Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.
AN: 3! 3! 3!
"Well this is impressive." Kakashi's words accurately summed up the thoughts of what everyone was feeling. Naruto's Orange Legion had made themselves useful once again and it wasn't in a battle. He had selected one of his centurions from the First Cohort to take several months of D-Rank missions from the Hokage every few days. With the required missions now off the hands of Team 7 for the day, both he and Sasuke sparred against each other within a circle of the Legion's centurions. It was a thing that had become customary in the weeks after team 7 had officially been formed. Every day the two battled one another in mock combat to sharpen their skills and quench their thirst for battle. The steel of their weapons had been replaced with wood to avoid killing and their shields were far less elaborate, once again being simple wood in the form of the defensive instrument. The Jonin considered the training enough for the physical portion the two needed and had left them to regularly fight each other. Chakra control and basic techniques like tree walking and water walking were given of course but neither had come close to mastering it yet. On the other hand, he sent Sakura off for a number of exercises based around Chakra control and stamina. His shadow clone should still be hounding her even now to keep her moving in the forest.
A half dozen more kept her Blossom Guard from interfering in the training.
"You're good Uchiha." Their practice spar reached another lull, both remaining in place behind their shields as they circled each other. "You're Sharingan has helped you learn the combat of the Orange Legion very quickly. Almost as quick as my centurions and I developed it."
"I've been called a prodigy at times." Sasuke spoke nothing else as his body darted forward.
Naruto's shield was raised, blocking the heavy blow from his own shield before both swung the wooden blade in place of the steel they used in true battle. Neither broke the guard of the other as they clashed but the point of the spar wasn't anything more than endurance by this point. Both had been striking and testing the strength of the other with the wooden weapons in their hands for close to two hours now and they remained dressed in full armor. Most of Naruto's centurions had cast off their helmets at the least as they watched the two commanders battle each other in another test of strength. The last Uchiha attempted to force Naruto off balance with a lunge led by his shield after he broke away but the Uzumaki was ready for it. He had seen the move's execution seemingly from their clash of blades as he was quick to place his shield in front of him and turn himself into a brace for the wood. The two shields met with a solid thud before both combatants pulled away, throwing their defense out to the side, and lunged forward with swords extended. Sasuke's blade struck against the side of Naruto's armor in what was a deflected blow but Naruto's was more critical. Sasuke's arm would have been severed if they were using true steel and both knew it as wood struck skin with a meaty thud. For now it would be a painful bruise by the end of the day to remind him of his inattentiveness.
He had been too focused on his own strike to counter Naruto's own.
"You're good but you are not the greatest Legate." Naruto chuckled as the two broke away for now, falling into a lull in practice as was common every hour or so. It was too refresh oneself from the mindset of battle and allow one to rest.
"Centurions, what news do you bring to me?" Naruto plunged the tip of his wooden blade into the ground and leaned his practice shield against it. No words came from any of the clones present for a moment before the leader of his Praetorians stepped forward with a scroll clutched in his hands.
"News from the Fourth's expedition has been brought to you immediately as requested Praetor." Naruto took the scroll and broke the seal with a nod, a somewhat hastily drawn swirl over the end of the paper, and his blue eyes read through the report quickly.
"I hope this is good news." Sasuke had taken to his role as second in command rather well, the Uchiha plunged his two weapons into the ground together and awaited an answer from the Uzumaki he had begun to follow since that day in the forest.
"It is." Naruto was grinning by the time he lowered the scroll and looked out towards his gathered centurions. "The expedition has been a resounding success and the Fourth Cohort will return within the month with trophies of their discoveries and tales of glory from hard won battles."
"I thought you sent the Second on a campaign, why was the Fourth fighting?" The Uchiha was met with laughter from not only Naruto but the centurions identical to the Uzumaki around him. All of them joined in as they found the same humor from his words it seemed. He ignored the idea of striking out and instead focused on getting an answer. "What made them fight on an expedition?"
"The Orange Legion does not march if not to battle Sasuke." Naruto's words provided half an answer and the Legate understood he wouldn't be able to get any more answers from the blonde any time soon. His words did give him something to mull over in private later through. "Our future glory is concealed by the mist of uncertainty but battle will always be awaiting us as our most constant companion. Glory may leave us for shame, shame may leave us for glory, the sweet taste of victory can so easily give way to the bitterness of defeat but through it all battle shall walk with us. Stride for stride the cruelty of battle will march with each and every one of the mighty Orange Legion."
"I suppose you're right Praetor." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders after considering his words, mulling over Naruto's short declaration before he walked over to where both had placed their weapons and drew up the two sheathed blades. "For now, let us prepare to march with our friend again." The hilt of his sword was extended to him and it was something Naruto gladly took.
"I like the way you think Legate." He turned to his awaiting centurions then. "Continue the drills! The First Cohort will not be so disappointing again as it was against the Silver Fang!"
"HOO!" The centurions answered with fist clenched over their chest, going ramrod straight before receiving a reply in similar from both Naruto and Sasuke.
"Dismissed." The Legate followed after Naruto, his Praetorians assembling around him as he marched towards his tent. He needed more information on the Fourth and the progress of their mission. It was information he could not gain simply by reading and definitely not something to have discussed out in the open.
Spies were everywhere. The Uzumaki Empire was not insurmountable as much as he would like to think the opposite. They could be infiltrated despite his best efforts to insure strict guidelines and parameters for all soldiers in the Orange Legion to follow. Spies could still infiltrate even the group he had created.
"Sasuke, how well did you century really do against Kakashi?" The question, once they had entered the tent and Praetorians spread out to encircle the outside of it, was asked and the sole Uchiha of the Orange Legion froze midstep. He was silent for too long. "Legate, how did you century combat Kakashi Hatake."
"We suffered thirty seven casualties once we had finished encircling him. What was left of my century was committed in full to combatting Kakashi to the best of our ability where we lost thirteen more. Sakura claimed the bells as planned once we had fully restrained him in the Net." His voice was emotionless as he reported his casualties to the leader of the Uzumaki Empire and its Orange Legion. "I replenished my man before we confronted the Hokage and Konoha Shinobi from reserve forces that had completed their training. The fallen fifty of my century were buried during the night we celebrated by myself and my century. I presented myself to you for the festivities after I had finished."
Silence greeted him.
"You're a capable commander then. Kakashi wiped out several centuries before that and killed several centurions before we finally managed to imprison him. I figured that your entire century would have been wiped out and I would have had to personally reinforce you with the entirety of my Praetorians. Most of my centurions would have lost more men than you did and not have succeeded." Naruto walked over to the table in the center of his tent as he spoke, tapping his fingers on it and a high pitched ringing went out from it for a moment. "In short, while not exemplary, you performed well against Silver Fang."
"…Thank you Praetor."
"Don't mention it." Naruto laid the scroll he had been delivered on the table and opened it once again. Now a hidden blue swirl began to glow. "Report."
The centurion he had left in charge of the entire expedition appeared in a fizzle and burst of static. His helmet was off and tucked under his free arm as his other was in use, pressed against his chest with his fist over his heart. He bowed his head briefly before he began to speak.
"The expedition has been an immense success Praetor Naruto. The Fourth suffered few casualties from our battle with that vile beast and we've received word from the Second as well. The campaign goes well and soon our two forces shall unite and begin the final push. The artifact you wished for us to gather is among the most trusted of my guard and shall be personally delivered to you by my most experienced century. I will order them to depart once our message is finished."
"Good." Naruto nodded to himself before he turned to Sasuke. "Present yourself Legate."
"Praetor Naruto." He nodded towards the leader of the Orange Legion and turned to the centurion. Blue eyes sharpened as they took in the appearance of the Uchiha before they minutely widened. He pressed his fist over his armored chest and the centurion automatically returned the gesture. "I am Sasuke Uchiha, Legate of the Orange Legion of the Uzumaki Empire."
"I am Centurion Uzumaki, commander of the Fourth Cohort of the Orange Legion of the Uzumaki Empire." The centurion responded automatically with his rank even if his eyes did not leave Sasuke's own for a moment longer before blue eyes met blue eyes. "Praetor Uzumaki, do you wish to speak with my fellow centurion who leads the Second Cohort?"
"That is part of the reason I am contacting you as I am." Naruto received a nod from the centurion as he stepped forward, his fingers drumming on a table and a bell sounded for a moment before another image appeared at the end of the table.
"Praetor Naruto." The centurion of the Second Cohort gave Naruto the customary greeting of the Uzumaki Empire with his fist over his armored chest before his eyes moved to the Uchiha who answered with the same motion. "This is the Legate of our legion I suppose?"
"You would be correct. I am Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke let his hand fall to his side as he turned his gaze to Naruto, the two centurion briefly meeting the eyes of the other before doing the same. "Praetor Naruto, what did you send the Second and Fourth after?"
"It was a joint venture for the most part." Naruto looked towards the map and it changed, a shimmering ripple moving across its entirety before the Second and Fourth Cohorts were displayed in full on it. "The Second's campaign was always designed to provide a clear path for the Fourth to advance as I intended. The Second moved through more hostile lands than I originally thought they would face and were delayed more severely than any of us considered when we planned. If they had not moved through such brutal resistance when they did I would have gathered what was left of the Third and summoned the Seventh to begin a new advancement to reinforce them with all haste. Luckily it did not go that far. The Second triumphed and tasted glory as we all should have known they would, just like we should have never doubted our First Cohort against the Silver Fang and his hounds. The Second Cohort advanced and the Fourth Cohort, as planned, advanced behind it by several days. They eventually fully split from the path and came to where I needed them to be above all else."
"Uzushiogakure." Sasuke noticed the placement of the Fourth Cohort and where the Second was not too far away from. "It was your goal the entire time. Bandits had overrun the region decades ago so you sent the Second on an extermination campaign. The Fourth's expedition was entirely devoted to arriving at Uzushiogakure through what small resistance remained once the bandit clans realized a military was beginning to move on the region."
"You caught on rather quick Legate." Naruto motioned for him to step fully up to the table as he pointed down to where the Fourth Cohort remained encamped. "The entirety of the Fourth Cohort, and soon the Second, now lay in place. The heartland of the Uzumaki Empire will be reborn and with it will come the call to arms of the full might of the Orange Legion. I will call out the Fifth, the Sixth, the Seventh, and the Eighth to do battle with my enemies with the might of the Uzumaki Empire standing with me. Each Cohort shall begin a campaign with their full strength at last and my Empire will be so vast that not even the sun may ever be blind to its glory. I will control the land from sea to sea, from field to field, across the peaks every mountain, hold the land through all valleys, not even a single river shall not be mine as all shall know the might of the Uzumaki and rejoice and tremble at the terrible power of my Empire!" A grinned stretched over his face as his blue eyes envisioned the future as he stared at the map. "Soon all shall know the power I possess and the glory of the Uzumaki will be restored."
"It must be obvious but inform me of what I must do to play my part." Sasuke stood with Naruto as his eyes traveled over the map. Almost immediately the entirety of the Orange Legion was revealed, the vast encampments of the Fourth and Second Cohorts near Uzushiogakure and the First and Third Cohorts lying in wait for the inevitable conquests their leader spoke of within the village and outlying lands of Hi no Kuni.
"I will be giving you command of the Third Cohort in the future. The ceremony will most likely take place within the next few months in Uzushiogakure once the Fourth and the Second finish repairs. In the meantime, I'll be putting you in charge of recruitment and revitalization. The Third was nearly shattered thanks to the Jonin tests the centurions marched them through and it will be your responsibility to repair that damage. I'll keep hold of the First and we'll go from there when the Third is at full strength."
"The Ninth and the Tenth? When will you revitalize them?"
"The Tenth will remain in pursuit of the Ninth as I have ordered them." The tone the Praetor took made it obvious to all three who heard that the topic was to be dropped.
It was.
"I will look into the Third and begin meeting with the centurions in command. The better I know them, the better I will be able to lead the Cohort in its entirety."
"Then you are dismissed at your leisure. I will remain here for now with the leaders of the Second and Fourth and finish planning. Inform the First to continue drills as instructed earlier." Naruto's blue eyes did not leave the map and the near rabid eagerness his speech had brought would not abate anytime soon. It was the correct decision for Sasuke to leave his presence.
"As you wish Praetor." The Legate left the tent with his fist once again over his heart.
"Do you truly trust him Praetor Naruto, trust him above all other centurions loyal to our dying breath to the Orange Legion?" The centurion of the Fourth Cohort finally answered the question that had bothered him the entire conversation. "Where has he proved his loyalty to you?"
"He has not." Naruto chuckled to himself at the thought. "I have his allegiance through. I know his drive and I know what his passion truly is. He will remain loyal because I provide the tools for him to achieve his goals when no one else could or wished to."
"And what is that?" The Fourth Cohort centurion once again asked the question that bothered not only him but the centurion leading the Second Cohort as well. Neither had taken the news well and they knew the centurions of the other Cohorts would not respond in any positive way at all. The Tenth may even openly rebel with their history. There was a reason they remained in a pursuit many viewed as a pointless race towards an early demise.
"Tactics. Strategy. Intelligence." Naruto held a finger up for each word. "I have given him access to each of these three and one other, the greatest of them all." His eyes were alit with the same rabid light from before as a fourth finger was raised. "Experience. None are useful if he does not know how to truly use them and he understands that. The only way to understand tactics is to deploy strategies and both will test his intelligence in numerous ways. All three will only be sharpened into the true blade they can become through experience."
"Clever. He is not in the debt of the Legion but cannot accomplish his goal without them." The centurion from the Second Cohort nodded along to Naruto's plan before he turned to the centurion in command of the Fourth. "Speaking of intelligence, my scouts should be arriving to report to you within the next hour. I sent one of my more trustworthy centurions with them to organize a force to escort the century bearing the burden of the artifact Praetor requested of us. He will require some of your best."
"He will have my best then. They are ready for the slaughter we will unleash on this bandit filth." The centurion of the Fourth Cohort seemed eager at the thought. "Perhaps I will join them myself, lead a separate force to further confuse any watching bandit trash. A raiding party can be assembled quickly and my scouts have reported several bases nearby."
"Do NOT risk the artifact." Naruto spoke his piece with authority in his voice, the blonde's eyes holding the power that commanded the Orange Legion's might to his will without question. "If it is not delivered safely to Uzushiogakure then I will appoint two new centurions for both of your Cohorts. Am I understood?"
"Your will is our will Praetor." Both answered together, bowing their heads as a fist was brought up to their armored heart. "The Legion's name shall not be tarnished as long as we draw breath."
"Good. You are dismissed." Naruto tapped the table after both looked at him with stone cold blue eyes. He smiled to himself at his plan coming along so nicely before his attention changed to the map once again. A tap to it brightened the century carrying the artifact that was so precious to the Uzumaki Empire.
"Soon you will be returned to your rightful place." He could almost touch it. He knew it was near lunacy but somehow he knew he could touch it simply by caressing the light that represented it. "Soon you will be returned and give birth to the Uzumaki Empire."
He stepped away from his map and focused his mind in the present.
Eight days passed without issue. On the ninth things were changed.
"Team 7 is here and reporting for C-Rank mission assignment Hokage-sama." Kakashi stood with his arms crossed behind his back, the three armored Genin standing behind him. Sasuke and Naruto had forgone their shields but carried their swords at their sides. Sakura's armor, while still of a clear difference between the armor of the other two present, seemed more fitting of a warrior now. She had begun intense training with the members of her Blossom Guard.
"Good. I have a rather simple one for Team 7." The Hokage turned to one of the Chunin standing near a door. "Bring in Tazuna."
Introductions did not go well.
"Allow me the honor to execute this drunk Praetor!" Sasuke drew his sword from his side, the blade pointed upwards towards where Tazuna's now frantically beating heart resided. "He dares to insult the Legion."
"Don't." Naruto's blue eyes drilled into Tazuna. The drunk made an attempt to not even meet the eyes of the blonde but regardless the man felt violated at a spiritual level. His voice was calm as he spoke but a blizzard swirled beneath the blue of his eyes and it was filled with the howling winds of rage and the brutal rage of hail. "He is a client of the village. He will be protected by my Legion at all times." His hands did not rest at the blade at his side as his eyes bored into Tazuna's despite the height difference. "Allow him to live knowing those he so callously insulted will do what he cannot."
"Of course Praetor." Sasuke's sword returned to his side without another word even if it seemed like he did not fully agree with the leader of the Orange Legion.
"What's going on Kakashi-sensei?"
"You'll know when you're older Sakura."
Introductions had begun poorly but they somehow worsened by the time Team 7 would leave the building. None of them looked forward to the mission with the old drunk.
Hours later, Naruto stood before the clones of the still weakened Third Cohort and the laboring First Cohort.
"The First will remain here. You are not move the soldiers within it from the village unless I explicitly order for reinforcements or send word to do so. You will be under the command of the Praefectus Castrorum of my Praetorians and I expect you to follow all of his orders as if they were mine." The clone in question, the Praefectus Castrorum of the Praetorians, stepped forward, his helmet off and underneath his arm. "He will make sure training and the like continues. The construction of our more advanced equipment will remain on schedule as well." Blue eyes locked with those of the Praefectus Castrorum. "All of our projects will remain on time as well, correct?" He received a wordless nod before he continued.
"The Second and Fourth are still outside the village as I have explained to you all and the Legate of our mighty legion. They will remain in Uzushiogakure until such a time is reached that we can further reinforce them. The Second will continue to campaign against the organized bandits of the land and soon they will all fall against our steel." Nods followed his words from each centurion present, glee filling their blue eyes at the thought of such vermin destroyed. Crushed beneath their heel and left to rot in the inescapable place all trash like them deserved. "You all must be curious about the others of the Orange Legion but don't worry about not being informed. The Orange legion is strong when we all know the goal and know the plan that will lead us to it."
"The Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth will remain as reserves in full and only be called out if the situation turns drastic. If it does so then I shall give full authorization to draw out all four Cohorts. The Ninth, as we all know, remains unknown in their condition, and the Tenth remains where they need to be." Naruto's eyes traveled around the large building the Orange Legion's centurions had met in. The centurions of the Second and Fourth Cohorts watched on as hazy images off to the side, their centurions present with them as ordered but not visible. All were subject to the blue stones that were the eyes of their leader. They knew the full burden of the Uzumaki Empire rested on his shoulders, a heavy burden he had taken on willingly because of his faith in the Orange Legion.
They would not disappoint.
"The Legate and I will be leading the remains of Third Cohort onward to Nami no Kuni with the bridge builder." His words did not bring argument with them but the air of the building changed. Word had spread quickly through the Orange Legion of the drunk their Praetor would be protecting. Such scum did not deserve to even breathe the same air as their glorious leader. None deserved the Praetor's life laid down in favor of saving their own. The Uzumaki Empire would obtain greatness only with a leader like him. "We need time to prepare with the centurions of the Third so this will be the last subject of the meeting."
Naruto didn't continue.
"I'll keep this brief as we all would like." Sasuke stepped forward and laid his helmet on the table before him. The two tomoe red eyes slowly looked over the centurions gathered before him. "My century will be visible at all times as I and Praetor Naruto agreed with upon learning of our mission. The rest of the Third will be sent in advance, leaving tonight, to march to our destination through different routes, or held in reserve. Proper communication and swift updates is vital between the centurions of the Third so we'll be making use of a supply of wireless communicators. Each centurion will be presented one to remain in contact with the others. You'll all be specified a channel along with the main one we'll be making use of during the march. Similar communication devices have already been handed out to the centurions in charge of the Second and Fourth Cohorts. They've been responsible for testing it for use by the entire army."
"We've made good use of them with our scouts and relaying the location of the trash we fight. Most of the time the filthy bandits don't even know we're about to wipe them out until half of them our dead and the other half dying from our attack." The centurion at the head of the Second Cohort tapped his ear, a black wire leading from it down into his armor. "No modifications were needed for our helmets either."
"The communication devices will be distributed tonight by the soldiers of my century." Sasuke seemed to have finished all he needed to say, the Legate of the Orange Legion stepping back as Naruto stepped forward yet again.
"That's all for this meeting." His eyes once again cast their gaze over all those inside the building. "The Third Cohort is to prepare to march tonight! The rest of you continue may continue what you've always done! Do not bring dishonor to my Legion in my brief absence!"
"HOO!" The centurions answered as one, bringing a fist up to their chest over their hearts before turning and filing out of the building.
Soon only the Praetor and his Legate stood in the emptied building.
"That didn't go as bad as I thought." Sasuke rested a hand on the blade he wore at his side as he and Naruto stood side by side in front of the table.
"They don't know what he said."
"Good point."
The Legate of the Orange Legion reached underneath the table and drew out a map of Nami no Kuni and laid it out on the table. A glance revealed it was heavily marked already with numerous numbered orange trails leading from Konoha to various sights. Several lead from different parts of Hi no Kuni and seemed to pulse with a deep light even know.
"I briefed parts of the Third Cohort on your plan before the meeting. Some of the Legion's more experienced centuries have already begun the march to Nami no Kuni. They'll be there before we set out at the pace they set and will be responsible for setting up a main camp for us. They won't advance further than that through, mainly just out to the surrounding lands and secure supply routes with patrols." Red eyes met blue once they looked up from the map. "I delivered your orders exactly Praetor."
"Good." Naruto leaned forward on the table, his blue eyes leaving Sasuke's to look on with joy at the sight of the pulsing orange lines. "This is exactly what the Third needs after what happened during the Bell Test with Silver Fang." The cold stone of his eyes had bled away long ago but now something else entered them. Remorse at what he had done. "My order that day haunts me still. So much of the Third lost because I couldn't handle the pressure. I feel like a fool more and more as I return to the battle that day."
"The Third has suffered but it will endure. They are my soldiers now and none will fall to the tragedy of that day."
Both knew what the second in command spoke of. It was said in private among the other Cohorts of the Orange Legion, the Decimation of the Third. Countless centurions lost, centuries suffering heavy casualties across the board, and the slaying of the Third's head centurion. Leadership was still in chaos, many experienced soldiers having been moved around to try and find the balance between the experienced and the new recruits they now had to deal with as an attempt was made to mitigate the worst of the damage. Rumors had abounded for hours, until their arrival that night, which spoke of the Third having been entirely wiped out and their standard destroyed. Both had been false but one had nearly become true if not for the bravery of three centurions. They had returned to the battlefield with hardly thirty men between them and retrieved the still standing standard, held aloft by the head centurion before he had perished from many wounds.
The Decimation of the Third would live in infamy among the ranks of the Orange Legion for a very long time. It was a tale of both crushing defeat and of great glory. Triumph and sacrifice. Loss and gain to a brutal degree.
"I hope you aren't lying."
"Uchiha don't bother with a thing like that, we have more pride in our word than any other clan." The eyes that thousands had wielded before him seemed to take on something else as he looked down at the map. Power came from them that made Naruto grin. "If we swear to do something, we will do it and I intend to hold myself to that."
"Don't disappoint me Legate."
"I won't Praetor."
The night passed in a conference of strategy, dawn far away when several centuries of the Third marched out from the village in near silence. It had been practiced, a more covert marching of parts of the Orange Legion in order to catch enemies unaware. Now it was put to work.
"You know your orders. The rest of the Third will be counting on you. Your Praetor will be counting on you. Do not fail." The voice of their Legate, his status as the leader of the Third known to the clones that made it up, crackled in the ears of the centurions.
"We will not." They spoke quietly but as one. They marched individually but their steps fell together. They breathed as one. Hundreds of hearts beat as one. A conviction like no other burned within the eyes of them all as sapphire flames that would burn and destroy all before them. They were Legion.
All of them had made a silent promise. They would never fail again.
"I still can't believe a bunch of kids are going to be responsible for protecting me!" Tazuna had seemingly taken many doses of liquid courage the last night judging by the way he hardly stood properly or could remove one hand from his head. He leaned against the wall because it was his only support thanks to unwilling legs. "I should be getting at least some teenagers, maybe some of that eye candy you've got around here! The real women that aren't afraid to show what they got!" The way his hands moved to his chest, as if holding large balls in front of him, made the entirety of Team 7 sigh.
'This is going to be a long mission.' The four members of Team 7 were in unison in that moment.
"I've gotta to deal with you kids! Kids! Don't you know who I am! I'm the man who's going to build the bridge that's going to save Nami no Kuni! I'm the greatest bridge builder to ever live and I'm stuck with some kids to guard me on my way back! HAHAHAHA!" The man finally nearly fell onto his back in a drunken fit of laughter. He was only saved by Kakashi grabbing hold of the back of his pack, appearing behind the man silently to do so. Distaste filled his eyes for the briefest moment before it was gone and he patted Tazuna on the shoulder as he sat him back down.
"Naruto…how far away are your clones from the village now?"
"YOUR CENTURION IS PRESENT!"
"HOO!"
"Not far." Naruto allowed himself a moment to grin to himself at the sight of what happened next.
Tazuna really did fall on his ass this time, his drunken stupor suddenly gone as the group of five was surrounded on all sides by blondes identical to the blonde standing in front of him. The Genin of Team 7 didn't even bother sparing him a glance as one stepped forward.
"Centurion." Sasuke let his fist fall over his heart as his Sharingan met the blue eyes of the clone in charge of his century for the most part.
"Legate." The centurion answered in turn before he reached to his side and held something out to Sasuke. "Praetor informed you of what this is, correct?"
"He did." Sasuke didn't bother taking the object. "It belongs to you still."
"Understood." His hand was withdrawn and the object was returned to his side.
"Sakura, your Blossom Guards?"
"All of them are nearby. I spread them out since you told me about the century you were bringing with us."
"Then we may depart at our leisure." Naruto looked to Kakashi, the Jonin going over the blonde with his single visible critical eye. He 'hmm'-ed to himself for a moment as something was revealed in his analysis that only he could see before he turned towards Tazuna.
"Get up." The bridge builder hastily complied. The man who had been a soldier in war as a child spoke and the civilian listened without question. "Naruto, half of your men should keep an eye on him at all times. The other half are those you may do as you please with. That's my only order for this mission outside combat."
"You don't have to worry about that Silver Fang since my Legate will be responsible for leading the man's defense if we are to come under attack by anything from bandits to rogue Shinobi. He understands the risk and knows what to do with his men to keep the drunk safe."
"I'm glad for the vote of confidence Praetor." Sasuke turned his attention back to his men. "Ten at minimum are to maintain a perimeter around the bridge builder. The rest of you fan out around the rest of us and march in a perimeter."
"HOO!"
The march to Nami no Kuni was cut short hardly a day into it.
"HALT!" Sasuke stood at the front of his century, a single arm raised to bring them all to a halt with a tremendous clang as their shields were lowered and their armored feet came together. "First Conturbernium, on me!" Sasuke drew his sword as he began to slowly walked forward, the two first rows of five following him. They slowly spread out, forming a V with the Uchiha at the head and five of the clones under his command standing behind each other on either side. They began a slow jog down the path ahead of them.
"Centurion, where is the Legate taking the First?" The centurion stood at the head of the column with the remaining clones with him. Shields were embedded into the ground around them and more than one sword was grasped at the hilt, the clones of the Third uneasy as they restrained themselves from holding their weapons at the ready.
"He told me he discovered something further down the road with his Sharingan." The centurion spoke no more just as the sounds of combat reached them all. Immediately weapons were drawn and shields were wrenched out of the ground and held at the ready as many clones on the sides of the formation turned. They formed a wall that engulfed the formation as others stood at the ready to engage whatever assault from any side.
"Second! Advance on me! Third, stay at the ready for my signal! The rest of you defend this road to the last!" The centurion at the head of the Third was already moving, taking off at a run as he placed his helmet on his head and drew his sword.
"HOO!"
The clones of the Orange Legion came upon the sight of the Legate of the army standing above two restrained man. The Net, a number of Chakra reinforced pilum crossed across each other to entrap limbs and bodies, keeping them from moving at all in addition to the soldiers that stood with swords drawn. The centurion recognized them as the Demon Brothers, Missing-nin from Kiri that had been employed by only one man since going rogue.
"Zabuza Momoichi." Sasuke nodded to the centurion's observation as he returned his sword to his side and retrieved his scratched shield from where it laid on top of a chain of shuriken.
"Inform Praetor Naruto of this development."
"You heard him!"
"HOO!" Several of the clones raced off to inform Naruto of the news as Sasuke and the centurion observed the barely conscious Missing-nin.
"What should we do with them?"
"Wait for Praetor's orders." Sasuke moved back to a tree out of the way, leaning his back against it as his red and black eyes roved over the trees that stood nearby. He was searching for someone or something and the specifics of what was lost on the centurion with him. "He will know what is best to do."
The clones under Sasuke's command had finally lit the beacon from the burning smell that reached his nose. It was at last thrown high into the air and almost instantly it was replaced. Shouts reached them as more were thrown and they vanished just the same. Praetor and his Praetorians had at last arrived it seemed.
"Praetor." The centurion, the clones with him, and Sasuke himself all offered the salute of the Orange Legion to Naruto and his Praetorians as they emerged from the trees around them.
"Legate. Centurion." Naruto and his guards offered the same as he wordlessly dismissed all but one to the perimeter with a wave of his hand.
"I trust you've gotten my report."
"Yes. It seems this is more of a challenge than I originally thought." Naruto stood with his Legate next to him as he observed the captured Demon Brothers. His eyes stayed locked on them but his mind drifted to countless new strategies to do battle with such a foe with. "Zabuza Momoichi is no laughing matter. He will be a great challenge for the Third to overcome on this path."
"I will send word to the centurions you sent ahead Praetor. They will need to be informed of this development." The Legate of the Orange Legion stepped away at that, leaving the Praetor to his thoughts as more than enough of his century was left behind just in case the Demon Brothers had aid. Scouts would need to learn to be more thorough if that was the case.
"Hmm, I feel strangely left out." Kakashi stood with his hands in his pockets in a tree, his sole visible eye focused on the Genin before him. The man who had copied over a thousand techniques, risen through the ranks through tragedy during a time of war, and become a near legend on the battlefields he roamed looked on at the Genin that had motivated him to begin training much harder than he ever had in a long time after his performance in the Bell Test. He felt almost ashamed at how far he had allowed himself to fall during a time of peace, during his personal descent into despair. "You should have called me over as well Naruto."
"This is a mission of the Orange Legion Hatake-san." Naruto did not look away from the Demon Brothers nor did he raise his voice much. "It is to be either our glory or our shame. None else should face the trials ahead of us besides my men."
"Hmm, you really don't understand teamwork too well do you, Naruto?" Kakashi didn't move from the tree as he sensed more than a dozen or so of the clones surround the tree and arm themselves with the pilums they seemed so fond of. They would most likely try to entrap him again with them. "I'm the Jonin sensei of Team 7, that makes all of your glory and shame mine. If you fail, I fail just like if you succeed, I succeed."
"You do not understand Silver Fang." Naruto moved his helmet to stare down into the hollow expanse within. Gently he ran a single hand over the metal's smooth surface. "You will never understand why this must be done by my legion above any others. Zabuza Momoichi must fall to the blades we hold alone so we may lay claim to that cruel distant dream called glory."
"Do I need to join your Legion to get you to listen to me Naruto?"
"The Praetor listens to none but himself Hatake-san. His failures are his just as his successes are his." Naruto turned away from the Demon Brothers and to the tree Kakashi resided in. An empty smile stretched across his face as blue eyes looked into those of an enemy and friend in Silver fang. "I must redeem my own failures through this challenge."
"I won't let you die on my watch because of your pride."
"I shall not die."
The march to Nami no Kuni resumed without future issues. The Demon Brothers had vanished before they could be retrieved by Shinobi called for by Kakashi and now the Third Cohort of the Orange Legion came to a stop behind their Praetor, Legate, and Sakura-chan who stood behind Kakashi. He had raised a single hand into the air, clenched into a fist, as they looked out over the river they would now need to cross. He looked to Tazuna for answers, the bridge builder standing behind the three Genin that made up the majority of Team 7.
"Tazuna, what's your plan to get across this river." Kakashi stood with both his hands placed in his pockets and was lax to any toddler that may have observed him. To anyone else he was a coiled spring that demanded answers less he simply kill a nuisance. "I don't remember this being in the briefing you gave us. The papers smelled a bit too strong by the way."
"I-I-I…"
"The Orange Legion has already considered a method of crossing Silver Fang." Naruto grinned from where he stood in front of Tazuna. He stepped forward and pointed towards the riverbanks where a single soldier of the Orange Legion had emerged, a bright blue burning torch held above his head. "An army does not swim across a river such as this. They march."
"Indeed they do Naruto." Kakashi allowed himself a short laugh as he spotted more of Naruto's clones emerge and begin to pull on ropes that went beneath the current of the river. Within moments segments of a number of fallen trees tied together were raised from the depths of the water and the ropes were tied taut to buried supports in the ground. This process happened on both sides of the river as Kakashi's ears caught the ever present sound of marching beginning once again. "I guess the rest of your army is going to be following after us?"
"There are more bridges Silver Fang. The Orange Legion does not only allow ourselves one way of entry and exit." Naruto's words were true as Kakashi could catch sight of at least three more tree bridges raised from the depths of the river and secured to hidden supports along the banks. He also spotted what had to be at least a hundred or so of Naruto's clones spread out behind the trees merely watching the approaching forces.
"Hmm…you kids used quality trees. Not too good through since I reckon you want them not to last long underwater. Give it a good treatment and actually build the damn things with actually frames and support and you'll have a couple of mighty fine bridges." Tazuna in that moment gained respect from the Genin. He was a drunk, crass, blunt, overall pathetic man but he seemed to truly know his craft and had a rare passion for it.
'Could I have misjudged you?'
"Doesn't change the fact you'll never compare to the great bridge I'll be building once we get to my house!" The bridge builder could so quickly return to his previous level just by opening his mouth.
'No. No I did not.'
By nightfall Tazuna was returned to his house while the Shinobi camped outside for now. Naruto and Sasuke retired to a tent as a table was set in front of them by several men of the Orange Legion that were wordlessly dismissed. The silhouettes of the numerous Praetorians marching around not only the camp itself and the tent he currently resided in but the house of Tazuna and his family as well could dimly be seen thanks to the numerous fires set by the Orange Legion.
"Legate Sasuke, what is our strategy here?" Naruto looked to his second in the Orange Legion and the Uchiha offered him a confident smirk as he brought a closed fist over his heart.
"The detachments of the Third Cohort we've sent ahead have established a base camp not far from the river we crossed around sunset. The house of the client has been watched over by a minimum shift of three decanus and their men at all times. Scouts have been dispatched and are exploring the surrounding areas for both information and supplies. Several detachments have advanced deeper into Nami no Kuni as requested and have reported every night as ordered." Sasuke dropped his fist from over his heart and drew out a scroll from a holder at his back. "They have reported troubling news you must hear Praetor."
"Allow me to see it then." Naruto extended his hand and Sasuke dropped the scroll into it without a second thought. The seal of the Orange Legion of the Uzumaki Empire was opened and Naruto unrolled it without circumstance. As he read over the report from his scouts his eyes briefly widened before narrowing as he cast the scroll onto the table once he was finished.
"This is…" He had no words and instead released a mirthless laugh. "The Third steps from one inferno into another it seems. They will face the Demon of the Mist within days it seems."
"Or they cannot." His Legate immediately had his attention as he rolled the scroll back up and pressed it into the table where it simply vanished into it. "The report states that a shipping magnate known as Gato is responsible for Zabuza Momoichi's presence in the region. If the money the man has is…repossessed for other purposes, then he stands no chance of retaining Zabuza's services for much longer. Silver Fang, while a bane to the Orange Legion, is well known and will require a substantial sum to engage to kill a simple bridge builder."
"I see." Naruto's eyes roved over the map stretched across the table, pulled taut at either end. He leaned forward and blue eyes took in the information present as red and black observed him. "You aim to strike at the cash assets of Gato now?"
"I wish to lead a number of centuries tonight if possible by your orders Praetor." Sasuke looked down towards the map on the table instead of at the leader of the Uzumaki Empire. "I have ordered the spread of the men under my command across the territory Gato rules. They will not fully engage the enemy and instead aim to capture the numerous cash reserves Gato has across the land. The men look to impress several ships into the Navy of the Uzumaki Empire as well Praetor." At those words a grin covered the lips of both. The prospect of such gains and such minimal loses were very enticing but neither were foolhardy after the battle with Silver Fang not too long ago. "I will lead the attack on Gato's personal headquarters come morning and bring you his head if you wish."
"Such filth does not deserve to have such an honor." Naruto's words brought a dark grin to Sasuke's face. "Kill him and his thugs."
"I sh-" His promise was interrupted when the tent flap burst open and Sakura rushed in.
"Naruto, Sasuke, something's happened!"
AN: Well, there's the first three chapters of Orange Legion. Tell me what you think of it. Hate it? Enjoy it? Curious as to why this thing even exist? Review, PM me, or yell to the sky (Probably not the best option) all your questions.
I can probably get answers back for the first two options. Third is unlikely.
Also, brief little note, chapters 1 and 3 are irregularities. The, roughly, twenty chapters I've written so far are not this long. There was a plan to break each in half when I was going over them but I never found a good place to separate them at.
Peace.