1330, ROOT Headquarters, Zone Three
If there was one thing Danzo had learned in his long career it was this: intelligence is a critical key to victory. For this reason, urgent news and battle updates can never wait. Which was why Danzo Shimura demanded his subordinates to inform him events ASAP. Even if it was the dead of night and the entire world was asleep, his agents knew to awaken him with any news.
Not that he slept much anymore, he could rest when he was dead, for now there was work to be done.
So, the ROOT leader did not fuss when his subordinate interrupted his short lunch break with updates from the battle that continued to rage in the world above them. Danzo took the information in silence. Then he wiped his mouth and went to the main conference room where his fellow conspirators had gathered.
"Hinata Hyuuga has killed the Raikage!"
It surprised everyone, particularly the Hyuuga elders, who were in complete denial. "Impossible! How could that useless weak girl have slain the Raikage, one of the strongest ninjas in the world!?"
Even Danzo had to admit that he had a hard time swallowing the information when he had been told. Previously he had gauged Hinata's strength on intermediate chunin level. Whereas the Raikage's level had been rated on a level similar to that of the three legendary Sannin.
Yet the video tape presented to them was hard proof. ROOT had unauthorizedly installed secret spy cameras across the village in the name for the good of Konoha. Some cameras survived the Neo-Combine's bombardments, and one of them captured and recorded the fight between Hinata and the Raikage, as well as the conversation between the Hyuuga and shadow clone Grey.
"That's the Uzumaki Devastator Fist!" Danzo realized on the footage. "I saw Lady Mito practiced this taijutsu several times before!"
"The Uzumaki Devastator Fist?" A Fire Court member asked, even the Hyuuga elders were intrigued.
"It's the Uzumaki clan's unique taijutsu complemented by their powerful fuinjutsu ability. In my point of view, it's even more powerful than the Uchiha's Interceptor Fist and the Hyuuga's Gent-"
"So Hinata Hyuuga is just a few blocks away from here?" Fire Crown Prince Masashi Madako interrupted the Konoha elder's explanation.
"Yes, Your Grace," Danzo nodded while hiding his annoyance being interrupted for a trivial question. Children should be seen and not heard, and they should most certainly not dare to interrupt the conversations of their elders.
"Now is the best opportunity to capture her! Danzo, I want you to send some of your ninjas to bring her here now!" The prince ordered in full authority tone.
It made everyone in the room stunned and speechless when they saw a bulge on the crown prince's pants. Those who had experienced battles felt the temperature dropped a few Celsius degrees, and they turned to look at the Konoha's Darkness and knew he was furious deep inside.
'You might put our plan in jeopardy just because you can't control your penis,' the Konoha's Darkness thought that the prince was becoming more of a liability than an asset. He felt a desire to hit the spoiled princeling across the face with his cane.
Hyuuga High Elder Hideo, perhaps sensing the tension stepped in. "Lord Hokage, surely you can see the 'wisdom' of the daimyo's decision to bring Hinata here now, because we can then put Caged Bird Seal on her here. When we have done that she will be in our power and thus we can control the Kyuubi jinchuuriki and make him do our bidding, including the seizure of Ancor Vantian for us." He rubbed his hands together eagerly, trying to diffuse the tension among his allies. "Not to mention we can take the Uzumaki weapons from Hinata and make her reveal the Uzumaki clan secrets she knows for the good of the village."
"Yeah! That's what I wanted to say!" Masashi said, appreciating that Hideo defended him with plausible reasons. Others, particularly Danzo, didn't think that the prince had even thought past his erection. However, the plan that the Hyuuga elder had put before them was plausible and made sense.
"Very well," the ROOT leader agreed with the Hyuuga elder's reasons. "Hyo."
Said agent appeared right next to his master without a word.
"You will take a team and bring Hinata Hyuuga here, we need her alive and whole."
"Hai!" The agent acknowledged the order before shun-shined.
It enraged the Konoha's Darkness to see the delighted face of that idiot Masashi Madako, who smiled like a little child being given what they wanted. The elder's suspicion was confirmed when he read the prince's lips ordering his servant to prepare him aphrodisiacs.
'If this entitled spoiled brat keeps doing this- risking missions or becoming too much a liability, then I will get rid of him. I can simply get one or two of my men surgically altered to look like him, just like Gozu and Mezu on Kagen Uchiha.'
Their final victory was now within reach. The death of the Raikage would indeed shift the tides of battle; now it was just a matter of time and careful planning. The capture of Hinata would be a gambit, but if it was successful, then ROOT would have all the necessary tools to bring Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze to heel. And then he, would be the true master of Fire Empire.
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1335, Ancor Vantian Bridge
Orochimaru slammed his fist down hard on the console in front of him, breaking it in half. His snake-like eyes narrowed in rage.
"I want all my ninjas here to shift their priorities, to capture Sasuke Uchiha along with Honoka Uzumaki!" The hidden Sound village leader ordered through communication. His adjutant Elite Chunin Sasame Fuma notified him that said Uchiha was spotted among the Karin Rescue Team that had infiltrated the flying fortress.
Sasame hesitated for a second before saying "Hai!" to her master. She turned off the COM and turned on the PA to the troop loading bays.
"Attention to all Sound ninjas, this is the direct order from Lord Orochimaru: your ground support operation has been paused and our priority is shifted to capture Sasuke Uchiha and Honoka Uzumaki who are inside this fortress. I repeat: your mission is now to capture Sasuke Uchiha and Honoka Uzumaki. Remember: do not harm the Uchiha at all cost, or there will be severe punishment."
The Fuma kunoichi turned off the PA and made sure every communication was off before she sighed in frustration and stomped off to the female restroom for a break.
"How the hell am I going to tell Brother Arashi that his reinforcement won't come to help him to fight the Third Hokage and the tree huggers there in the Uchiha compound!?"
But her hidden Sound village leader's words were laws and must be obeyed. Manda and most of his giant snake goons were dead, but there were many other gigantic snakes in Ryuchi Cave could replace them. She didn't want to become a snake food.
Sasame's brother, Sound jonin Arashi Fuma, was the field commander of the Sound first wave. He had merged his forces with the second wave that totalled over seven thousand ninjas and merc-samurais. They successfully destroyed the Mechanical Eight Trigrams Formation Walls between Zone One and Zone Four. The Sound forces proceeded to attack the Uchiha compound in Zone Four but were repulsed with heavy casualties due to the Sandaime Hokage stationed there with some of his forces.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was old and past his prime, but he was nicknamed God of Shinobi for a reason, and he was a one-man-army. Many Arashi's soldiers fell at the Third Hokage's staff.
The hidden Leaf village had suffered around 1,500 casualties. The Neo-Combine, however on the other hand, had already suffered far more- over 12,000 casualties, dead or critically wounded, all thanks to the Golden Slayer and the Leaf's excellent defense complemented with individual AK-16 crossbows that shot explosive kunai claimed many Combine ninjas' lives.
'But Lord Orochimaru- the Supreme Commander of the Neo-Combine seems not to care about the staggering and mounting casualty…' The Sound kunoichi thought as she washed her face. Through the mirror, Sasame noticed her Sky counterpart Amaru entering the restroom.
Amaru was Sky Marshal Shinno's medical protégé, and she treated Kimimaro's illness. Throughout the course the two grew developed romantic feeling towards each other. It didn't escape Orochimaru's attention, and combined with inspiration from the Kumo's Breeding Program, the Snake Sannin came up with the Clan Restoration Act idea.
Sasame Fuma was Kimimaro's second fiancée to help him restore the Kaguya clan. The Fuma elite chunin and the Sky special jonin were sister-wives.
"When you left your station, I asked Lord Orochimaru to reconsider and send some ninjas to support the ground forces on behalf of the Sky Marshal. He refused too, even for Kimimaro." The Sky kunoichi said with some anger in her tone.
Sasame Fuma banged the benchtop with her fists. "Damn that Kyuubi boy damaging Ancor Vantian visual surveillance system and the Yamato Cannon! We can't see Kimimaro's situation with that Tayuya Uzumaki. He is one of the strongest ninjas in the Neo-Combine rank, but I'm still worried about him… The Leaf's resistance is much stronger than we have anticipated. We didn't know there is a third jinchuuriki in Konoha, who can fly and fight against our Buzzard air forces. That teal-haired Leaf kunoichi stripped our air-supremacy to aerial parity."
"And that Kyuubi boy is more powerful than we expected," Amaru added. "Not only he killed the millennium demon Satori and the Iwa General Shingen Hattori, neutralizing the Edo Tensei Uzumakis and wiped out the entire Sound Berserker Corps. He also destroyed much of the second wave and a full squadron of the Sky ships and two Snow zeppelins. Do you think Kumo didn't share full information about Naruto Namikaze?"
Sasame's assistant Kotohime Fuma rushed to the lady restroom with a dire news: "The Raikage is dead!"
The girls gasped with their eyes widened.
"Are you sure?" Sasame asked for confirmation. Ancor Vantian's surveillance system was destroyed by Naruto.
Kotohime nodded. "Yes, the Raikage's life signs on our system are all flat, and our sensor ninjas double-confirmed it."
"Is the Hyuuga heiress responsible?" Amaru pondered. "She is a former Kumo sex slave. How could she kill a kage? Did we underestimate her too? Anyway, this is bad; we have lost two kage-level ninjas- Shingen 'Gravemaker' Hattori and the Fourth Raikage. The tide can turn against us very quick. We must inform the Supreme Commander and the Sky Marshal now!"
The three kunoichis ran back to the bridge. Sasame and Amaru were thinking about their husband.
'Kimimaro, you must win!'
'Kimimaro, you are our last hope to keep the table in our favour! You must capture that Tayuya Uzumaki!'
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Zone 5
"What the fuck!?" Tayuya Uzumaki exclaimed as she and Neji Hyuuga were watching Kimimaro Kaguya activated his second level Cursed Seal of Earth. Sweats were flowing from the Leaf duo's foreheads down to their cheeks as they watched the Kaguya's transformation- six large bones protruding from his back, and there was a tail coming out.
"His chakra level has increased dramatically." Neji warned with his Byakugan active. "What the hell is that seal?"
Kimimaro looked at the two. "I have to compliment you two. No one ever pushes me to use this seal level except Lord Orochimaru."
In the past 30 minutes, Tayuya and Neji had been fighting against Kimimaro after the kunoichi refused to surrender to the Sound ninja with "Fuck you and your master Orochimaru!" The Uzumaki and the Hyuuga worked cooperatively so well using her genjutsu and Uzumaki fuinjutsu weapons and his Gentle Fist that made them a match to the Kaguya, one of the strongest Neo-Combine ninjas.
"Dance of the Seedling Fern!" A transformed Kimimaro put his both hands on the ground. A second later thousands of large bone-blades sprouted from the ground.
"Shit!" Tayuya and Neji jumped to different directions to avoid the incoming tsunami of bone-blades, the Uzumaki to the west and the Hyuuga to the east.
The flute user landed on a rooftop and was shocked at the Kaguya's jutsu. The whole street was engulfed by those over-five-meter long bone-blades, making a small forest. Many walls and buildings were pierced.
"Holy shit… Thank Kami that everyone has been evacuated." Then Tayuya heard a scream and froze for a moment. She recognized that scream and it belonged to Neji.
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There was lots of blood in Neji Hyuuga's mouth and there was a bone-blade pierced his heart.
'This Sound ninja…' The Hyuuga realized as his blood coming out of his mouth. 'He knows the Byakugan's fatal weakness!'
The past 30 minutes of battle was not a waste of time to Kimimaro. During the fight he had found out a fatal weakness on Byakugan. People said that Byakugan was all-seeing eyes, but it's actually almost- except a small blindspot at the back of the user's neck.
"You are a worthy opponent," Kimimaro said respectfully while holding the bone-sword that pierced the Leaf chunin's chest from behind.
The Kaguya admitted that the Hyuuga's taijutsu was even better than his, and the latter had earned to be called the Gentle Fist genius.
Neji Hyuuga had been an annoying hinderance to Kimimaro's Capture Tayuya Mission. He nearly succeeded at capturing the Uzumaki for nine times, but only to be constantly stopped by the Leaf chunin, hence the Sound jonin decided to eliminate him.
'I should have killed him first half an hour ago, otherwise the fight wouldn't have dragged for over half an hour. Jugo is still in the Golden Slayer's captivity and I need his clanswoman to get him back. Lord Orochimaru doesn't order me to bring the Hyuuga back, just Tayuya Uzumaki. Now this Hyuuga is going to meet his ancestors, and he won't stop me from taking Tayuya Uzumaki again.'
As Neji fell he started to think about his family. 'Father, Mother, and Aoi, I'm sorry that I am going to go first…' and he thought about his father's bizarre question before his departure for the Western Garrison force.
'Neji, do you like that Tayuya girl?'
The Hyuuga Gentle Fist genius couldn't understand why Father kept pressing him to be with that Uzumaki girl. He didn't like the foul-mouth kunoichi in the first place, thinking she wasn't fitting to any Hyuuga, but now…
'Yes, I do, Father, after I know what kind of person she is.' was his answer to his father's question.
Tayuya Uzumaki had a more painful past than he had: a homeless poor orphaned descendant of Uzushio refugees. Today he witnessed her sorrow and beauty when her clansmen's souls being sealed into a Damnation fuinjutsu, and he couldn't help but fell in love with her.
'I should have confessed to her…' The Hyuuga thought as he was dying in a pool of his own blood on a rooftop.
There were countless of *CLANG* loud metal and bone breaking sounds, gaining Kimimaro's attention. His eyes widened at several chakra chains were destroying his bone-blade forest. Another two pair of chakra chains were shot towards him.
The Kaguya dodged the first pair, but the second pair hit him in the head hard before the first pair returned to bind him.
Coming out of the destroyed bone-blade forest was Tayuya Uzumaki, with chakra-chains on her back.
"NEJI!" The Uzumaki rushed to her dying Hyuuga partner with tears flowing down her cheeks. She quickly but carefully laid him before her body and put her left forearm in front of his mouth.
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"It's Adamantine Attacking Chains!" Shadow clone Crimson exclaimed.
He and his legion had been observing the entire event. They had started to action rescue Neji but paused when Kimimaro's bone-blade forest started getting destroyed by Tayuya with her awakened Uzumaki bloodline limit.
The legion captain was relieved that Neji was recovered by Tayuya's Heal Bite. The flute user was hugging the Gentle Fist genius crying saying something and he said something in return. The shadow clone read their lips.
"I don't want to lose you! I can't lose you!"
"Me neither and I have something I want to tell you…"
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While healing Neji, Tayuya created a shadow clone and passed her a scroll. "Put that boner into this Brig seal."
A smile appeared on Tayuya's face as her kage bunshin imprisoned a knocked-out Kimimaro into the scroll. 'Now we have two hostages. I hope this can force that snake bastard to release Karin for his two top goons.'
Neji was still lying on Tayuya's front and he blushed as he felt her breasts on the back of his head despite there was an armour plate between his head and her boobs.
"We are ninjas and that we live with death every day. We can die anytime, particularly now we are in a war against a powerful army. There might be no tomorrow for us and all we ever have is today and we shouldn't have any regret in case we die..."
"And what is it?" The Uzumaki asked.
Neji looked at Tayuya in the eyes. "For not telling you my feeling towards you, because I have fallen in love with you…"
Tayuya was speechless at Neji's confession, but a few moments later she lowered her head and put her lips against his. The Uzumaki and the Hyuuga kissed passionately for 30 seconds when the former reluctantly pull her lips away from the latter's.
"I want to keep making out with you, but we are in the middle of a warzone."
Neji nodded, they were doing this passionate act at the wrong place at the wrong time. There might other enemies out here to attack them.
"I'm very sure Naruto will win the war for us today, then we can resume this kiss and claim each other's virginity tonight!"
The Hyuuga's face was as red as tomato. The Uzumaki grinned while she put Neji's right arm over her shoulders.
"When this is over, I'll fuck you so hard that you can barely walk the next day and will be begging for more!"
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200 Meters Away
"That Tayuya Uzumaki has the same healing ability Karin has..." Kusa Jonin Zosui noted before he faced his ninjas. "The fight is over, and they must be exhausted. It's time to act now."
Zosui had been responsible to watch over Karin and her mother Nori, and he had used them to heal many of his fellow ninjas.
Now he and his 200 ninjas here were under the order to capture Tayuya Uzumaki and Kimimaro Kaguya. It was pointless to capture Neji Hyuuga due to his Caged Bird Seal. A simple seal activation would kill the boy and destroy his Byakugan.
"Don't bother to take that Hyuuga Branch House member." Kazuo, the Kusa leader, issued the capture order to Zosui, after he angrily ranted about Orochimaru. "We lend Karin to him but how dare he lured the Golden Slayer by threatening to feed her to his snake?"
The entire Grass leadership distrusted the Snake Sannin, but they still needed to work together to defeat Konoha or there would be a severe ramification- Leaf and her allies would wage a revenge war on them.
War is costly. Kusa already lost their Box of Ultimate Bliss that contained the millennium demon Satori. Their more valuable treasure, namely Karin Uzumaki, could be lost too. The hidden Grass village needed to compensate their losses. When they learnt about the fight between Tayuya Uzumaki and Kimimaro Kaguya, they immediately decided her as their prize and Karin's replacement.
It's first come first serve on pillage and spoils in wars. Seeing Tayuya possessed the same ability Karin had made Zosui more determined to capture her. Taking Kimimaro would serve as a leverage against Orochimaru.
Nine kunai with tags hit the ground and formed a circular area under the Kusa ninjas, a second later the Glue fuinjutsu was activated and inscriptions spread across the encircled land.
"I CAN'T MOVE!" Many Grass ninjas shouted. Everyone used all their strength, but none could move a centimeter.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"
"AMBUSH!"
"WHA!" Many were startled when shadow clone Crimson landed in front of the Grass commander.
"Oh shit…" Every Kusa ninja become scared when they realized they were surrounded by a host of the Golden Slayer's shadow clones standing on roofs.
"I have some questions in regard of Karin Uzumaki and her mother," Crimson spoke to the Grass jonin and there was a Mindlog seal tag on the shadow clone's right hand.
The fuinjutsu saved a person's memory and share it to other people, and that's how Kushina knew everything about her son's adventures. Mindlog was also a perfect interrogation method- retrieve a subject's memory by simply copying it into the seal tag; more efficient than the Yamanaka clan mind reading technique.
Crimson slapped the tag on an immobile Zosui's forehead for 9 seconds before took it off and placed it on his subordinate shadow clone #99's forehead. Kurama had informed Naruto about the Mindlog being ready, and the blond had found a safe place to receive and process the memory- wanting to know what actually happened to Karin and her mother in the hidden Grass village.
"Ready," Crimson told #99, who nodded and dissipated.
Nine seconds later, KABOOM!
A massive explosion happened on Ancor Vantian. A massive killing intent was radiating from the flying fortress, the amount was unprecedented enormous.
Without a warning, Crimson punched Zosui directly in the mouth with full might, and several frontal teeth fell out of his bloodied mouth.
The Kusa ninja was doing his best not to cry at the pain and stay strong. The shadow clone grabbed his collar with his left hand, and Wind Claws appeared on his right arm.
All Crimson Legion shadow clones' eyes were now red-slitted, their whiskers became thicker, and fangs protruded out of their mouths like carnivorous animals. They looked extremely murderous, making the stuck Kusa ninjas were all very, very scared and many wet their pants.
'H-He knows everything!' Zosui, a hardened veteran ninja, became afraid too, fearing what the Golden Slayer would do to them for what he had done to Karin and her mother.
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Five Minutes Ago, Uchiha Compound, Zone 4
Arashi Fuma's Sound forces was having a hard time to take over the Uchiha compound. The Oto jonin's mission was to capture all the Uchihas there at the behest of his master Orochimaru, but it had turned out far more difficult than he had anticipated.
"My ninjas are drained of their chakra and physical strength when they set foot on the Uchiha compound. They became so weakened a tree hugger can take an entire squad down. Is there a powerful seal master in the Uchiha clan?"
The Uchiha compound was actually secretly reinforced by the Uzumaki Sanctuary fuinjutsu which was originally intended against Itachi Uchiha. That made the compound the safest place after the Uzumaki Manor.
And there was the Sandaime Hokage, the Leaf High Commander in charge of the left section. Hiruzen Sarutobi used this advantage to fight against the much larger Neo-Combine forces with only one Leaf battalion, while his other two battalions were in Zone 7 fighting the enemy coming from the Hokage Monument.
KABOOM! A massive explosion happened on Ancor Vantian, then there was a massive killing intent washed over the Leaf village from the flying fortress. Both sides paused fighting for a few seconds when they heard distant bloodcurdling screams.
"My Kami, is that Zosui?" Arashi Fuma asked as he recognized a scream. The Sound jonin met and became acquainted with said Grass jonin in the Combine commander meetings. It greatly unnerved the Fuma because Zosui was supposedly in Zone 5 and this meant the screams were very loud and the torture must be excruciating and terrifying. "This is bad, the screams scare the shit out of everyone here, the morale is getting lower."
The Sound jonin observed his troops before thinking about his Grass counterpart. 'What kind of torture is Zosui having? Who is torturing him? And why are they doing this to him?'
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"Over here! We still have room for shelter here!" Daisuke Uchiha shouted and motioned to a group of 50 civilians who were 100 meters away. He was standing at an Uchiha compound gate. The clan compound was reinforced by the Uzumaki's renowned fuinjutsu and became one of the most secure places in the village.
Izumi Uchiha broadcasted to stranded civilians to come to the Uchiha compound for safety, and the Uchiha Corps all agreed with their Big Sis' decision. The older Uchiha children were guarding the gates, while the younger guided civilians to their houses.
Among the civilian group was Kin Tsuchi. The Sound genin, or the former-Sound genin, changed her ninja outfit to a civilian attire in order to blend in as a non-combatant. She had discarded her ninja equipment except rations, medical kit, and a few weapons which she could claim that she picked up for self-defence.
Kin had witnessed first-hand the destructive prowess of Naruto Namikaze as well as his brutality. She believed the Golden Slayer was responsible for the distant terrifying screams happening now.
If there was a bet on a fight between Naruto and Orochimaru, she would wage all her money on the Golden Slayer.
"Hey you!"
Kin and the civilians stopped, the latter turned around and froze- a squad of Sound ninjas were pointing at them with their M-47 kunai launchers.
The Oto-deserter didn't turn around but was thinking panickily. 'Oh shit, OH SHIT, they might recognize me. I am dead! They will take me to Orochimaru, and he will execute me in a terrible way!'
The Sound leader did not take it kindly at desertion, she had witnessed him made an example of a deserter by making him a sacrifice for Edo-Tensei. However, paradoxically the leader never cared about his soldiers, especially the low-ranked.
An idea popped up in her mind. 'Perhaps I can tell them that I'm disguising as a civilian to capture an Uchiha?'
Before she turned around, the Sound ninjas opened fire at the civilians. Several of them were hit and dropped, while the others screamed.
"Don't you harm my people!" Daisuke Uchiha appeared between the civilian group and the Sound squad with a kunai in hand, his one-tomoe Sharingan spinning. He deflected several kunai and ignored the slight pain of a kunai that grazed his left cheek.
The Oto ninjas were stunned and horrified- knowing the severe consequence of leaving a scar on an Uchiha.
Chunin Izumi Uchiha, with her three-tomoe Sharingan, appeared next to Daisuke, and she charged towards the Sound squad and dispatched them by slitting their throats mercilessly. The Uchiha kunoichi was given a temporary chunin rank by the Sandaime Hokage. Izumi looked at Daisuke and was relieved to see he only suffered a minor wound on his face.
"Daisuke! Doesn't Admiral-General Mikoto order the Uchiha Corps not to fight the invaders?" Izumi reprimanded Daisuke.
The young Uchiha looked on the ground in shame, with a few tears in his eyes. "But the civilians needed help, or they will be all killed like papa and mama…"
Izumi put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "But you did good, Daisuke. The Will of Fire on the Uchiha Corps and you is burning brightly. Please don't move a step out of the compound next time. I will bring a team here. Now you take the civilians to the compound and get the medics to treat the wounded!"
The young Uchiha beamed at the praise. "Yes major!"
Daisuke approached the civilian group and looked at the younger people including Kin. "We need to treat the wounded as soon as possible. Please help me to carry them to the medics inside the compound. Follow me closely or you will be affected by the fuinjutsu here."
Kin looked at Daisuke's wounded face and paled. Fortunately, the Uchiha turned his back to lead the civilians and didn't notice her worried expression.
'Orochimaru will probably blame me for this Uchiha boy's scar too. There is really no going back now. I've made the right decision." She convinced herself on her desertion and entered the Uchiha compound. 'I MADE THE RIGHT DECISION- I WANT TO LIVE!'
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1430, Zone Five
A 600-strong Kusa reinforcement led by the village leader Kazuo carefully arrived at the source of the screams- a marketplace. Their sensor ninjas confirmed that no Naruto or his shadow clones were present, and they entered the scene cautiously.
"OH MY KAMI!" They were shocked at what they saw- all Zosui's ninjas were hanging upside down by ropes on their ankles, they were all naked and unconscious and there were bite marks on each of them. Their commander Zosui was pinned on a wall naked and heavily mutilated.
The Grass jonin's left eye was slashed blind, and there were texts carved all over his body:
Cold-hearted cruel bastard!
Taste your own medicine!
Bites don't hurt, right?
But you and your ninjas screamed like pigs!
"Nori Uzumaki" and "Karin Uzumaki" were repeatedly carved on the jonin's body.
'The Slayer knows about Karin and her mother!' Many senior ninjas realized.
There were non-fatal stab wounds on Zosui's joints, but it didn't need a medic to tell that his ninja career was over, and so were those bitten ninjas.
"There!" Kazuo's forces now noticed several genins including Shiore were cowering in a corner and strangely unharmed, but they all looked terrified and shellshocked.
"What the hell happened here!?" A Kusa jonin came to Shiore and asked him.
It took a while for the straw hat genin to pull himself together a bit and recall the event. "T-T-The G-Golden S-S-Slayer am-ambushed u-uuss, t-then h-he p-put a-a t-t-tag on, on Jonin Z-Zosui and put it on one of his shadow clones…" The genin was getting steadier on his words.
'A fuinjutsu that can interrogate mind?' Many Kusa veterans mused.
Shiore continued and held his head with shaking hands. "T-Then the Slayer became furious like an oni! He knocked Jonin Zosui's teeth out and smashed his head to a wall!" He used his shaking right hand to point at his peers, who were hanging upside down naked like livestock. "His shadow clones began to bite them savagely like wolves! He was saying and I quote: 'You ignored Karin's and Nori's pain and kept biting them. You take the Uzumaki Heal Bite for granted! Now it's time for you trashes to taste your own medicine and show your appreciation to them!' His clones began to carve something on their foreheads, while ignoring their cries begging for mercy. OH MY KAMI, HE IS A DEMON! I WIILL NEVER FORGET THEIR SCREAMS AND THAT DEMON'S EYES!"
The disturbed Grass reinforcement ninjas looked at the Golden Slayer's victims closely and were again shocked and horrified to see the Uzumaki clan symbol carved on their foreheads. Each victim had texts "Karin" and/or "Nori."
"My Kami, he carved them deep past their skins onto their skulls… I doubt our medics can remove the scars." A Grass ninja observed the wound, while his village leader Kazuo and some other ninjas were trembling, because they also bit Nori and Karin.
'The Kyuubi brat knows everything! He knows Zosui is mainly responsible for Nori Uzumaki's death that's why he maimed him. He also knows exactly who bit Nori and her daughter Karin for healing and that's why he left these genins alone. His reprisal is so bloody brutal! He will be coming for me!'
The leader looked at his ninjas. "We have suffered great loss, we are leaving Konoha! Radio the base to pack up!"
"Lord Kazuo! We can't leave the Combine now, or we will face the wrath of Orochimaru!" A jonin protested, the thought of ending up as snake food terrified him. "And aren't we winning the war against the tree huggers?"
"You don't need to worry about that filthy reptile." The fuinjutsu inscriptions spread across the ground where the Kusa ninjas were standing.
The immobile Grass reinforcement looked up and saw the Golden Slayer's shadow clones everywhere on rooftops. Red and Scarlet Legions had come to support Crimson in Naruto's retribution campaign against the hidden Grass village. The shadow clones looked at the terrified Kusa leader with slitted eyes.
"You ain't leaving here until you all pay your due."
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Two Blocks from the ROOT Headquarter
Shadow clone Grey activated his Predator seal, and a second later he vanished. There was a slight distortion in the air where he moved.
The kage bunshin placed a fuinjutsu scroll just 100 meters from the building which was the main entrance to the ROOT headquarter. The scroll was a Bushwhack fuinjutsu, an advanced Brig fuinjutsu that ambushed, knocked out and imprisoned enemy.
Through shadow clone Black, Kurama had seen everything going on in Danzo's rathole, and he immediately notified Grey that a ROOT team was dispatched to capture Hinata after her battle against the Raikage for that spoiled prince's unrestrained sexual desire.
'That arrogant prince certainly knows that Hinata is Boss' fiancée. Boss will certainly make him flaccid for the rest of his life with fuinjutsu, if he survives the war.'
When ROOT ninjas Hyo and his fellow operatives entered a street where there was no functioning ROOT surveillance camera, the Bushwhack fuinjutsu planted by Grey Legion, immediately activated- it first rendered them unconscious before sealing them into a scroll.
Now Grey walked another 100 meters away from the ROOT building and placed another Bushwhack fuinjutsu scroll on the ground. This seal imprisoned the Kumo company that was sent to support the Raikage in his effort to capture Hinata.
Between both captured parties Grey put down another scroll, which contained the slain Raikage's headless body.
In the corners in the street, 40 kage bunshins in Grey Legion henged into either ROOT ninjas or Cloud ninjas.
"Kurama, all set," Grey informed the cunning Kyuubi no Kitsune, who made this plan and was grinning.
"Showtime! Release the prisoners!"
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"Ughh…" Kumo Jonin Karai opened his eyes groggily, while massaging his both temples. "What the hell just happened?"
When Orochimaru informed his leader Raikage of the Hyuuga princess' whereabouts, the latter immediately stormed out to reclaim her. Karai took a company to backup their leader on this reclamation mission. The Raikage went ahead of them, but the Cloud company encountered something that knocked out the whole unit.
"What knocked us out? How long were we out? Has Lord Raikage got the Hyuuga?" Karai opened his eyes fully.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" The jonin was shocked to the core at what he saw in front of him- an immense headless mutilated body, which was gutted and had a large Z-mark cut.
"Those tattoos, those arm braces, the belt… I-IT I-ISS…" He began to recognize the body in horror before he screamed hysterically. "IT'S LORD RAIKAGE! NO! NOO! OH MY KAMIII! NOOOOOOO!"
"Lord Raikage!" All awakened Kumo ninjas shouted and cried, Grey kage bunshin in Cloud ninja forms joined the cries.
"Impossible! Nobody can kill him!"
"But the Raikage is dead!"
"WHO KILLED HIM?" Karai questioned aloud about his dear leader's killer, with grieving tears flowing down his cheeks. His eyes became extremely murderous and his killing intent spiked to the top.
"There are some tree huggers over there!" A Grey-Cloud shadow clone pointed at the group of Grey-ROOT kage bunshins standing on roofs, while the authentic ROOT ninjas were standing on the ground helplessly due to the fuinjutsu.
One of the Grey-ROOT kage bunshin was holding a mysterious bag that was dripping blood.
"It's the Raikage's head!" A second Grey-Cloud kage bunshin shouted.
Grey-Cloud kage bunshin #3 made a mock-realization expression. "We got ambushed! We thought Konoha retreated to the village rear, but they left some forces here to fuck us in the ass!"
Filled with rage, grief and guilt that failed to protect his leader, Karai made several hand signs. "Lightning Rat Violent Quake! KILL THEM ALL!"
"KILL THEM ALL!" The entire company followed their jonin's order. 200 Kumo ninjas and Grey-ROOT shadow clones obliterated the helpless Hyo and his fellow ROOT agents.
At the same time the Grey-ROOT team ran towards the ROOT building and the Grey-Cloud team threw stolen Iwa Mayhem bombs into the building.
KABOOM! The Iwa Mayhem bombs destroyed the building and revealed several wounded or dead ROOT sentry ninjas and a big underground entrance.
A Grey-Cloud shadow clone who henged into the Kumo sensor in Karai's company approached the Cloud jonin and pointed at the ground. "Sir! I sensed a huge presence underground. This gotta be the Leaf's hideout to attack us from behind and killed Lord Raikage!"
The jonin immediately turned on his radio on Kumo commander frequency.
"That Kumo jonin bought it." Kurama smiled as he looked through Grey that Karai informed his fellow jonins of their Raikage's death in distraught.
"I'll avenge you Lord Raikage!" Jonin Karai swore in tears. "You tree huggers will pay for this!"
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Thirty Minutes Later, ROOT Headquarter
"We will storm the Uzumaki Manor right after the Kyuubi jinchuuriki kills Orochimaru," Danzo Shimura laid out his plan to his ROOT team leaders and his allies, including Fire Crown Prince Masashi Madako and the Hyuuga High Elder Hideo Hyuuga.
There was a blueprint of the manor on the board next to the Konoha elder. The blueprint detailed most of the rooms and chambers in the building.
ROOT agent Sugaru Aburame was also a member of Team Ro, that worked closely to the Fifth Hokage. The Aburame had bugged the Uzumaki Manor's communications, and the ROOT headquarter here knew the situation in the Hokage's command center.
The planning had begun shortly after ROOT had intercepted radio chatters that the Ancor Vantian's bridge was currently under attack by Naruto's shadow legion, and the Golden Slayer himself was about to meet the Snake Sannin.
"Your Grace and I will take 300 ninjas and Fire Royal Guards as Group 1 to arrest Tsunade Senju and take over the whole command." They had drafted a warrant for her arrest, citing her failure to properly command the situation and defend the village. The prince had been more than eager to put his signature on the document.
"Hinata Hyuuga must be there! She will fall in love with me when seeing me lead Konoha and Fire Country to its final victory!" The Crown Prince said in delusional grandeur, he couldn't wait for a 'sexy time' with the Hyuuga princess.
The Konoha's Darkness suppressed his annoyance and ignored the prince, he continued to lay out his plan. "Once Lady Tsunade has been detained, our own officers will take command of the various forces still active in the field, while our men will seize control of the key positions within the village. At which point an emergency council will be convened and I will be confirmed as the legitimate Hokage of Konoha."
The tide was now definitely turning in Leaf's favour, and Konoha's victory would soon follow, and ROOT would have to act soon for the good of the hidden Leaf village.
"Group two will be assigned to the Uzumaki Armoury. They will seize all the Uzumaki clan's weapons as well as Satori's remains. If Tayuya Uzumaki is there, it will be their responsibility to capture her and use her to access the vaults there for the Uzushio's secrets and treasures."
Tanuki Shigaraiki, who had been assigned command of this 100-strong group, stood up and bowed. "Hai! Uzushio belongs to Konoha!" He couldn't wait to get Satori's corpse for the ROOT's secret Nue project.
Hyuuga High Elder looked at his elder son Naoki, who nodded slightly, acknowledging his personal objective. He would be accompanying the group and find and destroy Hiashi's and Hitomi's Medivac scrolls, then Hideo would be the unquestioned leader of the Hyuuga clan.
The ROOT leader looked at Tatsuma Aburame. "You take 200 personnel and secure all the VIPs there, particularly the Wind Daimyo. You personally escort him to us, and we will use him to persuade the Suna ninjas- the Kazekage and their jinchuuriki to surrender."
"Wind Country will be the first state to join the Fire Empire, and Lightning Country next!" Masashi told everyone his plan for his empire.
Danzo, the appointed Sixth Hokage and the Fire Master of War nodded, before looking at Kinoto. "You take the rest- over 400 personals as Group 4 and secure the perimeter around the Uzumaki Manor. Do not let anyone-"
BOOM! Then there was countless of explosion sounds nearby. More BOOM!
"What happened?" Danzo asked.
A ROOT agent appeared next to him. "My lord, we are under attack by Kumo!"
There were sizzling sounds above and everyone looked up and saw countless electricity currents flowing around the ceilings.
"Kurama, it's a matter of time before the Kumo forces destroy the concrete above the ROOT bunker. Get Black to a safe place." Grey said from the ground above. He observed Cloud ninjas were everywhere in the area and they were putting their palms on the ground releasing lightning chakra to destroy the earth and concrete above the ROOT bunker. Grey legion had already deployed Jackhammer fuinjutsu, secretly helping the Kumo forces destroying the concrete faster.
Kurama looked at panics and chaos running amok in the ROOT headquarter with a smile. Danzo looked calm, but the fox sensed that the elder was getting worried.
"You murdered the entire Fire Capital Fire News Network staff, stole the Kumo crime evidence files and framed them for this, because you want the hidden Cloud village to fire the first shot- and you can get your wars. You say it's for the good of the village, but you hide behind not helping nor fighting this invasion. What a fucking hypocrite chicken hawk you are! Action has consequences! You reap what you sowed!"
BOOM! The last bunker gates were blown apart and Cloud ninjas began to flood into the ROOT headquarter. The ROOT ninjas trained mostly on assassinations and espionage, but not direct confrontation and combat.
"Now I grant your wish Danzo Shimura, so you gotta personally deal with over 6,000 angry Kumo ninjas right here right now!"
The fox watched without pity nor sympathy that the severely outnumbered ROOT ninjas and Fire Royal Guards were overwhelmed and slaughtered by Kumo ninjas with their blades and powerful lightning jutsus.
Rubbles were falling as the Cloud forces on the ground succeeded destroying the 3-meter-thick concrete protecting the bunker. ROOT members, the Hyuuga Traditionalists and the Fire Royal Guards were able to dodge the falling debris, but some Fire Court ministers and servants were crushed and killed immediately.
When the rubbles stopped falling, there were sunlight showing inside the underground ROOT bunker briefly until hundreds of Kumo ninjas dropped into the hideout through the holes. The darkness of Konoha had been brought to light.
Karai and another jonin named Nigai landed in front of Naoki Hyuuga and other young Traditionalists, who readied their Gentle Fist stance.
"Lightning Release: Electroshock Coils!" The two Kumo jonins sent lightning bolts onto the Hyuugas, who fell to the ground paralysed.
"Take their heads," Karai ordered his subordinates in cold authority tone. "We will take their Byakugan from their heads later."
"NOOOO NAOKI!" Hideo and other Hyuuga elders screamed and watched in horror that their helpless firstborns beheaded by the enemy.
"So much for the Caged Bird Seal to safeguard the Hyuuga clan's secret and superiority," Kurama remarked as he observed the massacre through Black. "The kid had said it before: every Hyuuga should have the seal equally to protect their Byakugan secrets. Well, too late…"
More and more Kumo ninjas landed and began killing everyone they met- ROOT operatives, Fire Royal Guards and even unarmed Fire Court ministers and servants. Some Cloud ninjas were killed, but they were relentless and kept coming from the gates and the ground above.
"Oh no oh no oh no," the Fire Crown Prince was panicking. He had served the Third Ninja World War, but never experienced a combat until now. It scared the crap out of him seeing his guards, ministers and servants getting slaughtered, and there were some wet spots on his silk pants. The exit was full of enemy and there was nowhere to escape.
Someone pulled his arm, the prince turned around and saw it was Danzo.
"Stay with me, Your Grace," the Konoha elder said. The future daimyo was his most important political asset. Three hundred loyal ROOT ninjas quickly formed a circle around their master.
"KUMO NINJAS!" Danzo shouted, getting their attention.
"So it's you, Danzo Shimura- the Darkness of Shinobi!" Darui, Karai and Nigai looked at the Konoha elder with murderous eyes. "I am gonna kill you!"
The ROOT leader was clam and pointed his left hand on Masashi. "He is Fire Crown Prince Masashi Madako!"
The Kumo jonins looked at the crown prince with narrowed eyes. 'So he is associated with the Shimura, that's probably how he survived the attack in the arena.'
"Yes! I am Fire Crown Prince Masashi Madako, the next Fire Daimyo." Masashi said confidently in his royal authority tone. "Lay down your arms and surrender now, or Fire Country will declare war on your country!"
Darui, Karai and Nigai and their subordinates close by all looked indifferent at his words.
"Are you an idiot?" Darui asked while casually putting his big cleaver sword on his right shoulder. "We are at war already."
"My country will destroy you including your village and loved ones, just like your dead Raikage!"
The mention of their slain leader further incensed the Kumo ninjas, and their rage raised to another level.
"Oh yeah?" Nigai responded while reeking more killing intent. "The Combine and Kumo outnumber you in this village now, and we already killed your old man the Fire Daimyo, and does it matter if we also kill the Fire Crown Prince?"
Masashi Madako paled as his threat failed; he lost his bladder and his pants were soaked with piss. The ROOT ninjas next to him smelled it but gave no expression.
"Masashi Madako, I don't give a fuck who you are in the world," Karai declared while reeking killing intent too. "You all are fucking dead men!"
"Indeed." Kurama chuckled in agreement. "Danzo Shimura, Masashi Madako, Hideo Hyuuga, this is the beginning of the end for all of you assholes."
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Author Notes:
*Beta: Knight-Bishop.
*Proofread and consultation: Ookami88.
*There were more 10,000 Kumo ninjas invaded Konoha with the Neo-Combine. The Cloud village suffered some loss, and some were still attacking the Konoha regular forces. Hence six full battalions as over 6,000 Cloud ninjas came to attack ROOT. Danzo's forces was outnumbered 6 to 1, just like Konoha was outnumbered by the Combine 6 to 1. It is karma.
*Many readers might think that Naruto was too brutal and cruel to the Kusa ninjas, but he in this story is the "eye for an eye" type of person. And look at the anime episode about Karin's past- her Infinite Tsukuyomi dream, and the bite marks on her body. The Kusa ninjas were heartless and cruel, and Naruto carried out this retribution campaign against the Grass army by giving them a taste of their own medicine. The blond Uzumaki's act of carving marks on the Kusa ninjas is inspired by movie Inglorious Basterds.
*Some readers have noticed that I like to use quotes from movies and video games I like, such as Aliens, Predator, Transformers the Movie 1986, Apocalypse Now, Starship Troopers, Halo, and DOOM etc.
*This chapter semi-concludes the story of Kin Tsuchi, the Oto kunoichi genin who deserted the Sound village.
*A little spoiler here: ROOT fanatic Tanuki Shigaraiki will survive eventually because I like the BoruSumi pairing.