Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor his wondrous Universe they are all Kishimoto-sama.
Anzu was afraid yet at the same time bubbling with barely suppressed excitement that any child would have if the events of their life added up to what her's were at the moment. First and foremost it was her seventh birthday, the birthday that her father Kyou had promised to show her more of the family's trade secrets namely how to made purer steel for weapons crafting. Yes, Anzu was odd for a freshly turned seven year old, but she cared little for the norm that her aunt's tried to force on her. She was in all things her's daddy's little woman, a weapons smith to the bone and heart. The second main reason was they were traveling to the far off Country of Fire from her homeland of the Country of the Sun, for her father had business with the weapons smiths of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The business she often asked him as they walked and rode along through Wind and near Earth countries, he would not say, just that when they got there he'd buy her any weapons she had never seen before to take home if he could.
She had to squint her rich honey colored eyes as she raised her head up to where she could view the clear crisp autumn that hovered over the border to great forest lands of Fire. After a few weeks of solid travel with few stops along the way at small villages and road side inns, coupled with nothing really to view in the wilderness say for the vast dunes of the desert or the rocky foothills that laid just below the great Shield Wall of Earth. The great forests of Fire seemed like they were a god send to the eyes of the young girl, a thought that was echoed through the group of travelers' minds. Anzu stopped for a moment were she was walking beside her father's wagon, and she took a look around once more at the traveling troupe that came with her father and mother on their journey to Leaf. Twelve wagons drawn by large sturdy workhorses of varying color from team to team, each wagon had it's owner at the reins. Each was a craftsman, each dressed in the traveling clothes of their profession from butcher to potter as they rode along through the land a mile way from the cool shade and autumn skies of Leaf. Her head turned back to regard her own family's wagon, it was like the other a simple wagon that was a patch work of wood and bolted on steel plates. In the back most likely laid sleeping or preparing some vegetables for stew was her mother, with her father at the reins of their two old workhorses Odi and Ko. She moved a bit to keep up with the wagon but a flash of metal from metal plate on the wagon that caught the sunlight, had caught her attention as such things often times did to small children.
It was not polished to a mirror like shin nor was it dull like the body of the cook pot her mother used to cook the dinner's stew in over the campfire. Upon it's surface she saw her reflection but yet it was muted of all colors say for iron gray. Her auburn hair looked like a cheerer shade of gray, and you couldn't make out the color of the ribbon that tied it off in a single ponytail that was moved to where it laid onto the front of her chest. Her face was oval, innocent and pretty for a young girl her age with her almost ever present lopsided grins that seemed to reach her eyes. She looked down at herself as if to check if she still had a body after looking into the surface for so long. She wore a simple traveling robes made from a honey brown cloth tied off at her waist with a purple sash her mother forced on her, to which she often times murmured would look better on a roaring fire than on her. On her feet were a pair of sandals made from wood and reinforced by steel strips her father made for her so she could run with fear of them breaking. She blinked once then again as she jogged to reach the front of the wagon to speak with her father, within a few seconds of hopping and part running to get there she reached the front as they just now journeyed not more than a few hundred feet into the forest.
"Otou-san," she cried out in her cheerful musical voice but her cries went unanswered due to the fact it was drowned out by screams from the other wagons. Many fast moving shadows darted down from the tree branches scaring the horses making the buck and whiny in terror.
A wave of instinctual mind pausing terror waved over the whole troupe causing all with their wagons to freeze. The figures stood at varies places on the narrow forest road that the caravan happened to have been now traveling on since they left the arid desert wastes of Wind. In all a quick count would give you thirty odd, all of shinobi by the look of them but they were not friendly that much was certain by their stances and the killing intent that oozed off of them. Anzu looked at them carefully for a few seconds from behind a wheel of her family's wagon that she had ducked behind when they had jumped down. All of those gathered there were Shinobi of Rock, for they were dressed in the manner likes those she had seen in the history scrolls her mother had her read each night before bed. Anzu gulped as quietly as she could given the mood of the area, Stone-nin were not known for their mercy or gentleness to non-Stone civilians.
The one was appeared to be the leader of this group began to speak, "Greeting weary travelers and welcome to the Lands of Fire. I must ask you this what is your purpose here on this trait?"
"Who's asken," came the reply from the Brewer two wagons down from Anzu's family's wagon.
"Why I am simply a humble Jounin of Stone," mummers started within the caravans' travelers. Jounin were powerful shinobi and by the looks of his comrades they were not push overs either. "Stone and her allies are at war with Leaf and her allies, so I must ask you again where are you heading on this road," his voice made it clear he knew yet he merely wished to play the bully.
"Good sir we are but humble merchants and craftsmen---" answered the Potter behind Anzu's family wagon.
"Merchants you say, well only one few caravans use this road. All of them head towards Leaf if memories serve, correct my friends," he asked over his shoulder to the gather Stone-nin whom grunted and nodded their agreement. "Well then, I guess I'll have to take you goods and ryou..."a sick smile crossed his face which Anzu could only see the lower jaw of from her place behind the wheel. "Maybe I'd let you all live." He waved his hand fronted at his comrades began to move forward towards the group of travelers like a pack of wolves.
Anzu heard something behind her and she feared the worsts yet she turned to face the deeper undercarriage of the wagon. What she saw was not one of the robbing Stone-nin but someone dressed in a pitch black set of robes. His hood was deep and his collar high so no features could be made out, yet he was bent in such a way that his large body was hidden under the belly of the wagon. His arms were crossed over his black robed chest, and even bent down she knew he was tall and proud. Anzu could make out two beautiful blue eyes but nothing more as most of her attention was drawn to the katana he wore on his back. It was the weaponsmith in her but never had she seen such craftsmanship if the handle was anything to go by as the quality of the blade. The grip was made from sharkskin, she could make that out at a cursor glance that was formed to the man's hands perfectly yet the Kenji for 'Maelstrom' that done in crimson paint. The pommel was flawless with all the handseals she had read about shinobi using or so she guessed, each was painstakingly crafted into the onyx metal of the handguard. The sheath was a simple affair yet she knew somehow in her gut that the katana was special and one of a kind in this world. She torn her eyes away from the blade uneasiness there for all to see in her eyes and facial features.
"It's going to be okay little one," His voice was a deep soothing baritone with sparks of hidden power glowing there like the popping embers of a campfire. It made her feel warm, and oddly enough safe. She looked at him and nodded shakily as her eyes darted up to eye the Stone-nin ransacking wagons and threatening the families within. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked back that the dark stranger, whom she could almost feel frown out at the Stone-nin.
"How old are you child," he asked as he eyes stayed staring out at unknowing Stone-nin.
"I...tu-rrned seven today...sir..," she stuttered softly out of fear of being heard by the Stone-nin and out of uncertainty of this dark dressed man.
"Ahh such a wonderful age to turn, seven. And today's your birthday too well well I must get you a gift now don't I," Anzu could feel the smile form on his unseen lips as he wistfully breathed the question. "I know... little one?"
Anzu nodded quickly at being addressed her mind still reeling from his earlier statement.
"How high can you count to now," He asked in all seriousness as his voice grew softer and more gentle.
"One hundred sir," she said proudly of both herself and her ability to count so high at her tender age.
"My my, such a great number at such a tender age. Tell you what little one..."Anzu bravely broke into his sentence hoping not to anger him by doing so.
"M-y na-me is Anzu s-ir," she stutter out quickly.
"Ahh yes thank you, Anzu," he reared forwards a hand and ruffled her hair playfully earning him a timid smile. "How about I make all these bad men go away and never hurt nor bother you ever ever again. But I'll only do it if you count to one hundred, okay?"
Anzu nodded quickly without thinking, she wanted them to go away and forever as she heard one start to beat on the potter's wife and heard her screams.
"Okay then.. Stay here and don't look out side. Just count to hundred no matter what and I'll make them go away," He said in a voice where you could hear the smile on his face.
"I will mister... I will," she said as the man faded into the shadows making his yelp slightly in fear for it seemed like he just faded like some type of ghost. Then she heard a taint whisper in her ear. "Start counting Anzu."
"One.."
A slow sad smile creeped crossed his unseen lip as he dashed at high speed low to the ground as he darted out from under the lead wagon's undercarriage with Anzu innocently counting away unknowing to what she was counting down too. He looked like a black blur that was moving parallel to the ground as he ran to meet one of the small groups of gathered Stone-nin. They were so focused on ransacking the poor traveler's family they didn't see him coming, neither did they scent him for his chakra was masked to levels only few legends could reach. He quickly kicked off the ground as he right arms shot over to his left shoulder to free his katana out of his sheath, that faint musical sound of the steel hissing out of the leather sheath was all two of the five chunin Stone-nin heard before two masterful delivered strokes of the blade sent their bodies tumbling forward onto the ground one not longer needing hats and the other would be needing a new torso as his was cleaved effortlessly in two from shoulder across down to his hip. As their comrades fell to the katana wielding figure they sprang into action one quickly performed and screamed it out, "Goukakyuu no Jutsu(Great Fireball)!"
The Figured smirked as the fireball shot out of the Stone-nin mouth as he crouched low dodging the poorly aimed jutsu, then with practiced ease side stepped the powerful reverse heel kick that was coming screaming down on him in the wake of the katon jutsu's heat. Shifting his free left hand to the pommel of his katana he was ability to achieve a incredibly powerful thrust that was backed with chakra that he had forced into the blade just before impact. As the blade cleanly shot out the Chunin's chest and cut deeply through his backbone right through the sternum, quickly he used the hand on the pommel of the sword and with one quickly twist of the blade pulled it effortlessly out of it's slain victim. As the chakra that was in the blade caused the already mortal wound to become even more fatal, the figure wasted no time for her could scents the surviving Chunin charging at him and other's were coming to aid their comrades as they fell chakra sources disappear quickly and then the flash of a Katon technique followed by a burst of powerful chakra. The remaining Chunin was wielding a straight sword of Earth country design and was preparing for what looked like a powerful downward strike, at the mere speed of thought the figures hand formed into the hand seal needed too create the Kaze No Yaiba(Blade of Wind) that encased his left hand in a vortex shield of chakra winds. He merely stood there till the Chunin was too close to dodge any shot, right before the blade began it's downward journey to the Figure's body he acted. With a mere push of his will and usage of his control the blade shot out like a bullet hitting the Chunin in the center blowing a clean hole through it.
With the five dead in a span of merely ten seconds, the figure quickly flicked his wrist quickly and effortlessly cleaning the katana of blood before sheathing on his back without disturbing more of his robes all of this happened in the blink of an eye. Then his hand's began to flash into a blur as he performed handseal to an unknown jutsu as the Stone-Jounin began to do the same, the Stone-Chunin however were sitting back kunai ready so they could charge and finish off the Figure should he survive. Two pair of hands flew at mind bogeying speed yet the figure finished his faster than the Jounin could, just as the Jounin's hand set into the Hare seal he heard the calm baritone voice that was proclaiming his end. The air and shadows around the Figure began to swirl around him as he held the Ram seal, the shadows seemed to be made of solid matter and the wind spackled with twin chakra blades. The figure merely pointed at the Jounin and the few chunin with him with the seal still formed.
"Nigai-Fuuton Kuragari(Bitter Wind of Darkness)," came the eerily calm voice of the Figure. The shadows shot out and gripped the feet of the Chunin as the wind howled like a enraged demon as it shot forward with unmatched in speed saw for the speed of their own death. The shadows ripped into them tearing at the Chunin that were still in awe of the fury of the Jutsu, it was this awe that was the resulting cause of their painful messy ends. Their skin was torn away by the speed of the wind as the blades within the wind carved deep gashes into their bodies as the shadows held them in place. At the last minute the Jounin had merged with the dirt of the path to escape all he could do was listen to sounds of twelve Chunin level Shinobi die in one hit from this unknown menace. Sweat was forming on his brow as he realized he was going to die if something didn't happen soon, so he took matters into his own hands and began to form handseal for a Doton jutsu aiming up at the figure.
The Figure took quick stock of his foes, twelve killed in one blow but by the look of them all were Chunin meaning there still was a Jounin hiding out there. In the words of a former comrade, Troublesome, quickly he forced chakra into his eyes and also to his feet sending out the chakra at his feet deep into the earth as a sort of radar to find his missing Jounin foe in cause he was somewhere near by. The echo came, the Figure's unseen eyes narrowed slightly at the results of the chakra pulse radar.
'He's below me,' He thought trying to figure a way to ferret him out to where he'd have the advantage. True he was vastly more powerful than his Stone Jounin which was saying something, but one should never battle a Jounin level Shinobi on there terms even if your more skilled or powerful if you can help it. The he used his chakra improved hearing to need the other Chunin, he smiled five more left, the bulk must has been mud clones made by the Jounin to scary the Travelers as he had believed coming into this fight. 'Clever, but not smart to pick on this group when I was near by.' Then he hear Anzu voice still counting, a gentle smile crossed his lips as his flicked his wrist freeing five kunai from sheaths on his forearm yet they did not fall out as many would have believed was his intent. Chakra began to form subtly into small bubble behind the kunai then with thrust that was pointed at five of the still shell shocked Chunin. The bubbles bursted causing the kunai to speed off faster than any living being could throw them, they each hit their mark with unerring precise and as one they all fell with a kunai lodged firmly at the top of their nose's bridges.
As they fell the Figure felt the earth beneath him shake and the form of jaws snap shut about him seemingly ending him as they pressed with unrelenting pressure of all within the gaping maw of soil and stones. The Stone Jounin then burst from the earth with a truly victorious smirk on his face but he then swept his head around to take in the damage. The wind jutsu had completely torn away the skin, majority of the muscles and several organs from those hit dead on, their bodies as a whole were bent in away that make blood tear in rivers out of their body onto the ground. If I had been hit by that, the Jounin gulped as he looked at the first victims. They were laying on the ground, one without a head another two with clean wholes in their chests, one the size of a whole fist the other the width of a katana blade. The five remaining chunin were stone dead with the kunai lodged ring deep into their skulls with the cap and lower skull met.
"That man was not human... he was a monster...," he said in a shaken but firm voice.
"I know, been told that all my life,"at this the Jounin felt the razor edge of a kunai at his adam's apple, "But after awhile it sort of started to fit, ne,"standing behind the Jounin was the Figure with the kunai at the Jounin's throat.
"I didn't even scen.." then his voice was cut off as the kunai slit his throat deeply ending his life.
"I know," said the Figure in a calm voice as he wiped the kunai clean and then sheathed it within his robe sleeve. Then he took stock of those whom had watched the battle between him and the Iwa Shinobi. They were scared and rightfully so for with merely a minutes all this had happened, it was insane at how savage the Figure had fought for it seemed he did not even breaks stride till he performed the Bitter winds of Darkness jutsu, then he simply kept moving his hands at least. The Figure paid them no mind as he reached into his robes sleeve causing the travelers to flinch for they feared he would strike at them but no he simply pulled out a few tags and threw them at the groups of corpses. Seconds later a huge murder of carrion crows swooped down and picked the corpses clean of all things including bones. Then there was silence, deep and hallowing but was so fitted with the quiet counting of Anzu, again the Figure reached up into his sleeves but this time pulled out a bag of what looked like coins, heavy ones.
"You can come out little one," The Figure said loud enough for her to hear, sure enough young Anzu popped out from under her Family's wagon looking around at the at trying to find the Iwagrakure force but to no avail.
"I only got to eighty nine," She said in a small voice to which she received what she believed to be a hidden smile and a playful shrug. Then something appeared before that caused the adults to gasp in fear for the young girl, it was the Figure holding a bag and something else in his other hand.
"Here I give you two gifts my young friend," He said in a happy voice that did a little to calm those around them. First he set the bag down which opened a little to reveal ryou to which Anzu stared at in wonderment but the bag was hidden by the Figure so other won't get greedy. "When you reach Leaf use it to buy yourself a good gift for yourself and your partners, ne." Then he cleared his throat causing a few to jump back from him in fear of what he could do which brought a sad smile to his face. "I have a request from you which could be a great gift, you see Anzu," he ruffled her hair again as he showed her what else he held. It was small red and furry, it started to move in crook of his folded arms. It moved up and revealed itself to be a fox kit, barely a few weeks old. "Would you care to have him to have as a pet?"
"Yes," came the quick reply as she darted forward grabbing the kit and nuzzling it to her chest.
"Good good, now you two have fun. Also sorry about you know.." He said to the gathered adults as he motioned towards the now empty battlefield.
"It's... okay.. thank you sir," Stated the Potter with a bow.
"Well then, save journey," He paused a moment, " A group of Leaf nin are on their way here I best leave now. If they ask you want happened just say a tricky wind blew through this place and a Fox came with it to play. Now he headed to his den awaiting his parents return. They'll understand." With that he disappeared in a whirl of autumn colored leaves.
True to his word moments later several ANBU of Leaf jumped out of the forest seemingly ready for battle. One ANBU with long black hair wearing a elephant bird mask looked around after muttering a single word to himself. Another ANBU whom was definitely a woman with a tiger mask looked ready to snap as she held her katana at the ready as if waiting for something. The others had various masks but the only ones that stood out of the group of twelve were a Tortoise that held no weapons say for a kunai, a rabbit with two katana in her hands standing close to the rear and a tall Anbu with silver hair wearing a dog mask that looked as if he was more experienced in this then all of them combined.
"I am sorry to ask but was there a battle here," asked the Dog Masked ANBU rather politely as he looked around, the areas was radiating powerful chakra for a few seconds than then when eerily silent moments before the team had reached there.
"Yes sir," came the musical voice of Anzu as he nuzzled her cheek with the sleepy looking fox kit she had yet to name. The Dog masked ANBU looked at her, then his gaze fell to the kit within her arms, a slow smile crossed his face as old memories came back he could almost hear him...Kakashi-sensei! Wait up.... "These Stone guys came and tried to hurt us, I hide under the wagon because I was scared." She looked down at the kit and it looked up at her yipped and then licked her face playfully. "Then I met the nice man, he asked me how old I was and how high I could count I said one hundred even through I was scared." She looked proud of herself at this as she faced the masked assassins of Leaf. "When I told him today was my birthday he ruffled my hair and said that if I wanted he'd make the bad men go away if I counted and he did. He really really did too but I only reached eighty eight before he called me out." Then she held out her kit for them to see, many looked at it oddly yet the Dog Masked ANBU just nodded for her to continue with her tale. "Then he gave me this cute fox kit as a gift before leaving. Then he said you'd come and you did.. Oh he wanted me to tell you something."
"Yes what did he want you to tell us?" came the cold and calm voice of the Elephant Bird as he stared at Anzu with unseen eyes.
"A Tricky wind blew through this place and a Fox came with it to play. Now he headed to his den awaiting his parents return," She looked down at the kit whom just bobbed it's head and snuggled into her chest to sleep.
"Thank you child, we'll see you to the Village safely after that we must see the Hokage-sama okay," asked the Dog Masked ANBU. With their nods and a few seconds later the ANBU and the wagons were making good time to the Village Hidden in Leaves, but that wasn't what plagued the mind of the Dog Masked ANBU, that was Hatake Kakashi. Memories haunted him as he sped off faster till he reached Hyuuga Neji the ANBU with the Elephant Bird mask.
"See them home at a steed pace I am going to get there faster so I can report to the Hokage," said Kakashi in a tone that brokered no arguments to which all he received was a nod of understanding.
With that he speed off with chakra increasing his already great speed, miles whistled by as he darted as fast as he could to reach Konohagakure with his news. With only one word did he whisper into the whisper.
"Naruto..."
– Please review so I know your opinion of my story, realize flames will be laughed at as hard as I can so if you what to bad mouth just email me. Hope you enjoyed this and keep on reading.
Next Chapter: Seven years ago a mistake and now a return!