The Fate of the Souka Clan

By Riotv2

Disclamer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters, minus the Original ones I've created for this Fic

Chapter 2

He sun had only just risen. Store owners were setting up their shops, in preparation of another average day. Everything in Kanohagakure seemed to be about as normal as you could get in a Ninja Village. At the main gate however, a young man was pacing back and forth very impatiently, much to the chagrin of the two Chunin guards posted there. They also wanted very much for whoever he was waiting for to show up so they could be rid of the angry foreign ninja.

The previous night at the hospital the Hokage had given her consent for Takeshi to accompany the team she was sending to investigate what had happened at his home. The team was supposed to be assembling at dawn to leave, but he had been there for the last two hours, and was about to move out on his own when a boy, about his age, riding on the back of a dog that could only be describes as enormous, easily the size of a large tiger, launched himself off of one of the nearby buildings and landed just a few feet away from him.

The wild looking boy hoped off his dog and gave Takeshi a quick once over before speaking.

"Hey, you're looking better, how's your shoulder doing? You had a pretty nasty wound there yesterday."

Takeshi thought for a moment. This guy obviously knew about him so was probably a member of the team he was supposed to meet. The fact that he knew about his injury hinted at the fact that the team he was assigned was most likely the same one that had recovered him only a few days ago.

"Uhh,… it's better thanks. The medic nin here are incredibly skilled." Takeshi rotated his left shoulder experimentally only experiencing minimal discomfort and soreness. He'd be back at full strength in another day or two.

"Yea they know their stuff alright. Just don't over do it. If there's going to be any fighting you'd better leave it to me. Ohh, the names Kiba, by the way." The obviously brash over confident boy extended his hand, which Takeshi gladly accepted.

"Takeshi. I guess you were the ones who found me the other day?"

"Yes we did." Both boys turned around to the source of the voice to see three individuals walking towards them. Two women and…well it was hard to say since all he could see under the low hooded coat were a pair of sun glasses, but from the way the person moved, Takeshi guessed that it was probably a guy. "Takeshi it's good to see you're feeling better, Good morning Kiba."

The wild boy wore an almost feral grin. "Heh, morning Kureni-sensei. Hey guys. What say we get going?"

Kureni made some quick introductions between Takeshi, Shino, and Hinata, and began to explain the mission in some greater detail.

"Ok listen up everyone. As you all know we found Takeshi here the other day about two miles outside of Konoha, being chased by a few Sound Nins. What you probably don't know is that they had been chasing him for over three days."

At that all three members of team 8 had to reevaluate their estimations of Takeshi's strength.

'Woa…a three day chase on the run from Kami only knows how many enemies… this guy's either really strong or really lucky.' Thought Kiba. The others held similar thoughts as their teacher continued.

"Takeshi's Clan village was attacked by the Sound for refusing to join them in preparation for another attempt to destroy Konoha." If they were shocked before this time the young Chunin were struck speechless. "He and his team were ordered by their superiors to break away from the attack and give us warning of the Sounds plans. Unfortunately Takeshi lost both of his teammates before they were even able to escape from their village."

'Man,…the more I hear the more I want to tear into that snake bastard and all of his men!' Kiba's increasingly bloody thoughts were accompanied by a low growling from his companion, Akamaru. Hinata looked at Takeshi who was intently staring at the ground, the growing killer intent radiating off of him in waves. 'Poor Takeshi-san. He's been through so much.'

The third member of the group… well Shino was as stoic as ever.

"Our mission is to return to Takeshi's home and ascertain the situation. Takeshi you should know that the Hokage has already given authorization for us to fully support your clan in what ever way we possibly can." He only nodded in response. "Once the situation becomes clear we can send a message back here to mobilize either military reinforcements or the medic teams which are already on standby."

Initially it took Takeshi nearly 3 full days of travel to reach Konoha, all while attempting to loose his pursuers. This time however, after half a day of traveling Kureni was able to estimate that at the pace they were holding they could rest during the night at the Fire countries border, and expect to reach there objective sometime before nightfall on the second day. If that is, they don't run into any opposition.

During the trip they managed to find a few of the locations where Takeshi hand attempted to make a stand. Along with a few of the Sound Ninja he had managed to eliminate early on. Shino who up until now hadn't said much of anything pointed out that since the bodies were still there, it was "unlikely that any other hostiles remain in the area, otherwise they would most likely have removed their fallen". It actually surprised Takeshi that the person, whom he had actually assumed was mute, spoke with such direct clarity and propriety. He was still seething inside, but his rage was lessening a bit as he got to know the ninjas he traveled with. It occurred to him that before, he had never given much thought as to what foreign shinobe might be like personally, aside from what his sensei had described about the various fighting styles and jutsus he had encountered, which weren't much since the Suna clan's ninja strength was primarily for the protection of the isolated clan, and not for running missions as in most other hidden villages.

As the three began to make camp, Takeshi and Kureni began searching fro wood to make a fire. She probably would have left that to one of the others normally but this time she wanted to speak with Takeshi in private.

"Listen to me Takeshi," She began. "I can't even begin to know what you must be going through right now. However I do know what it's like to lose the people close to you. I just wanted to make sure that you prepare your self for what we might find there."

Takeshi turned to look her in the eyes. "Arigato, Kureni-samma. I can never repay you or the Hokage enough for what you are doing for me, and I know it must look to you that I'm going to loose it any second now. I am angry, hurt, and mentally exhausted for the last few days. However I want you all to know that I won't let my emotions get the better of me. I was there to see many of my clan fall. I'm well aware of what we may find there, and I will do my best to not let any of you down. I will likely have the rest of my life to grieve for my clan, or should I die as well…then I will have no reason to grieve for them since I will be among them in the after life."

Having gathered enough wood for the night, Takeshi started back towards camp, leaving an increasingly distraught Kureni to contemplate his words. 'To be able to keep yourself going after so much has already happened to you…you must have a great inner strength Takeshi. I'm sure your clan must be very proud to have you as a member. I fear however what we may find even if you don't. Just don't be so eager to join them if the worst has happened.' With these thoughts racing through her mind she followed him back towards camp.

All around him the bodies of everyone he knew lay scattered, frozen in their deaths showing the torment and pain they must have suffered before the end. He saw his team mates Katsuo and Fumio, his two best friends laying back to back with all manner of throwing weapons impaled into their flesh. They must have died fighting to protect one another even as it was hopless to do so. He fell to his knees before his fallen comrades, as he could still hear their voices coming to him as if born of the wind itself. Things they had told each other, things they shared as children playing at being ninja with kuni fashioned from sticks. "C'mon Takesh!! Today we start out official training."-"Hey bro wanna go train with me? We can go practice our marksmanship before meeting Fumio later."-"Hey guys it's great that we're gonna be on the same team huh? I wonder who our new Sensei is going to be."-"Ohh man you three are hopeless. You'll never get it right if you don't give it everything you have! sigh Why the Elder stuck me with you guys I'll never know." ……"Takeshi…you failure." This voice was more than the wind. He looked up to see eyes of his two best friends in the world burning with hatred as they leveled their glares directly at him. "Where were you why weren't you here?!" He couldn't respond as they spoke the harsh words to him in unison. "I…I…" "You nothing. You abandined us Left us here to DIE while you ran like the coward you are."

He started to back away only to have his ankle grabbed by the blood covered hand of his sensei, who was pulling his body along the ground inching his way closer de to the fact that he was currently missing a leg. "You should have been here to fight with us. At least then we would've died together. You weak, pathetic, useless nobody." "Sensei I…I…"

He took a look around him seeing the rest of the previously motionless corpses moving towards him muttering similar curses at him. He tried to block them out tried to run only to come face to face with his own father. He was wearing the shattered armor of the Elder and had a large slash across his neck from some kind of blade. He said nothing to takeshi, but only looked upon him with shame and disappointment in his eyes. That hurt worse that everything before.

The walking dead began to press on him gathering closer and closer. He could hear them curse him, hear them scream for his blood. They were calling his name as they began tearing at him.

"Takeshi!"

"Takeshi!"

"Takeshi!"

"Takeshi!"

"Takeshi! Get up!"

He could feel someone shaking him as he slowly began to come around. He opened his eyes to find both Kiba and Shino standing over him. He could clearly make out Shino's face now since he was without his coat. Though he still wore his sun glasses, both biys had looks of concern on their faces.

"Hey you ok man? I guess you were having a bad dream or something huh? I guess after whats happened it's no wonder."

Takeshi sighed deeply in reliefe and sagged back down into his previous position. "Yea, it was just a dream. Thanks Kiba, Shino, for your concern."

"Any time man. We still have a few more hours before we have to get going why don't you try to get some more rest. We'll wake you when it's time to go."

Takeshi nodded and turned on his side while closing his eyes. No more sleep would be coming to him that night. In the morning they packed camp and continued on their way to his home. They would reach it before mid day. Then he would see if his nightmare was really a dream or some kind of vision.