HOPE, A THING OF THE PAST – A PLACE WE CALLED HOME
Atop the Hokage Monument
In its current state, few words could be used to flatter the appearance of the hidden leaf. The hole in the ground that used to be called a village, a village now represented by a circular crater not so different from the one left by Nagato Pain so many years ago. For villagers like Uchiha Sakura and Nara Shikamaru this would be a truly devastating sight. There is only so many times you can take this sort of pain before you crack.
Stood atop the Hokage monument are the trio of men from the Uzumaki-Hyuuga family. Namikaze Minato, the grandfather, the legendary 4th Hokage, the yellow flash. Minato is a man with many names, a man who had a dream to become Hokage, to protect this village that had now been destroyed. Next to him is Uzumaki Naruto, his son, the father amongst the trio despite being the youngest, the 7th Hokage. Naruto was tormented by the people of this village but swore to protect them anyway, a feat of forgiveness, a feat of determination that made him the most famous shinobi in history. Lastly Uzumaki Boruto, the one whom decided it would be too easy to become Hokage, the one who decided that there was an even harder path to walk, one even more vital to the village.
As the wind blows past the now faceless plateau the Uzumaki family members look down at the crater below, their hair fluttering in the breeze and their nostrils contorting, reacting to the smell of fire from below. Naruto looks around, noticing several fires ablaze originating from stray collections of timber, presumably houses not so long ago.
"It has been destroyed" Naruto begins, his voice emotionless as he stands above the famous rock of the hidden leaf village, "No it's just a mountain; a mountain without faces".
"The monument can always be rebuilt" Minato notes, "While not so long ago our faces would have been lost to history, now we are all here. A sculptor can meet us in person". Minato has one reservation in his heart while he makes this statement. Every Hokage is alive except for one, the man they are here to collect the body of, Sarutobi Konohamaru.
"I suppose so" Naruto nods gently at his father's assertion. "So my head was on here?" he turns his head to his son to enquire. For Naruto having his face carved from this rock has been a lifelong dream, despite having done all the work to earn it though, here he was, a Hokage without the carving.
"Yeah" Boruto begins before a smile comes to his face, "Actually as a kid I used to paint all over it".
"Really" Naruto chuckles briefly as he thinks back to the days when he used to do the same. For some reason that he can't understand he loves the sensation of finding parallels between himself and Boruto. 'Perhaps this is the magic of being a parent'.
Boruto nods, "I was looking for attention. Being the Hokage meant that you never had much time to spend with Himawari and I. We complained a lot when we were young".
"Sorry about that" Naruto offers as he scratches the back of his head. Understanding all too well the feeling of neglect from those around him. "I used to do the same thing when I was young".
"I used to be so disrespectful towards you. But one day we came under attack. You and Master Sasuke taught me what it meant to be a shinobi. What you had to endure to reach that point". The young blonde shinobi thinks back to his first attempt at the chunnin exams, he had failed because of ninja tools, something so petty but what he had learnt was a lesson very great indeed.
"Did you ever paint the Hokage monument grandfather" Boruto laughs.
Minato shakes his head, "No, my upbringing was a bit more stable than either of yours". Minato's greatest memory from his youth is the time he rescued Kushina after she had left a trail of hair. He looks at his descendants to his left, while he was once considered the hope of the village, the Hokage they had long since been waiting for, he felt like he had experience nothing. Compared to the pair accompanying him his childhood was filled with so few difficulties and challenges.
"I'm sorry guys" he continues, "If I had only survived the nine tails attack then…".
"It's alright Dad" Naruto interrupts, "If you had survived that day I would have never befriended Kurama".
"Plus, Hinata was the only one who accepted me when I was really young so I… I guess if that weren't the case the two of us may have never had children together".
Boruto reflects on the statement with a sigh, "I guess it's a world full of difficult circumstances, we can only decide how we let them shape us".
Naruto smiles as he takes a deep breath and looks towards the sky. 'I like that. We can only decide how the circumstances shape us. In my experience, it has always been in the moments where we have almost lost hope where the greatest of people have emerged'.
Looking around Minato changes the subject, "You said that Konohamaru was in the evacuation tunnels" he notes as he nods towards the spot where the tunnels were during his reign as Hokage.
"That's right" Boruto acknowledges his grandfather, "But look at the entrance, the insane warriors are blocking it off".
To call the insane warriors a nuisance would be an understatement. These are merely the front-line troops used by the invasion force yet there are so many of them and they are each so strong. During the fourth great shinobi war Naruto had to fight off thousands of Zetsu clones, something which seemed hellish difficult at the time. The insane warriors are far more difficult to deal with than Zetsu.
"It would be best if I went in to retrieve his body" Minato suggests as he readies a marked kunai, "I can escape quickly with my teleportation jutsu".
"That's no good" Boruto shakes his head, "I forgot to mention this earlier but there are two bodies in there. It would be too difficult for you to do both just relying on your teleportation jutsu". While Boruto knows how quick the flying thunder god technique is he also knows its limitations. To collect two bodies and escape from such trick opponents at the same time would be difficult, even for Minato.
"Two bodies" Naruto starts, "Who is the second?".
"The other body belongs to the former member of Root who gave his life to activate the bomb; Yamanaka Sai".
"Sai" the name rolls of Naruto's tongue as his chest tightens.
"Someone you know Naruto?" Minato turns to his son as he feels his pain.
"He was a member of team 7 along with Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura and myself. He was a close friend of mine". The 7th Hokage thinks back to when he and Sakura first met Sai, the hostility between them. Naturally there was one thing that could always be sure to disperse, or ignite that hostility and that was a smile. Or so Sai claimed.
"Realistically I won't be able to get two bodies myself" Minato sighs.
Suddenly a head from down below looks to the top of the Hokage monument. An insane warrior looks at the trio before screaming at the top of her lungs. Not out of fear but instead a method to communicate, something down my the most primitive of creatures. Just to make a noise and make it as loud as possible. In response to the scream all the other insane warriors look to their left and to their right, up and down until their heads turn in the right direction. To rest on the three generations of the Uzumaki family.
Colonel Peterson's Hut
In Peterson's hut, Davis waits attentively as his senior instructed. Waiting only for an order from a superior, or a message, just like he is about to receive.
PING!
His head snaps around to face the east, the direction from which he receives a mental message. The message isn't perfect; it seldom is for someone on his level yet he can tell one thing. The insane warriors have spotted someone.
'The insane ones have spotted someone in the village' Davis assesses the situation in his head, 'It's probably nothing… but…'.
He steps outside for but a moment before energy begins to flutter around his legs and he launches of into the sky. Flying eastwards.
The Hidden Leaf's Camp
As the moon lights the surrounding area all is quiet as the citizens of the hidden leaf village sleep soundly. It is with good reason that they try and get as much rest as possible, tomorrow is yet another day that could be there last. There life had gone from heaven to hell, from paradise to desolation, that is the result of the invasion.
While crickets may be the only source of noise, that is because only two people are still outside, the most silent and serious Hokage's of the past. Senju Tobirama and Hatake Kakashi. As Kakashi witnesses his predecessor touching the ground with his finger he recognises the technique from various records of the Hokage. This is Tobirama's greatest sensory technique.
Approaching Tobirama, Kakashi strikes up conversation, "Lord 2nd" he begins.
"You're a Hokage yourself Kakashi" Tobirama interrupts, "We can address one another by our first names".
Kakashi is reluctant to be informal with a man he has revered for large portions of his life. The creator of many techniques both weird and wonderful, used by his greatest enemies like Orochimaru and his greatest heroes like his sensei Namikaze Minato. To address him by his first name seemed improper.
Deciding not to voice his inner conflict Kakashi simply moves the conversation along, "Do you sense something?".
"Yes, it's a long way to the west but it's… it's strong" the 2nd Hokage concludes as he presses his finger to the ground.
"A captain?" Kakashi asks with concern. The man who had yet to become Hokage in the past is cautious when it comes to fighting such strong opponents. He believes that he could defeat a captain but he would rather not risk fighting one to the death.
"No" Tobirama replies, "It's stronger".
"Then it must be a Colonel" Kakashi notes.
"Kakashi, are you strong enough to take on a Colonel" Tobirama asks as he lifts his finger from the ground.
"I would have no chance" comes the reply.
Tobirama nods, "Kakashi, just how strong is Naruto?".
"I came from a time when Naruto had yet to obtain the great strength he has been described as having" Kakashi explains, "But I am Naruto's sensei, I believe in Naruto. If he kept that determination, that attitude and that work ethic. If he lived up to his potential… then he would be a true monster".
"We have to tell my brother and Naruto" the 2nd Hokage decides. Having a good estimate for everyone's level of strength leading him to believe that only the 1st and 7th Hokages would be able to fight against a colonel.
"The Uzumaki family were having a family reunion" Kakashi declares, "Then they headed a few miles to the North for some privacy".
"My teleportation jutsu allows me to travel quicker than you" Tobirama points out as he pulls out a few of Minato's custom kunai, "I will go tell Naruto and Minato what is happening. You find my brother; they are the only two with any chance of fighting a colonel".
At the drop of a hat both head in opposite directions, one teleporting as fast as he can, the other running at a speed greater than most shinobi could manage. Something amusing comes to Kakashi's mind as he heads towards the Senju family, 'Two Hokage brought forward from the past out of desperation. We have been reduced to messengers already by our enemy's might'.
The Senju Family's Hut
Kakashi bursts through the door, seemingly interrupting Hashirama and Mito in the middle of a conversation.
"Is something wrong Kakashi?".
"Lord Hashirama" Kakashi pants.
"Drop the lord" Hashirama sweatdrops while unknowingly borrowing a phrase Kakashi would later use daily.
"Your brother says he sense a colonel coming" Kakashi declares.
"A colonel?" Mito leaps to her feet. 'If a captain was so strong, just how strong will a Colonel be… twice as strong… three times'.
"From the West" Kakashi tells Hashirama as he recovers his breath.
Hashirama creates a wood clone, "I'm going to head west and see if I can slow this Colonel down" he declares as he runs from the room.
The clone then places a comforting hand on Kakashi's shoulder, "I will remain here and help you and the other Hokage to evacuate the camp".
Kakashi nods, "I am going to find Sarada".
Atop the Hokage Monument
As the insane warriors look up from the crater below they all begin to scream. Some begin to bash their chest as if they are apes, some stamp their feet and some swing debris around like a sword. One thing is clear to the three blondes above, 'They are looking at us now'.
"In that case I will take care of the one's down below" Naruto declares as he crosses his fingers.
In but a moment several thousand poofs of smoke can be heard. Minato and Boruto are astonished by the occurrence. In an instant Naruto, has created thousands of shadow clones. All together the thousands of clones leap down into the crater below. By taking up weapons, using their kunai or even with the bear hands they begin to fight the insane warriors occupying what used to be the hidden leaf village.
'This many clones and he doesn't even seem phased' Minato thinks to himself as his eyes go so wide they could bulge from his head.
'This is dad at his strongest' Boruto realises, 'His power is incredible'.
As the fight below proceeds it becomes clear that Naruto is winning. His clones begin to clear a path starting with the entrance to the evacuation tunnels. This staggers Boruto, only a few days ago the entire hidden leaf village needed to be evacuated because the shinobi of the village couldn't hold off these warriors. Despite this, his father, the 7th Hokage was doing it all by himself.
"You two go, I will keep an eye out for them".
"Understood" Minato and Boruto reply as they leap down towards the opening.
As Naruto keeps a watchful eye on the fight below he takes the opportunity to expand his senses. He allows them to be filled with the radiation of the earth, the light from the moon, the embers of the fires and then he expands his senses to cover chakra as well.
That's when he notices it.
A hand is moving towards his shoulder.
And then he feels it… killing intent.
Naruto spins on his heel, aiming a kick towards the head of his assailant.
The assailant quickly ducks beneath the kick, a feat of agility that would make even the most talented shinobi jealous. In an equally impressive manor he begins his counterattack by aiming a punch towards the unprotected chest of Naruto.
The assailant is greatly surprised though when Naruto catches his fist with his left hand as a blue ball of chakra forms in his right hand. Naruto increases his control on the rasengan in his right hand and tightens his grip on his opponent's fist, 'I've got you' he says in his head as he swings the energy ball towards the attacker's chest.
The attack is narrowly avoided as the assailant manipulates a slippery substance, sliding it over his fist loosening Naruto's grip before leaping backwards away from the rasengan.
Naruto dissipates the rasengan as he gets a chance to take in the appearance of his attacker. Quickly Minato and Boruto join him, each of them with a body over their shoulder.
"Bronze cloak" Boruto begins.
"A number 3 on his jacket" Minato finishes, "It's another captain".
Naruto turns his head to his left and then to his right, "Konohamaru, Sai…".
"You two go" Naruto continues after a moment, "Return their bodies".
"Will you really be alright against a Captain" Minato asks.
A smile comes to Naruto's face, "I'm sure I will be OK… go".
As Minato and Boruto begin to head back towards the village Minato turns his body before shouting to his son. "GOOD LUCK NARUTO".
Boruto laughs, "Grandfather, it seems you don't know my father well enough yet".
"He won't need luck".
Author Note:
That's week 1 done. I imagine there will be many more before I am done with this story.
Thanks for all the nice things you've been saying. I'll be starting again on Monday.
Thanks,
Me