaponizes their bodies. It doesn't make any sense, but I will get to the bottom of this travesty."
"They are distinguished by their crimson eyes, zombie looking faces and they shamble around," Kurotsuchi said. "What I'm saying is, they're really fricken slow."
"We will relay this information to the Shinobi on the ground. If you mean your words, Jiraiya, you will have Iwagakure's aid. Get out there and fight. Make sure she doesn't get hurt too bad." Onoki nodded. "I am building my chakra; I will join you soon."
"Make sure you don't break a hip while you're at it, grandpa!" Kurotsuchi smirked.
"You little brat!"
Jiraiya smirked, looking at the black-haired child. Her pink eyes glimmered with a confident, yet playful gleam. Her attitude reminded him of Naruto, albeit slightly. Cracking her knuckles she turned to the Sannin. "I'm ready to join my father, Jiraiya-sama."
"Alright, try to keep up kid."
Before he could jump however, the girl finished her jutsu sequence. "Suiton: Mizurappa!"
Just like every time she's used the technique, she turned back, using the pressure of the technique to launch her back. Jiraiya smirked, following the afterimage of the girl as she blitzed through the sky. Jumping through off the building, he followed after her as she sped through a series of hand seals. For someone so young, her chakra reserves were incredible. She couldn't have been older than Naruto, either. Quicklime spewed from her lips, congealing and solidifying as it descended through the air.
It was almost hauntingly familiar to how his young apprentice fought during the Chunin Exams. He used a wind dragon to push himself out of the way from opponents attacks. Knowing that pressure was build from the jutsu, their small bodies and relatively small weight could be used to their advantage to weave in and about spaces. However, her skills were reserved to water, fire and lava release. Jiraiya followed, landing on the solidified quicklime, sliding down its slopes, close on her heels.
Kurotsuchi was almost in a trance, as if she had done this before. As she reached the end of the slide, she pushed off, barreling through the sky toward one of the sky scrapers of stone and rock still standing. With the grace of a practiced shinobi, she landed on her feet, gluing her to the surface of the building's walls. Within seconds, Jiraiya landed beside her, a curious glance on his face.
"Say, Kurotsuchi-san, you are quite skilled for your age."
"Perks of being the Tsuchikage's granddaughter," Kurotsuchi smirked. "See that bird up there… that's Deidara's. The man who abandoned Iwagakure and joined the Akatsuki. He's done this before."
"I see." Jiraiya hummed, glaring at the flying creature. "Is there anything else I should know about his abilities?"
"He has five ninjutsu, each one relying entirely on how much explosive clay he has in his inventory." Kurotsuchi said. "The high the ninjutsu goes, the stronger the explosions get. So far, he's only gone up as high as C3, pray he doesn't go up to C4. As for the suicide bombers, they're coming from the rock falls and the rock forests surrounding the village. There's no way to tell where they're truly coming from since there's no trail of chakra to follow."
"Hm…" the Sannin thought for a moment. However, as his chakra began to emanate from his body, pulsing through the air, it rippled against something that felt ominously familiar. Snapping back toward the gates of the village, Iwa shinobi clashed with white.
"What do you think about all of this, Ahri?"
The Gumiho hummed, picking her nails. "Honestly, I think it's kinda cute."
Naruto smirked. "Really?"
"If you were paying attention, Byeong-shin, maybe you'd understand." Ahri smirked back. "Anyway, Itachi said that his original plan was to use the Kotoamatsukami to convince the Uchiha to remain loyal to Konoha and the Hokage. However, due to the fact that Danzo stole the other eye of Uchiha Shisui, the man who created Kotoamatsukami, there was a risk that the jutsu could be undone. Something about Danzo, he just really wanted people to die."
"It's so odd, that someone who prided the strength of Konoha so much, would willfully kill off the clan that brought the most prestige and power to the village in the first place. I mean, look at the ancient Uchiha; Uchiha Madara, for example. Sure, he was a power-hungry maniac who used me as his pet in battle, but god was he fucking powerful. He could level mountains, lay waste to entire armies, all on his own. Then you have the Uchiha who have their Mangekyō Sharingan; they were monsters in combat, who could do their own damage to a battlefield. The Uchiha were one of the prized clans in the village."
"But because of me and what Madara made me do; when I broke free from your mother's seal, the village turned on the Uchiha, seeing them as the ones who were at fault." Ahri frowned. "I mean, to be fair, an Uchiha did attack your parents, but it was no one I had sensed before. Your mother's seal was perfect in keeping me bound, but it wasn't perfect enough. I could still sense who was in the village and pretty much every person within those walls, I had memorized their chakra signature. That man who attacked your parents… he wasn't one of them."
"I remember you saying something about that to my dad."
"Yeah. He had abilities that Madara didn't. At least when I knew him." Ahri said. "He was doing all kinds of ridiculous shit that night that just didn't add up. So, if this Izumi is of any merit, after all, she did activate her Sharingan before Itachi, that must mean she's had more experience than him. It doesn't take a genius to practice with something."
"Be honest, do you think she's even alive?"
"Anything is possible when it comes to Uchiha." Ahri shook her head. "I have seen some shit when I was in Runeterra, all kinds of shit, but the things some of these clans can do, just outshines even the most powerful of Runeterra. I have seen men lift mountains; create seas; birth a forest out of nothing… an Uchiha who can break from Tsukuyomi is well within the realm of possibility."
"Where would she even go?"
"This Uchiha Hideout is most likely far from being the only one." Ahri said. "Ask Itachi or Sasuke, there might be several more scattered across the Land of Fire. Anyway, we should tread lightly. If there is word that another Uchiha is roving across the Elemental Nations, we could draw a lot of unwanted attention. I mean, Itachi left the Akatsuki to save us. Those guys are bad fucking news. Orochimaru and Danzo covet the Sharingan, don't even think for a second what that could mean for a woman."
"On top of that, even though the Cursed Seal has calmed, it isn't gone. Its influence is still there. Kurama is out there somewhere and an imposter claims to be Uchiha Madara. We have so many goals right now, it's not even funny anymore." Naruto frowned. "We're stuck in the Land of Fire, with no allies, no support, no nothing. Danzo would kill us the moment he finds a way to get to us."
"I have a question again." Naruto hummed. "What is the likelihood that Danzo took more than just Shisui's Sharingan? What is the relationship between Danzo and Orochimaru? Because as far as I'm concerned, Danzo did jack shit during the invasion and didn't make a move until every player that could stand against him, was out of the game. I also thought that to become Hokage, one needed the approval of the Fire Daimyo."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Does… wait. No, no, no. That doesn't make sense. Instead of just going out to find some other Uchiha, Itachi would be more responsible than that. He knows something he's not telling us. I'm sure of it."
"What would that be?" Ahri raised a brow.
"We're not just finding some Uchiha, we're going to speak to the Fire Daimyo." Naruto turned to the nine-tailed fox. "Hold on, just one minute. Wait. If he suspects that she's alive… and Danzo needs the Fire Daimyo's approval to be Hokage… the power vacuum, is humongous if this is all true. But why now is he searching for Izumi? Why now is he deciding to do something against Danzo? Surely, we have enough reason to just go to the Fire Daimyo and speak to him about the coup d'état?"
"That's the thing, if Danzo was able to become Hokage this quickly, surely someone working high in the Daimyo's office must have had some sway over the old geezer." Ahri said. As the words left her lips, the gears churned and for a moment, her eyes widened. Jaw dropping with realization. "No way. No fucking way."
"Yes way." Naruto said, nodding with the woman. "If Izumi survived, there's no way Danzo would have let her leave the village. Worse yet, I doubt he'd have just killed her outright. As someone who knows full well the members of Konoha's shinobi corps, he would have known Izumi unlocking her Sharingan at an early age. The Uchiha knew for sure."
"So, Izumi might be working for Danzo and is somewhere close to the Fire Daimyo." Naruto hummed. "That must mean she's one of the Guardians."
"No, no, I doubt Danzo would have an agent that shows their face." Ahri shook her head. "No, he'd be more discrete about it. An assistant maybe, because the Guardians don't join the Daimyo in official proceedings. Someone who is close to the Fire Daimyo, close enough to convince him to turn a blind eye away from the happenings of Konoha."
"Heh," Naruto chuckled. "And here I was, thinking Itachi was insane for thinking we would find Izumi in a city like Nanbu-Gai, y'know the capital of the Land of Fire. How many people live here again? Four million? Five million?"
"Ten million, six hundred twenty-six thousand, five hundred and forty-eight people, with five hundred more being born as we walk these streets." Ahri said with a sarcastic smirk. "That's a lot of people. If Itachi felt she was in the city, without prior knowledge of Danzo, it'd be like finding a needle in a haystack. Even with my sensory abilities, I can't tell who's an Uchiha or not. If only someone was an Uzumaki and had Uzumaki skills."
"Hey, hey, I'm doing my best, Seonsaeng." Naruto blanched. "The old pervert hasn't been able to teach me since he left the Hideout on that mission. I mean… damn, how long does it take to deliver a message to Iwagakure. I thought we were closer to Iwa than we were to Konoha."
"Well, who knows, something might've happened in Iwa." Ahri said worryingly. "Ten Ryo, Danzo sent some goons to destabilize Konoha's opponents. Your father turned the mighty Iwagakure into his bitch. Kumogakure and their third Raikage, wasted ten thousand shinobi in three days. They are weaker than ever and despite all of that, there has been tension between our nations."
"Iwagakure never forgave Konoha for what your father did. And Kumogakure despises us for what happened years ago, when they tried to kidnap Hinata for her Byakugan." Ahri nodded. "A lot of people hate you and by extension, hate Konoha. An invasion that destroyed the village, along with the death of their Kage, a new one propping up after a disastrous Civil War… word of this will spread across the Elemental Nations. One would think he would first push into Sunagakure, playing the vengeance card. I mean, even though they were tricked, they did kill Konoha citizens."
"I know…" Naruto frowned. "I just… something told me that there was something else going on. Sunagakure would pay reparations if they were asked to. As far as I'm concerned, there was no real governing body while I was unconscious. Who would write the treaty, who would enforce it? If the Fire Daimyo was so quick to choose a new Hokage, what makes you think he even knew the full situation in Konoha?"
"Now the idea that there is an agent close to the Daimyo has some ground to stand on." Ahri said. "Alright, now pay attention, Itachi's about to speak."
"I'm not too sure if I'm stupid for coming into this city without a henge, but I feel like if we're going to get an honest word in with the Fire Daimyo, we would need to be upfront about everything, even me." Itachi turned to the three behind him. "I am still a wanted criminal. As far as these people know, I am still in the Akatsuki, even if I have left my robes behind. As long as this mask is on my face, make sure that you refer to me as Inu. Having a weasel mask is a bit too on the nose."
"Understood, Itachi-niisan." The three of them said in unison.
"There is something off." Itachi glared, reaching his hand out, stopping their procession. "Look up to the steps and the entrance of the Palace."
"What do you mean we're relieved of duty?!"
"I didn't think I would have to repeat myself, jōnin." The empty mask responded. The only feature were the empty eyeholes and the painted character for Root. "You and the Twelve Guardians are relieved of duty to the Daimyo. Konoha's ROOT ANBU will take charge in protecting the Fire Daimyo instead. It is a time of transition and all who are not Root personnel are being recalled to Konohagakure no Sato for preparation for war."
"War?" The lead jōnin questioned incredulously. "Are you insane? Who even is the Root? I've never even heard of you."
"That's need to know and clearly, you don't."
"Piece of…"
"Wait, Kaito, don't even bother." A woman said, grabbing the man's jōnin flak jacket. "This isn't a fight we should start. Not here in the Capital."
"Yuna, you can't be serious?! We trained for this! We were trusted by the Daimyo and his family!" Another jōnin bellowed. "I am not going to let some coward tell me otherwise!"
"No, no, jōnin, by all means, you were trusted by the Daimyo. Things have changed." The ANBU said. Raising a hand, four other ANBU lowered their arms and sheathed their blades. Walking to Kaito, the ANBU hummed. "You have been away from Konoha for how long?"
"Eight years." The man responded.
"Do you know about the invasion of Konoha, by Sunagakure and Otogakure?"
"What the hell is Otogakure?" another of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi asked.
"Exactly my point." The ANBU said. "Sunagakure invaded the village and nearly destroyed it. If it weren't for the herculean efforts of Danzo-sama, the village surely would have been destroyed. However, that wasn't all. One of your senpai, Sarutobi Asuma, at the behest of Hatake Kakashi, led a coup d'état against Danzo-sama after he was named temporary Hokage. They took with them half of Konoha's shinobi corps and thousands of civilians fled the village in the chaos of the civil war. We need every shinobi, and who better than the Twelve Guardian Shinobi?"
"W-We can't just leave our sworn posts!" Kaito shouted. "We swore an oath!"
"That oath was waived!" The ANBU shouted back, throwing a scroll at the man. "By order of the Fire Daimyo, you have been relieved of duty and by order of the Hokage, Shimura Danzo, you are to return to Konohagakure and report to the mustering grounds."
"Kaito…" the woman said. "We don't have a choice. This is a decree from the Fire Daimyo himself."
"Yuna…" he scowled. "Fine. Let's go."
"Safe journeys, Kaito-san."
Itachi watched from the sidelines as the shinobi marched down the steps. Their curses loud and bellowing over the ambiance of the bustling metropolis. As they met at eye level, Kaito stopped, turning to Itachi's ANBU mask. "More of you? What the fuck do you… where's your Root symbol?"
"I'm not with the Root." Itachi said in return.
"You guys go on ahead."
"Kaito, you can't be serious."
"No, I want to talk to this ANBU and get a clue about what's really going on here."
"I have business to share with the Fire Daimyo."
"Pft. Good luck getting past the fucking Root ANBU." Yuna said. "Last week, about fifty of those blank masked freaks showed up with decrees and reports from the new Hokage."
"I don't think this is the place to discuss this kind of thing." Kaito said. "Meet me in the Seaweed District on the southside of the city at nine tonight. For now, look for yourself. They have the palace locked down."
With that, the jōnin disappeared, dispersing through alleyways and to the rooftops. Itachi turned to his little troupe. "You three wait down here. I don't think the Root would appreciate the three of you. Stay out of sight. The Root haven't noticed us yet. Go back to the Inn and stay in the room. Do not let anyone in and do not be seen from the balcony. Am I understood?"
"Got it, Inu." Naruto bowed.
"This goes without saying, as the highest ranked, Naruto, you are responsible for what happens." Itachi said. "No go. Do not take to the rooftops."
As Itachi began the ascent up the massive steps, he grabbed Sasuke and Sakura and moved into the alleyways. "Alright guys. Sakura, how many routes are there to take through the city to get back to the Inn?"
"Twenty-seven, if we stick to alleyways and avoid main streets. Each one however is complicated and easy to get lost. If we took the main streets, there are about eighteen different ways, but the quickest takes us well into view of those on the Palace Grounds. If there are really fifty different Root Agents scouring the grounds, who knows how strong they are or what special abilities they claim. Sasuke said that Kakashi-sensei said that Danzo prefers those with knowledge of kinjutsu and those that have special kekkei genkai."
"Alright, Sasuke, how many chakra signatures did you see?"
"Like they said; fifty." Sasuke said. "There was one that was odd, but it was so weak… it might have been suppressed, so fifty-one, if we're being safe."
"Easy bet, that could be the one Itachi-niisan is looking for." Naruto hummed. "Alright, I know he said that we need to go back to the Inn, but I feel like some investigation is needed."
"Agreed." Sasuke said. "This is the first time I've ever seen the capital and I have to say; something is wrong about this place."
"Yeah." Sakura murmured. Emerald eyes glancing between passerby and wheeled wagons dragging by. "The people are so cut off and out of touch with reality, it almost makes our whole rebellion kinda pointless in the grand scheme of things."
"Don't let those doubts get to you." Naruto said. "We have a mission and we're going to complete it. Me and the fox were talking, I think there's something else at play. The Daimyo would usually delegate with the jōnin commander in the absence of the Hokage, the council of Konoha and the clan heads of Konoha. But because Kakashi-sensei pulled most of the high-ranking clan heads, several more filled the ranks with the promises of prestige and riches."
"But that alone won't sway a Daimyo. We are guessing that Danzo has another agent in the field, one that's close to the Daimyo." Naruto kept his eyes warry, pulling his teammates closer. "We have reason to believe it's Uchiha Izumi. Come on, she awakened her sharingan before Itachi and Itachi was once a Root member. From what he said, they never took off their masks when training or fighting; none of them knew what the other looked like until they died."
"I remember in the hospital," Sakura said. "They were terrifying enough to put Kakashi-sensei and Asuma-sensei on edge. That guy, what was his name again?"
"Chimi." Sasuke glared. "I sensed his chakra up there in the Palace."
Naruto frowned. "Oh."
"Yeah." Sasuke said. "Those guys don't play around. They were ready to kill Kiba and they were ready to kill me."
"Okay, to bring you both up to speed; the fox and I think that Danzo may have kidnapped the disoriented Izumi and brainwashed her into becoming a Root Agent. After all, the fox was sealed in my mother before me, and she was experimented on by Danzo's scientists and Orochimaru, of all people. They wanted to know the limits of a Jinchuriki and stress levels that an Uzumaki can take. Just like the Uchiha, apparently, the Uzumaki had their own clan secrets that Danzo and Orochimaru both wanted knowledge of."
"Orochimaru, probably because of his obsession to learn every technique in existence and Danzo, his obsession to use every weapon possible to protect and project Konoha. But what he did to my mother left her debilitated and unfit to continue being a Kunoichi and that was what drove a wedge between Danzo and the Third and my father. There was no way that they had proof against him, so they couldn't just arrest a councilman that had support of parts of the shinobi corps and many village clans."
"Kidnapping a talented kunoichi and turning her into his personal tool is well within his MO." Naruto said. "Itachi must have caught wind of it and pieced it together himself. That's probably why he even brought us in the first place. Think about it; if this was just about Izumi, he wouldn't have needed us. The son of the Yondaime, one of the last two Uchiha and a talented kunoichi from a civilian family; we are representative of the three castes of the village."
"Right." Sakura hummed. "The Kage and their family are at the top; then the clan structure, then at the bottom are the civilians, noncombatants. But he could have chosen literally anyone for me and Sasuke, but he chose all three of us?"
"He wants to show the Daimyo that the Rebellion has all the chips he would want as a military leader above all else. Konohagakure is a military establishment above being a simple village. We are the branch that operates outside of national matters, instead acting as mercenaries in service to our Daimyo. That's the model that the ninja villages were formed under. After all, if the great ninja clans of the Warring States period banded together into single conglomerates, they could overthrow the Daimyo of their regions and succeed with little to no effort. Especially since at the time, the nations were not as united under a single ideology as they are now."
"I remember this." Sakura nodded. "We were taught that around the same time that Konoha and the other hidden villages were founded, the five great nations were uniting for the first time, ending the warring states period for not just shinobi, but for regular people as well. Shodaime-sama just put his bets in with the right Daimyo, forming the Land of Fire and the system we have maintained since."
"So, what are we going to do?" Sasuke asked.
"This is the Capital of the Land of Fire." Naruto said. "There are nobles here that live in mansions inside and outside the city walls. There are many people who look to the Daimyo for direction and inspiration. Surely, if they learned some of the truth of what's happening in Konoha, they might be given some incentive to speak to the man. I mean, their taxes go to arming and maintaining Konoha and the Shinobi corps."
"Alright, it's settled. Let's go!"
Naruto collapsed into the recliner chair, rubbing a rag against his forehead. The sun was going down and due to radio silence, there was no word from Sasuke, Itachi or Sakura. A part of him wanted to worry, but he needed to trust them and their abilities. He was not foolish enough to trust the whispers of the Cursed Seal and the lies it wriggled from its dark magatama. They were nowhere close to being as loud as they were before he and Ahri found a way to escape them, but god, were they persistent.
Like snakes, they slithered in and out of his consciousness, whispering lies and deceit, as expected from a snake. Curses, denials, falsehoods, he ignored it, even as his right arm began to twitch and shake. Clenching his teeth, he looked away, toward the mountains and the towering buildings of the great city beyond the balcony. Taking a deep breath, his left hand began to drift on its own, against his own will. The fingers wrapped around his right forearm, tightening with each quiver. Taking a deep breath, Naruto growled as the shaking worsened.
He began to panic, his breath hitching and turning labored. He shoved his hand underneath him, sitting on it, but the sensations, prickling and innumerous, began to aggravate him. He shot from his seat, right hand pressed against his chest. He held his shirt within his tightening grip. He cursed under his breath as the trembling began to overwhelm him. Hand shooting to his wrist, the hand would not stop trembling. Flashes burst into his mind. Shifting, his skin appeared to be dipped in blood. The screech of steel against steel, the scream of death and dying.
Fire rushed against his back. Rubble fell to his shoulders. A village in flames; an invasion awash in gore. He shot his hands to his head as he fell to the floor, fingers pressing into his scalp, drifting between each spiked golden follicle. Compressed, pressurized and ready to burst, the Uzumaki growled, trying to keep himself together. He felt like he was about to explode.
"Dong-saeng. Breathe." Ahri whispered sweetly.
The jingling tune of chimes echoed in his mind. Something hit him and burst, almost as if it popped. Pink smoke hovered around him, sucked into his flaring nostrils. The effects were immediate. As if the weight and the pressure was alleviated, his shoulders and muscles slacked in an instant. The breath he was holding was immediately released. He sighed in relief, lowering his sweaty forehead to the floor. "Gods… thank you, Ahri."
"Of course." She said. "Sorry, I didn't move faster. I was trying to shut the Cursed Seal up."
"N-No, you did more than enough, thank you, Noona." Naruto smiled. "I didn't think the Charm would work like that."
"Oh-ho, do you know what that sounds like to me?"
Naruto couldn't stop the growing smirk. "Training?"
"I love to hear it, Dong-saeng. Come on, up, on your feet. Get a glass of water and we can get started."
As he rose to his feet, a pop was heard, catching his attention. Another pop was heard and the kunai sword landed in his palm. Naruto prepared himself, careful not to flare his chakra. Taking a stance, he was ready. However, a young pink-haired girl stepped from the kitchen, wiping sweat and dirt from her forehead. She gasped at his sword but immediately calmed, running to his side.
"Naruto, you have no idea how bad it is here." She said, lowering his sword. "The politics here is beyond comprehension. I thought the clan competition in Konoha was bad, it's worse here. These clans aren't shinobi however. They are powerful, rich and they care more about what helps their pockets than helping other people. They didn't even want to bother with conversation with me and I even used a Henge. I was disguised as a noblewoman and I couldn't get past their guards. And there were a lot."
"How many different nobles did you try to talk to?"
"At least twenty." Sakura frowned. "I asked around and scouted, and found out that there is a hill in the city that is home to the vast majority of the City's clans. Massive mansion that are basically palaces in their own rights. It was insane. So many personal armies patrolled the streets. There are businesses within the city that hold clan sigils and are protected by more troops who bear the sigils. It's a nightmare out there. I had no luck."
"Any word from Sasuke?"
"Nope. He decided to go to the underworld and seek out the warlords who have ties to criminals. His Sharingan and his strength was perfect for that. What about you? Did you have any luck?"
"Me neither." Naruto frowned. "I followed some shinobi and did my best to stay hidden. There were secret deals in shady alleyways between them and some noblemen, but nothing of any real merit. Bribes, corruption, blackmail, the usual thing you'd imagine from a city this large. I even spied some shinobi clinging to rooftops and towers, watching deals and doing nothing but taking note. I didn't get a chance to question anyone, I mean, a city this large, webs this connected, I feel like that's something I don't want to be caught up in."
A pop was heard, stopping their conversation immediately. The two of them reacted as they were trained to. Avoiding the windows and the balcony, their weapons were drawn. No chakra was kneaded, keeping their presence hidden. Stepping from the kitchen, Sasuke arrived, covered in blood. Sakura gasped, running to his side, turquoise healing aura already hovering around her hands, but Sasuke grabbed her, ceasing the chakra.
"Don't." Sasuke gave her a look. "Even medical ninjutsu can be sensed. Besides, this isn't my blood. Needless to say, I had no luck either. I ended up killing a Yakuza warlord and his entire gang. They wouldn't let me leave and they saw through my henge in an instant. A missing ninja was among their ranks and it took some time to handle. Remember that one asshole, Naruto, that had sticky chakra?"
"Huh?" Naruto raised a brow. As the gears clicked, his face suddenly turned green. "Oh… OH."
"Don't."
"R-Right… another guy had chakra that poisoned?"
"Yup. It made using chidori almost impossible." Sasuke sighed. "I had to use my chokutō instead of any ninjutsu, since y'know, I'm not Haku. I can't do one sign ninjutsu yet. Either way, I broke free, and they started attacking me. A bunch of people are dead and the damn city guard and policemen did absolutely nothing. Even when I gave them evidence, they shrugged and walked away. There is something wrong about this place and I really want to leave."
"It looks like all three of us were way out of our league." Sakura sighed weakly.
"You're right. This place is just so fucking different, it's making me feel nauseous." Naruto rested a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "There is something that is so over our heads, that I think we have overstayed our welcome. We need to find Itachi and get the hell out of here while we still can. Danzo's presence being here is bad enough, now with a bunch of assholes standing around scratching their dicks will do nothing for us."
"What about those Twelve Guardian Shinobi?" Sasuke asked.
"What about them?"
"Itachi isn't here and the clock is ticking. I mean, we know enough of our situation, we can fill them in if Itachi doesn't make it back. We need allies and who better than shinobi who are outside of Danzo's reach?"
"I… you know what, I'm in."
The three shinobi moved through the street, keeping to the shadows, away from prying eyes. Sasuke kept his eyes hidden as the Sharingan began to flutter between people. The annoying thing about the Elemental Nations, everyone had chakra. While some did not have enough chakra or control of that chakra to become shinobi, their presence was enough to blind and disorient even a full-fledged Sharingan. Sasuke was struggling but he was pushing himself further and further.
"Naruto, I'm sensing a collection of massive chakra reserves." Sasuke nudged the boy. "That bar over there."
"Alright, stick to me."
They crossed the street, avoiding carts and wagons, along with drunken hordes. Zipping together, they kept their henge. Sneaking into the bar, they followed Sasuke, pushing through young adults and grown men slobbering over their bottles and shot glasses. Music blared over speakers, and sports of television screens. Sasuke grabbed Sakura as a drunken man fell off his table, protecting him from his path. Pressed against him, she blushed through her henge as did Sasuke, the two of them staring into each other's eyes.
"Psst! Mission!" Naruto whisper-shouted. "You can stare at each other later."
"R-Right." Sakura murmured, pushing away from Sasuke.
"I can't believe we're getting kicked out." Kaito was heard across the bar. In the back of the establishment, in a booth nestled in the dark, there were three other shinobi with him. Sasuke walked forward, the three of them dispelling their henge. Kaito took a swig from his bottle before turning his attention to the smoke. "H-Hey, aren't you three those brats that came with that ANBU?"
"Yes." Naruto said. "I am Uzumaki Naruto, Chunin of Konohagakure. These are my teammates, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura."
"T-The Kyuubi-" Yuna shot her hands to her mouth.
"I know." Naruto rolled his eyes. "There are things in play that you don't know. Whatever that Root ANBU told you is a lie. Our Rebellion is to defend Konoha and protect the legacy of the Sandaime. Danzo however, overpowered us and many of the noble clans. We have been in hiding for the last few months preparing our next move."
"And you expect us to just listen to you, Kyuubi?"
Ahri, don't even think about it.
"Watch your mouth." Sasuke glared. "If it weren't for Naruto, we would have lost Konoha to the invasion. Last I checked, you weren't in the village."
"Sasuke." Naruto raised a hand. "That's enough. I honestly couldn't care less what you think of me. My point still stands. We followed Asuma-sensei and Kakashi-sensei because we believed them when they said that Danzo was evil. We believed that Danzo worked to undermine the Sandaime and the Yondaime for his own personal gain. We still do. You wanted to speak to Inu, but he's not here. We can all take a few guesses as to what happened to him."
"Who's leading the Rebellion?"
"The only person who can contend Danzo for the seat of Hokage; Senju Tsunade, granddaughter of the Shodaime, grandniece of the Niidaime and student of the Sandaime. Her apprentice is my teammate, Haruno Sakura. We aren't just a rabble of angry shinobi, we are fighting for the freedom of Konoha, freedom from an oppressive maniac with visions of grandeur. If Danzo is allowed to remain Hokage, temporary or not, he will cause a Shinobi World War."
Kaito's eyes widened. "S-Senju Tsunade?!"
"Yes. Anyway, Danzo took the seat, manipulated the lesser clans in Konoha and manipulated the Fire Daimyo. His agents being in the palace is no mere coincidence." Naruto said. "To become Hokage, you need the approval of the majority of the clans to even be considered and you need the approval and the seal of the Daimyo. As far as I'm concerned, he has neither."
"What are you saying?"
"We have come for a specific Root Agent, and we've come to relieve Danzo of his position and give it to the one person who deserves it the most-Senju Tsunade. We have no allies right now and before we met you, we believed that every shinobi in Konoha worked and fought for Danzo. With the invasion over and the coup d'état over, the power vacuum has sealed and Danzo has full control of the village. We have actionable intel that he has an agent that is close to the Daimyo. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he probably sent his Root Shinobi to ensure that agent's protection and strongarm the Daimyo for his own intentions."
"The separation of the Shinobi branch of the Daimyo's army is an important facet of the Land of Fire's military structure. This is a power grab at its finest. Even if you don't agree with our Rebellion, you must agree that Danzo has overstepped his bounds. There are Warlords within the nation that believe instead of a Hokage, Konoha should serve the Daimyo and only the Daimyo. There are others, who use the village for their own personal missions, I mean, that's why we even have missions in the first place. Danzo however, lies in a separate camp, he wants to rule the Land of Fire, he wants to militarize and subjugate all of our neighbors. After all, he's done the very same thing to his own ANBU."
"We've come to speak to you because we've waited for Inu to come back but he hasn't arrived. I fear the worst has happened." Naruto frowned.
"You want us to help you break into the Daimyo's Palace, and save your ANBU?" Yuna raised a brow. "What about the Root ANBU, what about the agent you spoke of?"
"You're the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, the best that Konoha had ever offered. I think you can handle it."
"But what about the Kyuubi?" Yuna asked as she rose from her seat. "Who's to say that it won't try to break out and destroy this city?"
"Do you doubt the seals made by the Yondaime?" Naruto questioned. Sasuke and Sakura smirked.
"N-No… but…"
"Then you have nothing to fear." Naruto said. "Then come on. I'm sure there are other shinobi you can conscript into this mission. The Root has full control of the palace with auxiliaries within the city no doubt. I also wouldn't doubt that Danzo has connections among the nobility. Those are personal armies of trained warriors itching for a battle in these times of peace."
"There is a contingent from Konoha that is stationed in the capital at all times. We are in close correspondence. That's how we contact the Hokage and the jōnin commander back in Konoha. However, in recent months, there have been no returning messages." Kaito nodded. "Give us a few hours and we will mobilize as many of the shinobi as we can. If what you say is true…"
"Senju Tsunade is truly with us." Naruto reached into a pouch. Pulling scroll, he handed it to the jōnin. "A personal message written by her hand. It was to be delivered to the Daimyo himself, but now I fear that mission is compromised."
Kaito carefully read through the message. Eyes scanning each character and word in a near panic. Shutting the scroll, he looked up the ceiling, following the trails of wisping smoke. It was true. All of it. Handing the scroll back to Naruto, the man sighed, running a hand across his face. "You do know that this is treason, right?"
"I'm literally a chunin for a rebellion." Naruto said. "All I've been doing since I woke up after the invasion has been treason."
"Fair." Kaito nodded. "Alright guys, on your feet. We have a Daimyo to save."
"What are you fools still doing in the capital?" a Root ANBU asked. "I thought the Daimyo made his decree clear."
"The Hokage has no right to disband the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, nor does he have the right to fill the Palace with his faceless lackies." Kaito bellowed, crossing his arms. Shutters were slammed closed, doorways were barred, windows were locked. Civilians rushed about, hiding within their homes and apartments. "Step aside, Root. We will speak to the Daimyo ourselves!"
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, jōnin." The Root ANBU drew his sword. Several more appeared around him, swords in their hands. Kaito and the Twelve Guardian Shinobi watched as twenty ANBU appeared on the scene, aided by samurai and ashigaru of the city's army. "Men, arrest these traitors."
Kaito took a deep breath, his chakra coils beginning to rile up. His brown eyes caught the silhouette of three children running across rooftops. Hidden from view of the Faceless ANBU, they disappeared toward the towering castle in the center of the city. Kaito's chakra flared, causing a few of the weaker ashigaru to tremble back. "I don't think you want to do this here, Root."
The three of them moved quickly, avoiding low rooftops and exposed balconies. Jumping through and under wires and cables, they maintained their nimbleness. Naruto fell back, sandals sliding against rooftops. A whistle, a signal with his hands, both Sakura and Sasuke fell to the floor, prone position against wood and stone. Horns were blown, bells were rung and streetlights blared to life. Braziers topping off lone towers. Mirrors were shifted within those monoliths, sending spotlights throughout the city.
Sasuke raised a hand giving the signal. Ten Root ANBU have left the Palace.
Naruto hummed. His mind's eye awakening for a second, he visualized the Palace Grounds, from the almost infinite stairs, to the great doors and the terraces of its first floor. Fifty Root ANBU patrolled the keep. If they decided to deploy in platoons of ten, then it wouldn't be long before they over exert themselves and stretch their lines thin. It didn't matter how talented one was, they could not send too many men and still expect to hold the keep.
Especially if they have a criminal as dangerous as Itachi.
As the first batch landed on the streets around them, Naruto watched as they clashed with the Twelve Guardian Shinobi. Clashes of steel and sparks sounded in the street below. Despite the talent Root shinobi had, the Guardians showed that their title was not just for ceremony. Powerful shinobi clashed in the main street, leveling stalls and cutting holes through the paved streets. Another batch however descended down the opposite direction toward the noble district.
Tilting his head, he turned to Sasuke and Sakura. His mind's eye shutting off, the first batch had begun their projected course, jumping from the parapets to the main street below. The Twelve Guardian Shinobi were fast, closing the distance in a shower of sparks and kunai. Naruto moved, tapping the two of them, immediately telling them what they needed to do.
Naruto glanced at Sasuke who jumped into the sky. Moving fast, he grabbed Sakura, taking her into his arms, channeling chakra into his legs. Focusing on a curled eave on the second floor of the Palace, he rocketed forward, chakra billowing off of his limbs. Flipping through the air, they landed perfectly, without making even the slightest of sounds. Resting her on the tiles, he made a quick flurry of signals and they split off, Sakura sneaking into small crevices, suppressing her chakra signature.
Opening a Shoji door, he snuck into the building, his feet imbued with wind chakra. Landing softly, he kept low, sliding against wood, throwing his back against a pillar. Hands armed with kunai, he prepared himself.
"Search the grounds for Konoha genin!" A voice bellowed. "They are in league with Uchiha Itachi!"
A massive and concentrated chakra signature moved underneath him, before descending into the city below. Footsteps continued around him, readying himself, he took a deep breath. Armor clinked, swords were clicked, helmets turned and fabric rustled. A white tabi stepped beside him, wrapped in traditional sandals. Moving fast, he shot up, jamming a kunai into the samurai's neck, spilling his blood. Tearing the knife free, another samurai burst into the room. Snapping his hand out, the kunai flew across the air, jamming into the man's chest.
Before he could fall down, a shadow clone popped into existence, rushing to the samurai. Knife in hand, as the man groaned, he shoved the knife into the man's throat, hand covering his mouth. The grunts, the gurgling pleads, resounded in deaf ears. The shadow clone lowered the man to the floor. Giving Naruto a nod, the shadow clone moved through the halls, carefully eliminating samurai and ashigaru looking for them. Pulling his kunai from his victim, Naruto moved once more, carefully avoiding the puddles of blood.
Ahri's chakra building, the woman told him of chakra signatures and life signatures rummaging through the keep. Naruto moved, throwing a hand up, the mechanism strapped to his wrist firing off two kunai, immediately killing a pair of lightly armored ashigaru. He moved forward, following the signature of Itachi. Ducking under a katana swing, he whipped around, a half-tiger seal raised, three motes of fire sprang from his body. Slamming his hands down, the motes shot outward, crashing against three samurai, killing them immediately, leaving smoldering, melting steel and cauterized holes in their chests.
Naruto moved onward, jumping over a railing, descending down winding stairs. Samurai were moving through halls, ashigaru were bursting into the Palace grounds. But it was as if the gods were watching after him, as the chakra signatures of Root ANBU dispersed into the city, the battles rattled through the streets between shinobi and these Root. Naruto could sense all of it. Every blade that clashed and every ninjutsu spat into the field.
Landing on the first level, he rolled, throwing kunai and shuriken in every direction, killing a platoon of ashigaru and samurai. Their bodies fell to the floor, the sound of crashing armor doused by the explosions outside. Naruto moved, turning through halls and moving under stairwells, searching through halls and closed doors. The chakra signatures continued to grow, nearing every closer. Frantically opening shoji doors only to find empty rooms was beginning to aggravate him. Slamming a door shut, his senses froze time.
Hairs rose on the back of his neck. Moving back, as underwater, a flat-headed sword lunged past his vision. Right hand down at his side, smoke popped into existence. Slowly, fingers clenched around a wrapped cold-steel handle. With a blink of an eye, the kunai blade clashed with the ANBU sword, a deadlock of steel against steel. Naruto glared at the blank-faced ANBU mask, reminded of the Hunter Nin of Kirigakure and Haku.
Struggling against the larger shinobi, Naruto threw up a half-tiger seal. Three motes of fire came to life, forcing the Root Shinobi to break away. The three motes shot out, smashing against furniture and walls, but none seemed to hit the elusive shinobi. Twirling the kunai blade, Naruto narrowed his eyes, pulsing his chakra out. It did not matter how suppressed one's chakra was, he was going to feel something off. As he waited, there was a ping from his left side.
Currently, there are no more than thirty of the Root ANBU within the Palace. Just as we jumped in, the second batch was deployed into the noble district. Naruto thought to himself. I need to be quick and precise.
Raising his blade, the edge caught on the ANBU sword, surprising the Black faced ANBU. A twitch in the arm, a tremble in their feet. It was enough to act on. Naruto jumped, kicking the man. As he fell back, Naruto's mechanisms clicked and came to life, firing shuriken and kunai in rapid succession. The ANBU was faster however, blocking each projectile with ease. However, the ANBU was not prepared for what came next.
Red smoke shot forward, engulfing him. Thinking it was a smoke bomb, he breathed it in. He had known that the Kyuubi Jinchuriki was terrible at genjutsu, so he knew he would be safe. However, that didn't explain the voice in the back of his head. As if his body was tense and trying to fight back against the commands of his intrusive thoughts, his right arm began to twitch, turning his blade to his throat.
Do it.
It was Naruto's voice.
End it. End your service to Danzo.
As the blade sliced against his throat, the shinobi fell to the ground, blood puddling around him. A clatter of clothing, armor and steel, the ANBU was dead. Naruto nodded at the corpse, twirling his blade once again. Moving through the halls, he threw his kunai with deadly accuracy through shoji doors and walls, leaving blood spatters and dead silhouettes in his wake. Focusing, even Ahri was struggling to tell where Itachi was, with all of the powerful chakra signatures roaming the palace halls.
An explosion ripped through the city. A call was heard from above. Chakra built up. Another batch unleashed into the streets. Naruto, for a moment, wondered just how powerful the Twelve Guardians really were. Before his thoughts could wander however, Ahri snapped him back to reality. "Naruto! Sasuke found Itachi, but there's a problem. They're both just standing wherever they are! Go, there's a floor under us!"
Naruto raised his right hand, channeling chakra into an Orb of Deception. Massive and volatile, it quickly absorbed the orbiting motes until the new rotations were added. Smashing his jutsu into the floor, he whispered its name. Rasengan. Wooden boards were immediately destroyed, turned to splinters in the might of the rotating orb. Crashing through floor, foundation and sheetrock, he plowed through what looked to be a stone ceiling.
Smoke, debris and a ton of rubble, he flipped and landed on his feet. The rasengan quickly dissipated, leaving him with his sword and his chakra. Crashing through shoji doors, he rolled into the room, dust blowing in his wake. Sword ready, ninjutsu flaring, he stopped mid-step when Itachi rushed at him, hand pressed to his mouth. The man's sharingan was active. Shaking his head, Naruto nodded, resting on the floor in silence.
Shadows moved about, rushing through palace. Like an ant hill, samurai and ashigaru rushed through the palace grounds. A pair of samurai moved toward their room and Itachi responded in an instant. Before Naruto could even blink, the two warriors were dead before they hit the ground. Sheathing his bloodied sword, the Uchiha turned back to Naruto.
"W-What the hell are you doing here?"
"You didn't come back to the inn. We decided to come after you."
Footsteps were heard, but before Naruto could react, Ahri reached out. "It's Sasuke and Sakura."
Oh, thank the gods. Naruto sighed. Reaching out, he grabbed Itachi's arm. "Don't."
Panting, Sasuke and Sakura burst into the room as well, throwing kunai back. Steel clattered and clashed. Taking his cue, Naruto rolled outward, dashing underneath the samurai and their katana. Kunai blade in hand, he slashed their kneecaps out from under them. With practiced efficiency, he slashed their throats, their gurgles the melody to the beats of explosions. Falling back, he motioned for everyone that it was clear.
"Listen, get out of the city." Itachi said. "There is something wrong with the Daimyo. I don't think he's under any genjutsu, I have reason to believe that he is willingly working with Danzo."
"So, we came here for nothing?" Sasuke asked.
"No." Itachi's eyes shifted into the Mangekyō. "I will do this on my own if I have to."
Before the man could walk away, Sasuke grabbed him, forcing him to look at him. "You have pushed me away my entire life. I learn that it was for good reason half the time, but this, we can help you. You didn't bring us along just for the shits and giggles."
"Sasuke."
"Itachi, please." Sasuke shut his eyes. "We are shinobi too. We're not just kids anymore. We're fighting the same fight and for all the same reasons. We're in this together, stop trying to push us away. You don't have to do that anymore."
"Fine."
"Gods, thank you." Naruto gasped. "I was hoping you'd say that. Okay, if we need to speak to the Daimyo in person, then we need a proper distraction. Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"
Smoke exploded through the halls, revealing fifty Naruto clones. Sakura and Sasuke paled rushing to the real Uzumaki, but Itachi's smirk stopped them in their tracks. "Okay. Clones, do what you do best. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura; you're with me."
Ahri watched from within the mindscape, glancing between their faces. A smile gracing her lips, she sat down, resting her body against her tails with a wistful smile on her face.
Good luck, Dong-saeng. Show these bastards who we are.
So, yeah. Izumi is alive. I have been wanting to write something about Itachi and Izumi, if she survived the massacre and whatnot, and I just decided, meh. I have too many fanfictions that I haven't updated, might as well work it into this one and honestly, I like the plot I have set up for that one.
So, things aren't as they seem for Danzo, Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. Everyone is up in arms and the world is about to go to flames. Will Naruto, Ahri, Sasuke, Sakura and Itachi save the fucking world? Or nah? Who knows? We'll see soon (now that I've finished this semester of college, I'll be able to write more)! Anyway, the timeskip arc will be coming soon guys, don't worry, we'll be moving on to Shippuden soon enough.
Ja ne!
gottahavekyuubi
