Kusagakure Chapter

2nd Scroll: Battle on the Bridge 2!

"Azai-sama! Can we trust him? He's a rogue!"

"Kaoru, please. Let's just see what he does, I've got my eye on him."

I could hear them as if they were speaking into my ears directly, a genin and chuunin mistake again. But I didn't hold it against them, they were rookies. Together the three of us were stealth jumping from tree to tree through the Land of Fire. This was highly dangerous especially considering they were in search of me and trying to track me down. But I made sure we traveled a safe route, letting these two Kusa Nin know that I'm just a wanted and missing nin, would make my newfound trust with them break.

We were currently heading to the Land of Waves, a small island outside of the land of fire that was abridged afew months ago by an old man named Tazuna. I heard from Kakashi it was all thanks to that young trouble maker Naruto.

My small platoon stopped just outside of the bridge, across the top was the name: "The Great Naruto Bridge".

"Heh..." I shrugged.

"What are we doing here?" Azai wasn't as stupid as he looked.

The young genin girl with the cat ears didn't seem too brave now, she hid behind Azai whom was trembling alittle himself.

I adjusted my hat and pulled the ninja mask up to cover the bottom half of my face. "Every few days a supply caravan comes from Konoha to the Land of Waves."

"So we're going to raid the supply caravan?" Azai asked with haste.

I nodded. "Yes but here's the thing. The supplies are always guarded by a jonin and his or her three man genin squadron."

"But the Kusa have an agreement with Konoha, we cannot fight them." Kaoru the young genin knew as much. When even the lowest rank of soldiers share the same intel as the higher ups, it means the military strength is weak. It was sad.

"You won't fight them, I want you two to get somewhere safe...and take these." I drew from my backpack two scrolls. "Do any of you know the sealing jutsu?"

Azai shook his head no at the same time as Kaoru.

I sighed then opened one of the scrolls. "It's blank." Azai said stating the obvious. I laid the scroll out then began afew handseals after my handseal preparations were done I placed my palm on the piece of paper causing the Kuchiyose kanji to appear on the paper's seal. With that I rolled the scroll back up and handed it to Azai. "Now I want you to go back to the place where we first met...unroll it and lay it on the ground."

"I get it, you're going to summon everything from that seal...to this seal." Azai finally got it then took the scroll. "Kaoru, let's go."

"Right." Kaoru said looking up at him. She looked down at me as I was standing to my feet. "Uhrrmm...g-good luck."

I waved and the two of them shadow stepped out, phasing off like two blurs and leaving me alone. I stood on the mist covered murky Naruto Bridge. I had to prepare, I pulled from my bag, two more summoning scrolls. With that I set my back down behind a beam near the opening sign then quickly dashed to the center of the bridge, with that I dove off the side then stuck to one of the beams before hitting the water. Using Chakra on my hands and feet I stuck to the undercarriage of the bridge like a spider.

I waited there concentrating and sensing the area for any approaching ninja or carriages while concealing my own presence. Stealth. The enemy approached, I could feel the wheels of the caravan rattling along as if they were running on my very own body. Along with the caravan there were foot steps, three light ones...must be the genin. And one heavy one, the jonin.

I waited for asecond.

The caravan was at the very center of the bridge, the moment it reached that point.

Squeak, my eyes flashed open and I quickly flew out from under the bridge grabbing the side and flipping upside down to see a young chubby ninja noming down a bag of potato chips. Must be from the Akimichi. By the time the genin spotted me I'd already squeezed the back of his neck making him pass out. "Gahh!" He shrieked.

"Cho..." Before the young shinobi from the Nara clan could come to his aid I'd already appeared infront of him using a choke hold, putting him asleep as well before he could use his shadow possession. Before I could reach the last genin there was a brick wall infront of me, a tall ninja with two trench knives.

He thrust his right fist at me with his chakra enhanced trench blade and I quickly ducked it using my left hand to knock his arm up at the wrist then I moved in to elbow him back but he shoved his knee into my side and sent me flipping backwards. I hit the floor of the bridge and went sliding away on one foot.

"Kyaaa! Choji! Shikamaru!" The remaining genin was in a panic.

"Ino-chan, watch over Shikamaru and Choji." Sarutobi Asuma stood before me, with both trench blades drawn I could tell he was fighting seriously. I stood to my feet, he must have recognized me as a jonin level opponent.

"Hai!" The young Ino gained her resolve and started towards the two.

"Raizou." Asuma started.

I smirked. "How'd you know it was me?" I pulled down my face mask.

"Tch...because you always imitated Kakashi's look. Raizou, what are you doing? Aya and Baian haven't slept or rested...they're out trying to find you and bring you back before you do something stupid...something like attack two genin from the same village as you." Asuma narrowed his eyes.

"I've told you...Asuma-san. I've told you and everyone else, I can't stand taking orders from others. I don't wish harm to Konoha, I simply wish to lead my own village." I said pulling my mask back up and straightening the bill to my ball cap with the new ninja seal on it.

"What do you want with this supply caravan?" Asuma asked.

I phased out and appeared behind Asuma with my katana drawn, I slashed it upward with lightning attribute chakra covering it. Asuma also used the wind attribute to protect his Trench Blades from being sliced through and we he turned and collided blades with me. I slashed and hacked at him at high speeds that he matched with speeds of his own. "Raizou." Asuma started but it only left him open, I shoved my foot into Asuma's stomach sending him flying back.

"Asuma-sensei!" Ino screamed.

Asuma flipped backwards in mid air catching himself then landing on his feet. "Attacking us means that you have turned on the village, you are no longer a shinobi of the leaf, do you understand Raizou?"

"I understand. If I fail then I'll be killed by my homeland, if I succeed then I will become a Kage. It's fitting." I replied pointing my katana which was covered in jumping, pulsating blue lightning. "Now come."

"Gladly, you traitor." Asuma slammed his fists together. "Katon: Haisekisho! (Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning)"

Asuma with the fire seal release, spewed forth a smog of black ash which began surrounding me. I knew this technique well, the Haisekisho was a fog of gunpowder which can be ignited resulting in a hazardous explosion of fire. I clapped my hands together thinking fast then pressed my palm down on the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu(Summoning Jutsu)"

BOOOM!

The flames were ignited but I remained unharmed, I could feel the heat through the beast I summoned but the flames were only as deep as the surface. When the flames passed, the large black cobra that I summoned uncoiled from around me. It was a black snake with crimson red eyes, Hokuto was his name and he was my first summon. Because of it's super hard scales I use him mostly for defense, the snake hissed then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Heh..." Asuma didn't seem to impressed that I survived the attack.

"Hmmm I'd love to go back and forth jutsu trading, but I unfortunately I cannot play with you all day." I said performing afew handseals. "Mizu Bushin no Jutsu" With that water clones of myself appeared also wielding lightning elemental katana. About a dozen of them were facing off with Asuma as I quickly dashed for the caravan and threw the summoning jutsu scroll underneath the caravan. With that I began performing handseals.

"Kuchiyoshe no Jutsu!" I did it again and this time the entire caravan disappeared into the scroll being teleported to the other scroll.

"RAIZOU!" I heard a new voice scream.

It was Aya and Baian, they were helping Asuma cut down my water clones. I clapped my hands and used the Kuchiyose on myself summoning me to the next scroll in a snap. I appeared standing in the open grassland fields along with Azai and Kaoru, the caravan of supplies was there. I quickly scrambled to my feet and lifted the scroll then began slicing it up with my blade so there would be no pursuers coming in the same method.

With that, the job was done. I resheathed my katana on my back then turned to face Azai and Kaoru, instead of seeing those two. Standing infront of me was a huge squad of Kusa Ninja, they all surrounded me there had to be about fifty of them. Each of them with grass like sun hats on their heads with Grass Ninja headbands over their foreheads.

"Who are you?" One of them asked pointing a kunai at me.

"No stop." Azai screamed cutting through the crowd.

"He helped us!" Kaoru said sitting on Azai's shoulders.

"He got us supplies, as per the agreement between us. I will take him to the Kusakage." Azai said nodding to me.

I nodded as well.

Azai led me through the pack of ninjas as they began pulling the caravan behind us. We walked through the grasslands eventually meeting a small village but it was surrounded by a wall much like Konoha's. Kusagakure didn't seem too different from Konoha. Only the buildings weren't as tall and they didn't possess a mountain with the faces of the Kage over the face of it.

Azai led me through a village square of playing children, training genin and the elderly who laughed and played games of chess with one another. I was led into this open chamber office which looked a lot like Konoha's Hokage chamber, only this one looked alittle more traditional.

Sitting down on a futon looking out of the window that overlooked the entire village was a woman with long black hair in a hime cut, she wore the white and brown Kage's gown with the hat strapped to her back. "Kusakage-sama." Azai dropped his head out of respect. I raised an eyebrow, she seemed young. Almost my age, young.

"I know Azai-kun, I know of you as well Takeda Raizou-san." She said standing up from the Futon then turning to face us both. "You may not remember me but I remember you."

T.T-Me "Hmmm."

"It was during our chuunin exams, we met then. I am Momonosuke Mikura" She smiled alittle. "I had a crush on your teammate Baian."

I shrugged off the aggravation. "Who doesn't have a crush on that guy."

"Well what does a Konoha Jonin, want with us? Are you here under orders from your Hokage?" The Kusakage asked.

I narrowed my eyes hearing the name 'Hokage' then shook my head pointing to the plate on my hat. "I am no longer apart of Konoha. I'm here on my own business...I need your help with something."