Total Destruction

Author's notes:

I do not own Naruto nor any part of it.

Refer to the glossary on Chapter 1 if you can't understand some of the words.

Yay! Chapter 2!

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Chapter 2: Journey to the Mist

A week after the fight with the Kyubi, Jyashin's sensei returned. When Jyashin told him about his little fight with the fox, his sensei became extremely nervous and his face turned pale. Then, he started rambling about biju and jinchuriki, none of which made sense to Jyashin. Jyashin did glean a little information though: the fox was called Kyubi because it had nine tails, and there are eight other demons, having 1 to 8 tails.

Jyashin asked his sensei if there were ways to capture even a demon, which the man replied that there was none other than seals, but they would be too powerful, even for elite ninjas way above him. Jyashin didn't like seals, since it reminded himself of being restrained in Konoha, so he resolved that he will make the best jutsu ever, completely original, and being so powerful that even demons could be captured. Since he seemed to use less chakra than most people, that dream could come easier.

The next day, Jyashin was about to begin his little experimentation, when his sensei burst in, looking extremely worried.

"We're leaving. NOW! Don't even pack. Let's go!"

Jyashin hurriedly followed. "Why are we going?"

"I've been found. I'll explain on the way."

Jyashin was puzzled, maybe the fox was back? Jyashin did get a little fazed by the sudden appearance of miniature monsters, but upon closer examination, noticed that they were men, with some extremely large kunai (which he realized were swords), and wearing masks that resembled animals. He didn't realize why his sensei was so flustered: their techniques were easy, they were slow, and because of their bulk, appeared clumsy.

"What…"

"These are ANBU" his sensei said. "Elite shinobi that hunt down others; and their target is me. They're extremely fast, strong, and powerful. It takes a lot to be an ANBU, and with a dozen on our tail, we have to move fast."

"They don't seem that strong to me." Jyashin stopped and turned around.

"What are you doing?"

Jyashin was gone in a mighty gust of wind. His speed was impressive, the mist ninja noted, which only Renge could match. In fact, the third gate would have to be opened.

Three ANBU members were taken aback by the sudden attack. They could not believe that such a strong taijutsu existed. They grouped together, ready to attack, when Jyashin started running circles around them. Before they knew it, Jyashin had struck, and killed the ANBU members easily.

"There's more."

"I know," Jyashin replied.

"Don't fight. It's paramount that we get to Kirigakure. Let's go!"

Jyashin agreed silently. He had no idea how many others were after him. And he realized that the second group was no pushover. They were much stronger, and one particular man was giving off a much more powerful aura than the others, much more that Jyashin could hope to stand.

Jyashin and his sensei traveled fast, both going at peak speed, but both realized that before long, the ANBU will be upon them. And soon enough, the ANBU caught up, staying right behind them, when one spoke.

"You're a ninja from Kirigakure, sent on a mission to retrieve the secrets of Konohagakure. And you're quite powerful too, to escape from three ANBU squads in your flight across Konoha. Give up now, for three miles from here is a large canyon, falling off into an abyss. There is no way you can get across, not with the current state you're in. You had to fight off three ANBU squads, flee all the way here, and use an extreme taijutsu to kill three of our members."

"Faster!"

"It is pointless. Sandaime is with us right now, so you can stop any prospects of a last stand. Seeing as how you have your boy with you, we'll give you a chance to surrender. Come peacefully, and no harm will come to you or your boy."

"As if you're not going to force me to divulge the secrets of my country! I will never…"

The man trailed off. In front, he saw two lines of ANBU, armed to the teeth. They are guarding a man in a white robe, and a white and red hat with the Fire kanji on it. The Sandaime. There was no escape. He could clearly see a large chasm behind; there was no way he could cross it in his current state.

The man looked at Jyashin. This boy is worth far more than he did. If it weren't for Sandaime, the two of them may actually have a chance of killing their pursuers. As it stands now, they will either both be killed, or they will surrender to Konoha. The treacherous prospect disgusted him.

He remembered some fond memories. He remembered taking care of Jyashin, feeding the boy every mouthful as a baby. He remembered forcing Jyashin to use the potty instead of using diapers. He remembered making Jyashin train hard, so hard that maybe he was too tough on the boy, as Jyashin was sweating from head to toe. He remembered forcing Jyashin to wash his own clothes, cook his own food, etc., all under the guise of "ninja training."

He also remembered kinder memories. He helped Jyashin recognize words. He helped Jyashin read the scroll in the Nakano shrine, carefully studying it together. He taught Jyashin how to tie his shoes, wear his clothes, and tuck himself into bed each night. And of course, He remembered helping Jyashin mold chakra into his eyes and circulate it back to his heart, resulting in that fateful night when Jyashin regained his eyesight.

This boy is the fate of Kirigakure. He is the future. He is the greatest asset of Hidden Mist, who can finally propel the Mist above the Leaf. Let Hidden Mist emerge from the shadows, no more hiding in the island recluse, and function like a proper Shinobi village. Jyashin… he may become the savior of Hidden Mist. Jyashin… a life worth far more than his.

His mind set, the man looked at Jyashin, looked at him closely, one final time. For the glory of Kirigakure, for the welfare of his country, what little is one life compared to that?

"Jyashin, here."

The man grabbed Jyashin with one hand. Tucking Jyashin under his armpit, the man prepared his ultimate sacrifice. He rushed toward Sandaime. The ANBU started to close in, but he did not care. He was looking intently at Sandaime, giving the image of an assassination attempt, but his goal was as far from that as the chasm in front.

Sandaime gave a wane smile. He realized that the man had no chance. Whipping his Hokage outfit away, he revealed his shinobi uniform underneath. He had let Orochimaru escape, but there was no way he was letting this spy escape.

Suddenly, the man concentrated his chakra to his feet, and lunged up and forward, hurling into the chasm.

"NO!" Sandaime yelled. "The boy deserves more…"

"Goodbye, Jyashin. You were the best," the man whispered.

Just when it appeared that the man could go no further, he concentrated all his remaining chakra to his arms, and flung Jyashin across to the other side. He used so much chakra that he was left in a critical state, but it doesn't matter, as he is about to die anyways.

"NO! SENSEI!" Jyashin couldn't stop it. He would rather die together with his sensei, but the man flung Jyashin to the opposite side with all the force he could muster.

"Go toward the rising sun to Kirigakure! You are our hope!" And with that, the man took a kunai to the heart. He would be long dead when he finally hit the bottom.

Jyashin could not restrain himself. He wanted to jump back into the chasm with his sensei, but he realized that would be throwing his sensei's ultimate sacrifice away, like it was worth nothing. Determined, Jyashin resolved that he will travel towards the rising sun, and there to Kirigakure.

--

Jyashin's feet were dirty and rugged from all the walking, his flesh pale from hunger and thirst. His tears had long dried up, but he was soaked from sweat. He was shivering, both due to the lack of shelter and to his constant nightmares of the chasm. Most of the time, Jyashin found himself jumping back into the pit of darkness, then getting impaled by the jagged spears at the bottom. He imagined himself looking like the squirrels he tortured in his training routines, and unimaginable pain would pierce all over his body, waking him up in a fit of terror before he realized the pain came from sleeping on the ground.

Finally, Jyashin arrived at a city. According to some travel posts, the city was the greatest place for gambling. Not knowing what it was, Jyashin thought it might give some clue to where Kirigakure is. Jyashin vowed that he will fulfill his sensei's dream of letting Kirigakure prosper (he gathered that much from his sensei's obsession with the village) and avenge his sensei's death and his own misery.

As no more shinobi were pursuing, Jyashin took the liberty of experimenting with new jutsus on his road to the East. Jyashin knew that he no longer had a sensei to look after him, and no white-haired kid to protect him from a stronger foe.

Jyashin discovered what his second bloodline ability was, and was very surprised at its own autonomy. He could not cancel the ability until a victory for either side was ensured; and he found the power surge frightening. The captivating power of the second bloodline explained its ability to grant Jyashin with unparalleled chakra conservation and control, but if Jyashin were ever to use the bloodline, he would be engaged in a life and death struggle that cannot be stopped.

At the city, it was very different from what Jyashin was used to. There was constant bustling and noise; there were so many people, and so many places for him to visit. Nobody paid any attention to him, and not wanting to attract any attention, Jyashin kept his eyes open, despite the chakra drain.

A man dressed very strangely invited him into a house to help him. Jyashin was a bit suspicious, since he never knew the man, but was a bit relieved when he saw the words "gambling parlor" written at the top of the building.

Inside, he saw a bunch of men, seated in a fashion as though they were part of a conference. One man was holding two cubes, put them in a cup, shook it in a very flashy style, and put it down. He asked the man to his right to "place a bet, Han or Chou". The man said Han, and everybody put some round coins unto the table. Some said "Han", while others said "Chou". Finally, when it was done, the cup was lifted, and showed the two cubes. Some people moaned, some cheered, and others grunted. Some people also gave coins, which others took with a malicious look on their faces.

It was then that the man who had held the cubes noticed Jyashin. Jyashin also noticed from the corner of his eye that the man who brought him in gave a slight smile and a slight crack of his knuckle.

"What d'ya want chump?"

"I need to go to a place called … Kirigakure."

Everybody laughed, the man with the cubes most of all.

"Tell you what. This is a gambling place, so I can't give out information for free. Look, I'll shake these cubes, and if the dots on both of them add up to an odd number, it's a Han, if it is an even number, it is a Chou. If you guess correctly, I'll tell you how to go."

"That's it?"

"Well, if you guess incorrectly, we'll need something of fair value in return. Say…" the man took a look at Jyashin's broken pockets, "10,000 ryou."

Jyashin didn't quite know what money was, and said that he didn't have 10,000 … whatever it was.

"Then we'll have to collect payment in another fashion," the man replied with a slight cackle.

Jyashin didn't get everything completely, but he got the gist of it.

"Look, I don't have 10,000 ryou, but if it is worth something really much, then I have something worth even more." Everybody in the room seemed to sit up a little, extremely curious, as Jyashin rummaged a little pack he carried. Jyashin took a kunai from the pack and laid it on the table.

"Life is worth far more than anything you can imagine."

"Take this little brat down!"

The men lunged forward from all sides, collapsing on top of Jyashin, only Jyashin wasn't there. A log had taken the space where Jyashin just was. In lightning speed, Jyashin took out a thin, but strong, string from his pack and tied the men into a bundle, where they could barely move.

The man with the cubes was shocked. Dropping the cubes, he turned and ran to the exit, only to find Jyashin there. His eyes connected with Jyashin's, when he found himself seemingly falling down a large chasm.

The sky was orange-red, with gray clouds seeming to focus in and out of existence. A large, red moon was hanging in the sky, and the man found himself tied to a post. The boy suddenly appeared.

"In this world, I control space and time. I could keep you here for 72 hours, torturing you to my whim, but I need you alive to tell me how to get to Kirigakure."

The boy began to beat the man, hard. Once, twice, three times. By the fourth, the man was grunting in agony. By the eighth, the man was wincing. By the fifteenth, the man was screaming.

"71 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds left."

"That was all for one second?" The man was shocked. He had dealt with shinobi before, but never had he met one so strong. The fact that the boy looked like he was 6 made it even worse.

When Jyashin decided that the man had enough, he stopped, and told him that only 5 seconds had passed. Jyashin then released him from the Tsukuyomi.

The man was panting. He felt like he was on the verge of a mental collapse; the boy was good in determining how much damage he should do. Not wanting to meet further retribution, the man decided to tell everything to the boy, who then proceeded to untie the man's companions. They seemed to want to keep attacking, but the man told them to stop, and let the boy go, even giving 2,000 ryou to prevent further hassles.

"2,000 ryou will get you a long way," the man said, then collapsed onto the floor, dead.

Jyashin arrived at the sea, which was just a vast expanse of blue water. He found an abandoned boat, and decided that he must travel now. Putting all his provisions on the boat, he started to row out to sea. He found it quite annoying; the waves kept sweeping him back to shore, and with no other choice, he used Susanoo to get out to sea. Not wanting to drift back, he kept rowing, until he could no longer see land.

Now that he was no longer near the shore, Jyashin did not need to row, and pretty much drifted along the waves. He tried to keep his bearing the same, but could not and resigned himself to simply drifting. This was a bad mistake, as he no longer knew which direction he was facing. True, he does have a general direction based on the sun, but he could become miles off when he finally lands.

What was even worse was when a heavy storm began to brew. Using a quick calculation, Jyashin knew that he had no chance of escaping. He had to tie himself, as well as all his provisions, to the side of the boat, and hope that he will survive.

Jyashin did not know how he managed to get where he was. He only remembered seeing his boat smothered by the waves on the first impact, and a board hit his head, which made him unconscious. He is now on a large ship, and it is midday. The skies are clear and blue, and a gentle breeze is blowing on a gigantic canvas attached to a large pole on the ship.

"You're awake. It's dangerous to go out on the ocean all alone, you know." Jyashin looked up to see a corpulent, bearded man. "Even experienced sailors such as us have difficulties navigating the sea, and nobody dares to challenge the waves alone on a tiny boat."

"How did I get here?"

"Well, there was a little storm last night. It wasn't bad, so it was nothing for us. But you were on a piece of junk that appeared abandoned. One lesson in life: never trust something left by others. Even a little storm like that splintered your boat. We found you in the morning, drifting on a piece of log. You're really lucky that you were facing upwards, since you were tied to the board."

"Thanks a lot."

"Your welcome. Anyways, where are you heading?"

"I'm going to Kirigakure."

"Well I'll be. That's where we are heading. You see, we are from Sea Country, and each year, we give some payment to Kirigakure so they keep sending ninjas to protect us."

"Why don't you protect yourselves?"

"We are a small country, and have no hidden village of our own. Besides, our country is deeply immersed in commerce and trade. I myself am a merchant – someone who ships goods from one place to another – so that people can use things they can't make. Anyways, you're a nice kid, and pretty brave, so I'll just drop you off at port. It's not a great place, the port, but I have to leave you as I have no room for you in my fleet."

"Thanks."

The port was large. There were ships everywhere, some a little bigger than the boat Jyashin used, while others were large as mansions. Jyashin thanked the merchant, and walked past the sailors unloading crates full of goods.

"What now?" Jyashin asked himself. He finally understood the passage "out of the frying pan, into the fire."

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Endnotes:

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