Naruto: The Fourth Ninja War
Hey, thanks for the comments and the reads for chapter 1. Here's chapter 2. Hope you like it. Just a note, I don't own Naruto at all. Thanks.
Chapter 2: Sandstorm
The footsteps got closer.
Naruto turned around. He was standing over the river on a bridge under the night sky. He was waiting for someone.
The footsteps got closer.
Naruto could feel the heat of the summer night getting to him now. He was in his best uniform, looking as sharp as he could possibly be. Sweat began to roll down his forehead as nervousness overcame him.
The footsteps got closer.
Everything was ready. He had planned this beforehand. When the person came, everything would be ready. Nothing would go wrong.
The footsteps got closer and stopped.
Naruto smiled. He looked up and saw the beautiful smiling face of his love, the amazing Sakura Haruno. She smiled back as a soft breeze rustled through her pink hair. She took Naruto's hand.
"This way," she said. She led him over to the bank, and sat down. Naruto followed suit.
"Naruto," she said in a seductive tone. Naruto's sweat started up again. "I've wanted you for so long. Now you're mine, and I don't want you ever to leave me. Ever."
"I won't," Naruto answered. "I will always be here for you, always be here to catch you when you fall, be your shoulder to lean on, protect you…"
"Thank you," said Sakura. She blushed.
God, thought Naruto. She is so beautiful…!
Naruto had always liked Sakura. She was his Genin sweetheart, but she had never returned the feelings. She had always taken a liking in Sasuke, and Naruto hated Sasuke for that. But after Sasuke left Konoha and Naruto finished training with the legendary Sannin ninja Jiraiya, Sakura had found a place in heart for Naruto, seeing how much he grew. She started to actually like him a bit…romantically.
Well, that's what he thought at least.
It certainly looked that way though, since usually when a girl leans in for a kiss, it means she likes her partner…to a certain extent.
Naruto leaned in as well. This was his moment; this was finally his chance to get the girl of his dreams! As the excitement came rushing down on his head, a buzzing started ringing through the air.
Naruto groaned. That damn alarm clock.
He pulled himself together. He shouldn't be thinking about Sakura now. He was a 19-year old commander in the middle of a war. She was a 19-year old medic in the middle of a war. There's no way the two of them could get together. Now was just not the time.
Still…thinking about her made him so…alive.
Who am I kidding? Naruto laughed. She's out of my league. Rumor is that she likes Sasuke again, anyways.
Naruto sighed. Best friends though they may be, he and Sasuke have always fought over Sakura. And Sasuke always won. But now, it seemed like Sasuke has his eye on Ino Yamanaka, Sakura's best friend. Naruto didn't like that either, cause it might break Sakura's heart.
Too bad Sasuke can't fall for…oh…the Hokage, he grinned. Ugh…malicious thought.
He threw on his battle vest. He was to head to the Land of the Sand today with Ino and Tenten, where he was to meet with General Temari about the war, due to Commander Kankuro's death. Sakura would meet them there, coming from one of the Kazekage's refugee camps.
He opened his drawer and equipped himself with scrolls, shuriken, and kunai, and wrapped his bandana around his forehead. Picking up his travel pack, he left the house after grabbing some toast.
Ino and Tenten were waiting for him by the Hokage's office. "What took you so long?" asked Ino impatiently. "Having a dream about Sakura again?"
"Um…no," said Naruto, blushing a bit. Both of the girls giggled.
"Naruto, if these dreams go on, we're gonna have to tell Sakura," giggled Tenten.
"You won't."
"Will."
"Won't."
"Will!"
"Won't!"
"WILL!"
"WON'T!"
"You are two 19-year old military officials arguing like Konohamaru when he was a kid," said an eye-rolling Tsunade, coming out of the door with Ibiki and Izumo. "Seriously, if the Blood Village saw you right now, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't hesitate in an attack."
"My apologies, Hokage," Ino said politely. "I tried to stop them, but – "
"Your mission," said Tsunade in a booming voice.
"We have a mission?" asked Tenten. "I thought we were just seeing General Temari."
"No," answered Tsunade. "Your mission is more than just traveling over there and coming back. You are to go with General Temari and some Sand shinobi and spy on the Blood, Moon, and Dark villages. We have limited information on them, and we need more."
"But, how do we know where the villages are at?" asked Ino.
"There is a camp not far from the Sand village that we have detected with our black ops. Messengers frequently go through there. Tag a messenger at a wide distant, and find the locations of the hidden villages. Have Tenten and Ino report back with the locations. Naruto, you and Sakura stay with Temari and the Sand and find out as much information as possible. Most importantly, don't get caught."
"Will we have backup?" asked Naruto.
"Of course," answered Ibiki. "There's a Konoha camp not far from the Blood camp. They'll provide assistance if necessary. Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Two hours later, the three shinobi were on the road. As they walked quietly down the trail to the Sand village, each of them thought about a different someone.
Naruto was, of course, thinking about Sakura. In every gust of wind, he pictured a breeze running through her hair; with every ray of sunlight, her smile. He sighed; this was not a way for a commander to act. Hoping that Tenten and Ino didn't suspect his fantasizing, he made a face of focus and looked forward the whole time.
Ino certainly didn't notice. She had her thoughts on Sasuke. He saw the way he looked at her, checking out her form every time he saw her. She smiled; she had been fighting with her best friend Sakura for Sasuke ever since they became friends, and it looks like she would prevail. She smiled again when she thought about Sasuke's nonchalant personality, and his sweet complexion.
Tenten didn't notice Naruto's behavior either. She had tears in her eyes that she desperately wanted to hide. But she couldn't.
"Tenten," said Naruto softly. Tenten looked up and saw Ino and Naruto looking at her with friendly eyes. "I'm really very sorry about Lee."
Tenten was silent. She didn't want to look at Naruto and Ino. "A shinobi should never show his or her emotions," she said with tears held back. "A shinobi must be strong, be brave, be…"
Naruto looked away. Tenten broke down in tears.
"Let's take a break," he said quietly. Ino nodded.
The fire crackled with intensity that night. Tenten had gotten over herself, and held her composure and silence for the entire afternoon. Naruto quietly cooked the fish he caught earlier with Ino above the fire.
Ino looked over at Tenten. "Tenten," she said timidly. "Can I ask you a question?"
Tenten nodded.
"Did you…were you…in…love…with Lee?" she asked.
Naruto looked away. He couldn't bear to see Tenten break down again. To his surprise, Tenten's answer was straight and uncluttered.
"Yes."
Ino bowed her head. She knew what it felt like to lose someone she loved. Naruto did too, when Sakura was believed to be dead. Tenten was not alone.
Two days had past on their three-day journey to the Sand village. The three young shinobi had become a bit more alive by the third day, with such events like Ino depansing Naruto in a small supply store and Tenten flirting with a young Wind village Chunin.
As they walked up a sand dune, the wind suddenly started picking up. Sand and dust were everywhere, and the three shinobi quickly put on their dust gear.
"Damnit, Tenten," said Naruto. "That Wind guy you met must be coming."
"Shut up, Naruto," said Tenten. "But you're right. This is definitely jutsu."
That answer was confirmed by shuriken running through all three of their heads.
A line of ninja raced out of the dunes and near the dead bodies. "That was easier than I thought," sneered one assassin. "Konoha's troops may not be as bad as they say."
Three cacti around the group suddenly moved. Six enemy shinobi dropped down dead with kunai in their necks. The assassins looked around and looked back at the bodies to see three dried logs in their place.
"Doppelgangers!" yelled their hooded leader. The three cacti transformed and quickly jumped on the assassins. Thrusting his kunai knives in and out, Naruto found a pattern with his weapons and decided to end it quickly.
"Ino! Tenten!" he yelled. "Get out of the way!"
Both girls obeyed. They jumped away while pushing some of their enemies into the others.
"Rasengan!" yelled Naruto. His two kunai charged with an eerie blue light and swung into motion. The swirling blades flew at the group of assassins. With one last yelp, the assassins fell in an explosion of chakra.
"That was fun," grinned Naruto.
"That was only the beginning," exclaimed a voice.
Naruto looked around. The hooded leader was on top of the dune, waving what seemed to be a staff of some sort.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" asked Ino.
"I am Rytou," said the leader. "I have been paid to kill you and your companions, Naruto Uzumaki, by the Hidden Village of the Blood. Now taste my wrath!" With that, he swung his staff.
The wind instantly strengthened. A gust of sand blew across the dune and raised it into a swirling twister of sand. Within it was the outline of a monster.
"Behold!" yelled Rytou. "The dune dragon, Saratie!"
The twister burst open and out came a huge dragon. Saratie was made of hardened sand, and its wings were massive. It roared with ferocity unlike anything Naruto had ever seen before.
"None of you will live," said Rytou. "All of you will die by Saratie's hand."