Chapter 12: Conflict

The entire office was still. All of the Shinobi gathered in the Raikage's domain just stared at the blonde haired man standing right before their leader. He stood there silently for a few seconds, keeping his glaze on the Raikage, A. Finally, there was a response.

"What is the meaning of this?" A demanded to know, although his tone was thoroughly unconvincing.

"Don't act the fool A, you know exactly why I'm here" Minato snarled, as he threw down the Kumo Shinobi he was holding.

A glanced at the Shinobi for a second and noticed there was a glazed expression across his face, as if he found it difficult to focus. He frowned at this, as the repercussions of it became clear.

"Genjutsu" A muttered quietly to himself. "Quite unlike you to use such interrogation techniques Minato, I thought you were all about humanising the Shinobi world or something."

"Sometimes I'm forced to show my hand" Minato responded. "Why do you continue to work against me? Why do you insist on keeping these old tensions between us?"

"I don't have to answer to you" A spat. "In fact, what you're doing now could amount to nothing more than an act of war. I'd be within my rights to have you killed for invading our land."

"Just try it" Minato said, drawing his kunai within the blink of an eye.

Darui made a delayed move towards his sword but he stood out through this movement. The rest of the Shinobi in the room appeared to be paralysed by fear. Despite the fact that they had their own leader and outnumbered him significantly, they were terrified of the Hokage. As he stood there, exuding confidence and power, A could understand why. Truth be told, he felt a little scared himself.

"You have to understand, I don't want this anymore" Minato sighed. "I want to end this cycle of hatred that we're stuck in right now. There's something coming A, we need to be united if we're going to face it. The further apart we are, the more vulnerable we become."

"Something's coming? Vulnerable? What is he trying to suggest here?" A wondered, although he kept his face stoic. "What are you planning here Minato? Whatever it is, I will find out."

A gave a subtle glance towards Darui, who acted immediately. He swung his sword at Minato, but unfortunately for him the Hokage was waiting for such an attempt. What followed next was nothing short of spectacular. All that A could see was a flash of yellow darting around the room as he both avoided and countered each Shinobi's attempts to attack him. Within seconds, Minato was stood in the middle of the room, with unconscious bodies littered around him.

"I see that we aren't going to get anywhere here," Minato said, shaking his head. "I didn't want this, it's exactly the kind of thing I want to stop. I'm sorry, I'll leave I probably should never have come. Just, please think about what I said."

"He's sorry? Giving me orders before he leaves? How arrogant" A thought, as he stood up from his desk. "Minato, I'm not done with you yet!"

A launched himself across the room but before he could make any contact with his target, he disappeared. A clenched his fist and stared at the now empty space. He could barely contain his anger, barely hide his humiliation. He didn't intimidate Minato at all; in fact he treated him as if he were some child he could lecture. As if he were inferior. He couldn't stand it, not for another second…

"Lord Raikage!"

The yell awoke A from his daydream. It was strange to look at the very same office just a few years later. It had become something akin to a conference room, with a large circular, wooden table replacing his old desk. Although, the activity level hadn't changed a bit, there were still five or six Shinobi in the room, all doing various tasks.

The one who had spoken up was the one A could stand the least. Onoki, the 3rd Tsuchikage, was a slightly odd looking old man, standing at barely three feet tall and physically feeble, he wasn't the most physically intimidating of opponents. Yet, his decades of experience in war combined with a conniving mind and his devastating use of kekkei tota made him a formidable enemy and a powerful ally. Still, despite his worth, being in the same room as the man could be quite jarring.

"Sorry, I had my mind on something" A mumbled. "What were you saying?"

"I was asking you if you'd had any updates from the battlefields yet" Onoki repeated himself, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I'd like to know what progress we are making."

"Oh, well Darui sent me a report" A said, as he tried to sort through the stacks of paper in front of him. "They've entered a stalemate of sorts, seems the Konoha Shinobi have put up a type of barrier ninjutsu that's currently holding them up."

'They're waiting for reinforcements" Onoki nodded sagely. "The Hokage knows very complex barrier ninjutsu, so it's no surprise that this knowledge has spread to other Konoha Shinobi. However, there is a weakness to it."

"Which is?"

"The strength of the barrier relies on the caster and it can be weakened by repeated assault" Onoki grinned wickedly. "I doubt that the one who cast the jutsu has the power of the Hokage, so if powerful enough ninjutsu is fired, it will eventually give way."

"Well, I guess you know these things if you live long enough" A smirked. "Still, he's an invaluable resource, lets see you take on both of us, Minato."

"I'll send this information to Darui at once. C, get in here!" A yelled out.

C entered at once, followed by four other Shinobi. The four-man squad had made their way up Kumo's ranks at blistering pace over the previous years, so much so that A had installed them as his personal bodyguards a year or so before. The four brothers had become famous in Kumo for their agility, pale skin and use of serpents, so much so that they had developed a nickname.

"Onoki, have I introduced you to Team Hebi here?" A asked, of course knowing that he had not done so. "They're the elite of our village, each one possessing a mastery of ninjutsu and a cunning intellect."

"I'm sorry A but why should I care?" Onoki responded, seemingly uninterested.

In truth, Hebi held no value to Onoki but they meant a lot to A. They had become more than just bodyguards to him, they were his confidants, his advisors. He wasn't sure what it was, but they always listened and gave sound advice. In fact, almost his entire war strategy had begun by speaking to them.

"I just thought you'd like to know who will be protecting you during your stay here" A shrugged. "Anyway, what did you want?"

The nearest man, who was tall and sleek, his jet-black hair pushed back by his headband, stepped forward to speak. His voice was soft and he appeared to have a habit of elongating his S' slightly.

"We were just here to inform you that we've completed our defence preparations," he hissed proudly. "There is absolutely no way that anyone can even approach this village now."

To say that the last few hours had been difficult would be an understatement. For Minato, it had been like living his worst nightmare. Panic had set in almost immediately after he had announced the news at the Chunin Exams and from then on things had only got worse. He'd practically taken Shikaku straight from the stands at the exam and dragged him to his office, while he had left the responsibility of informing the village to Kushina.

"The emergency ANBU squads are already approaching the outposts, so that should give them enough reinforcements to last the night" Shikaku said. "Now, we need to figure out the teams we're going to send to fully protect each outpost."

The office let out a collective groan. The sun was already setting and they were all in for a long night ahead. Jiraiya and the Kazekage had joined the pair for the planning session and they too seemed to realise this.

"We don't have much time, so it might be best just to split up our villages for now until we can better assess which groups would work best together" Shikaku advised. "That way we'll be able to send teams out tomorrow morning."

"Seems like a good idea to me" the Kazekage nodded. "I have a good idea who I can send from my village to our nearest outpost, I'll send a message back home to have them deploy immediately. Come to think of it, I wonder exactly how they've reacted to all this."

"Probably the same way we have" Minato replied. "It's a complete shock, I can barely believe it myself. That's what's so worrying about this. Jiraiya Sensei, how did your spies not catch wind of this? Does A know about them?"

Jiraiya paused for a moment to consider the possibility before shaking his head.

"He would have tried to get information out of them before now if he knew" Jiraiya said. "From what they've told me, nobody in the village knew about this before they made their move. It's possible only the Raikage and his very top advisors were aware of the plan."

Minato nodded his head and acknowledged the possibility but he didn't really believe it. It didn't seem like A's style, he's not the most subtle man. He had to wonder what it was that was making him act so strange. Whatever the reason, his opponent's unpredictability was going to be an issue.

"Okay, we'll get on with this then."

It was approaching midnight when Minato called Kakashi and Fugaku in to his office. Kakashi seemed calm and collected, while Fugaku was a little worse for wear. Minato knew he would have had to deal with the worries of the clan and his role as part of the Council confers responsibilities on him that he would have to fulfil. Still, he found that his sympathy was lacking given what he had dealt with so far that day.

"I'm sending you two to take over the defence of the two outposts that have been attacked" Minato explained, as he pointed towards a map on his desk. "Kakashi, you will take the outpost in Land of Hot Springs, which borders the Land of Lightning. Fugaku, you will take command of the outpost in the Grass Country, which borders the Land of Earth. If Iwa and Kumo want to get to Konoha, the majority of their forces will have to pass these points first, so it's vital that you defend them."

Having Kakashi take the outpost that borders Kumo wasn't unintentional. Kakashi hadn't set foot in the Grass Country since the incident at Kanabi Bridge during the last war and Minato wanted to save him the guilty thoughts. Kakashi already had enough of those anyway.

"So, do you have a list of the Shinobi that will be a part of our division?" Fugaku asked.

"Yes, we've prepared a list over the last few hours" Minato responded, as he handed a small document to each of them. "Kakashi, I've elected for Gai to be your second in command. Fugaku, Itachi will act in that capacity for you."

Fugaku raised a suspicious eyebrow at this, as he began to scan the names on his sheet.

"I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that" Fugaku said. "Don't get me wrong, Itachi is powerful and he will be a considerable asset to us. However, I wonder about him being mentally capable of undertaking such a role."

Minato suppressed a sigh. He knew that the relationship between Fugaku and Itachi had been rather strained since the revelation of what Itachi was very close to doing to the Uchiha clan. It was only natural really; it raised issues of trust between them and challenged Fugaku's perceptions of loyalty. Still, Minato hoped that having them work side by side in such a way might go some way to repairing the broken relationship between them. Plus, Minato had other reasons for wanting to test Itachi's resolve when given such responsibility.

"Well, we'll just see how it goes" Minato replied. "If, after seeing Itachi performing his duties, you feel that he isn't up to the job, you can replace him with someone else in your division."

Fugaku muttered a response under his breath, which Minato decided to ignore. They spent the next few minutes going over the members of each division, with Kakashi and Fugaku asking questions about Shinobi they didn't know much about. Finally, Kakashi reached the end of his division and declared himself satisfied. Minato watched as Fugaku reached the last name on his list and prepared for the onslaught he knew would occur.

"Sasuke?" Fugaku said, as he looked up at Minato. "You're sending Sasuke in to battle?"

"Yes" Minato nodded his head. "His performance in the Exams demonstrated that he is at the very least Chunin level, some would say he's even pushing some of the Jonin in power. Kumo and Iwa's forces outnumber our own, we need to send as many as we can and that includes many of the recently promoted Chunin."

After the announcement of war, Minato had taken the unusual step of promoting not only all of the finalists of the exams but also several of the more impressive candidates that had undergone the preliminaries.

"So then, if we're sending the recently promoted Chunin" Fugaku began, and Minato had a feeling he knew what was coming next. "Tell me, which division is your son going to be fighting in?"

"Naruto isn't being sent out to fight" Minato replied with a guilty expression. "I need to keep him here for something."

"Don't give me that bullshit Minato!" Fugaku screamed, as he pointed his finger towards the Hokage. "This is just like you, you preach equality and selflessness yet you do not practice it, do you? You're happy enough to let other people's children risks their lives for the village but you're not willing to allow your own precious child to march to war are you?"

"Fugaku calm down, I'm sure that Minato Sensei has a good reason-"

"Nobody asked for your opinion, Hatake" Fugaku spat.

"Fugaku, calm down" Minato said. "The reason I'm not sending Naruto is that he needs to stay back here for special training."

"Training? Is that really what you're going with? What a pathetic excuse" Fugaku sneered. "Why would your son require extra training all of a sudden?"

Fugaku's questioning left Minato at a crossroads. Was it worth revealing his son's identity in order to ease Fugaku's fears?

"I can't say" Minato stuttered. "You're just going to have to trust me on this Fugaku. Naruto has to stay in the village."

The tension in the room was at breaking point as Fugaku continued to stare at Minato, who returned in kind. Finally, the Uchiha clan leader gave in.

"Fine, have it your way. I've learned over the years what going against the Hokage leads to" Fugaku sniped. "Just so you know though, this isn't the last time I'll pull you up on your crap, Minato. Once this war is won, expect me to be knocking on your office door."

With that, Fugaku confirmed that he'd be ready to go at 7am the next morning and walked out the room. Minato and Kakashi sat in silence for a moment.

"So, if Naruto needs to undergo special training and can't leave the village, does that mean that-"

"Yes" Minato responded at once, unsurprised that Kakashi had figured it out. "Please keep it to yourself."

"Of course" Kakashi said, as he went to leave. "You can trust me, Minato Sensei."

It was all so surreal. Just 24 hours before, Naruto had been sat in his kitchen at home and worrying about something as petty as an exam. Now, he was standing at the gates of the village, as the two divisions readied themselves to leave for war.

The families of those that were leaving were spending their last few minutes with their loved ones. The most noticeable was Mikoto Uchiha, who was in tears as she said goodbye to both of her sons and her husband. Naruto felt pangs of guilt as he watched them for a moment. Was it fair that one family would have to go through such hardships while his own remained safe and sound in the village?

"You'll be careful, won't you?" Naruto heard his mother say to the right of him.

He looked over to see her adjusting Kakashi's headband and dusting down his clothes.

"Well, as careful as I can be" Kakashi chuckled. "I'm undertaking a rather dangerous job you know."

"Just make sure you write to me every week," she said, struggling to contain the emotion in her voice. "Let me know how everything is going okay? And don't think that just because I'm not there that you can skip meals, you'll need your strength."

"If I just say yes to everything will you be satisfied?" Kakashi replied.

They then embraced in a long and loving hug. Naruto had never seen Kakashi really express emotion before, it was a strange sight.

"You'll have to look after your Mum okay?" Kakashi said to Naruto as he walked past. "She's going to be on to you even more than before, think you can handle it?"

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically and Kakashi laughed, before ruffling Naruto's hair one more time. He then moved on to talk to Sasuke and Naruto thought it was best not to stare.

"Weird isn't it?" Hinata said, as she suddenly appeared next to Naruto. "It doesn't feel right that they have to go and yet we get to stay."

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, the question not sounding quite as rude in his head.

She simply nodded her head towards the group to Naruto's left, which he then noticed contained Neji and his father. Seeing Neji and Sasuke wearing the Konoha flack jacket gave Naruto the peculiar urge to laugh, although he wasn't quite sure why. Maybe he just wanted to find some way to lighten up the whole situation.

"Everyone, if I could speak just before you leave" Minato called out.

All of the soldiers stopped what they were doing immediately and turned towards their designated leader.

"I won't keep you long because you have to get going," he continued. "I know this is very sudden for all of you and that you feel unprepared. Some of you have experience in war, some of you do not. It's natural for you to feel afraid but there's something that each and every one of you can take heart in. The Will of Fire, the will that this village was built on by the First Hokage, burns brightly within each of you, I can see it. Let it bring you courage in times of need; let it give you the strength to protect everything that you hold dear. The fate of the village rests in your hands and I know that you will do everything you can to defend it. I believe in you all and you have the support of the entire village. So go and defend us, go and defend Konoha!"

The divisions applauded at the Hokage's words, although Naruto noticed that Fugaku had remained stoic. The final goodbyes were then tearfully given as the divisions ran out of the gate. Naruto stood there and watched until they passed by the horizon and the sound of their footsteps could no longer be heard. His father walked up to him and placed a comforting am around his shoulder.

"They'll be fine," he said, sounding completely confident. "Trust me, this'll all be over before you know it. Besides, you have other things to concentrate on for the time being. Starting today, you're training begins."

Sasuke could feel some tiredness setting in. He'd been running for so many hours that he'd lost count. He wasn't even sure what country they were in anymore or what direction they were supposed to be going in. All he could think of was the need he had to rest; surely they would be done soon?

"You're not the only one" Neji said, as he appeared next to him. "Many of the men are tired now, it's been a challenging day. I understand that we need to reach the outpost quickly, but if we're too tired to move when we get there it's pointless."

Sasuke was inclined to agree, but he didn't like the idea of doubting his father. At the front, Sasuke could see his father and Itachi engrossed in conversation. It was a rare sight nowadays, he couldn't remember the last time they had spoke for more than a minute or so.

Suddenly, Fugaku stopped and raised his hand. The entire company ground to a halt. Fugaku made a slight nod to the trees either side of them and Sasuke immediately understood. The enemy was currently watching them, most likely waiting to ambush.

The division spread out and began walking towards the trees. Sasuke withdrew his katana and held it out in front of him. He activated his Sharingan so that he could get a clearer view and wouldn't be caught off guard by any attempted attacks. He peered in to the darkness but couldn't see signs of any chakra. Maybe his Dad and Itachi were just being paranoid?

"There!"

Suddenly, the path was filled with the sound of fighting. Enemy Shinobi appeared out of nowhere and relentlessly attacked. Sasuke cast his mind back to his academy days. He vaguely remembered Iruka Sensei mentioning something about not letting yourself get overwhelmed during an ambush by attacking nonsensically. He knew that he should simply stand his ground and wait for a direct attack on him.

It didn't take long for this to happen. A masked enemy approached him with a kunai in each hand and began to attack. Sasuke dodged the first attempt and countered with a swing of his blade. He was clearly too quick and Sasuke was able to swipe across the flack jacket of the enemy. With his opponent off balance and vulnerable, Sasuke prepared to strike. Then, he noticed something. A picture fell out of his enemies' pocket and on to the ground. It looked to be some kind of family portrait, showing a man and wife with two children. They looked so happy, not unlike his own family really. Sasuke hesitated at this. How could he deprive a woman of her husband or children of their father?

Unfortunately, the enemy seemed to make no consideration of this for Sasuke. He attacked without remorse, aiming for Sasuke's throat. Sasuke had no answer for this, he was completely paralysed. Just as the kunai approached his throat, a figure zoomed in from the side and collided with the enemy, knocking him to the ground. A sword was plunged straight in to his chest, he was clearly dead.

The sword belong to Itachi, who stood over him with his Sharingan activated. Sasuke instantly began to feel calmer as he saw his older brother standing over him. Just as he began to relax, another figure seemingly came out of nowhere and ran towards him. Itachi dealt with this as well, killing the man with a slash across his throat.

Sasuke remained rooted to the spot, shaking as he did so. The sounds of battle began to fade around him as Itachi looks towards him. His face was sympathetic, although his eyes were much more serious.

"Sasuke" he sighed, as he placed his arm on Sasuke's shoulder. "I don't like this anymore than you do but you must understand. We are at war, you cannot afford to offer the enemy any kind of sympathy that they would not offer you."

As if to hammer home the point, Itachi pointed towards the bodies on the ground. Sasuke noticed that several of them were wearing Konoha flack jackets. They were Shinobi that had said goodbye to their wives, children and family just hours before. They had made promises to return that would now not be kept. Sasuke understood what Itachi was saying, he understood it perfectly. They were at war and that's all they could afford to think of.

A/N: Shorter chapter today, as I said last time this wasn't supposed to be a chapter in the first place so that's why.

Next Chapter: Letters from War