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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5: Open War

"Tsunade-sama!" a woman wearing a dark kimono shouted as she barged into the Hokage's office.

"What is it Shizune?"

"A sudden war has broken out between Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud!"

"And? Wars break out all the time, this doesn't concern us."

"But Tsunade-sama, this is different. If it was simply a little skirmish, then there would be nothing to worry about. However, our informants around the area have been 100 percent in their assessments."

"Carry on," Tsunade said boringly.

"For the last two weeks, tensions have been rising between Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud. Even though there was nothing going on between the two on the surface, one could sense that something was brewing underground. One could smell it in the air, according to some of our informants. The conflict came to a clash when 41 people were massacred in a small enclave at the outskirts of one of the cities. They were spies, evidently, but Hidden Cloud refused to acknowledge that fact, and declared war on Hidden Mist immediately."

"Things like this happen all the time, Shizune." Tsunade turned back to her desk. "Wars from disagreements like this always happen. Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud have always brawled over land disputes."

"It gets even better. Apparently, Hidden Cloud and Hidden Rock have become allies, most likely to counter our alliance with Hidden Sand."

Tsunade suddenly turned around, ears perked up.

"According to some inside information at Kumo, it appears that the Raikage long had intentions of annexing Hidden Mist, both to strengthen their alliance against us and in case war breaks out between Cloud and Rock. It also appears Hidden Mist has realized this, and they have been prepared. Yesterday, Kiri launched a full-out attack on Kumo."

Tsunade was stunned. "Get Shikamaru here now! And these people too!" Tsunade added the last part almost like an afterthought, as she handed to Shizune the piece of paper she was poring over before Shizune entered.

The Hokage's office was suddenly crowded with the additional presence of 15 people. They were the Rookie Nine, plus Team Gai. Apparently, they were getting their first official jonin-level mission. Shizune addressed everybody about what she has learned, leaving everybody in silence when she was done.

"I will now explain the mission details," Tsunade continued. "This sudden war between Hidden Mist, Cloud, and Rock is normally beyond the scope of our affairs, but I want to know the answers to a few questions. First, why was the Mist prepared for such a war the whole time? Second, why is the Mist suddenly so bold, as to openly challenge the twin powers of Iwa and Kumo? Third, who is this new Mizukage instated 12 years ago? He never seems to be in Hidden Mist at all, and his movements are so carefully hidden that even night himself won't be able to discern. Fourth, what occurred at the scene of the massacre of 41 people, all of whom were spies? And finally, how was Kiri able to find out about those spies? From our informants, their actions were so normal that it was almost impossible to find them out. Any questions?"

"No, sir!" Everybody stated in unison.

"Then go immediately. I want you there by two days."

"Yes, sir!"

After everybody left, Shizune turned to Tsunade. "Are you sure they are up to the task?"

"Several of our teams have always been wandering around Kirigakure. Yet they have never known Kirigakure to be prepared in any way to a sudden attack. The latest news I got was that Hidden Mist seemed to go even more reclusive, relieving themselves from all activities with the mainland."

"They are our most promising future, but do you really think they can find out what even our Jonin teams cannot?"

"Have we a better option?" Tsunade sighed. "If only I had provided more finances to our spies in Hidden Mist. I grew complacent." Tsunade slammed her hand on her desk. "I was a fool to believe things never change!"

"What's past is past. We can do nothing about it. We can only salvage what we can, and avoid it again in the future."

"Sometimes, there is no second chance. Hidden Mist fell because of one mistake. There's no going back. Leave me be." When Shizune left, Tsunade pondered alone. Was it wise to give these kids such a tough mission? Sure, they're tough, but are they tough enough? And let's see how well Sasuke does.

--

The group traveled at top speed toward Kirigakure. According to Shikamaru, this is a mission where many parameters are unknown, and the specs for the mission are extremely muddy. In order to get the most information, Shikamaru suggested visiting the little enclave first. Shikamaru said that this was the easiest place to start, because they may actually have concrete evidence.

When they arrived at the enclave, Shikamaru told Kiba and Shino to scout the vicinity. With their great tracking abilities, they could practically pick up anything. Neji and Hinata, with their Byakugans, are to scour the inside of the enclave.

As for everybody else, they simply had to sort through the papers that littered the area. One thing was clear: whatever happened, there was a very large explosion that had rocked the entire building, sending all the papers to the floor. It took half an hour just to pick everything up.

Then, the tedious task of reading began. Naruto despised reading because it reminded him of homework, and the fact that all the documents seemed to deal with trite and bureaucratic affairs made it even worse.

"What the hell! This stuff sucks! Seriously, I want some more excitement, not stuff like this!"

"Be quiet Naruto," Shikamaru stated. "You don't want that wish to come true."

"But still" Naruto whined in an almost feline way, "I don't want to know how they plan on living like no-life peasants!"

"You be quiet and get back to work! Geez, how troublesome. I should have … Wait!" Shikamaru started. "You said that they were talking about their lives?"

"Yeah, talking about things like when to go to work, schedules of daily happenings, what to do when this happens, that happens, yadda yadda yadda…" Naruto said in a bored way.

"Give me that!" Shikamaru practically shouted. Naruto had picked up virtual treasure.

Perusing through the papers, Shikamaru discovered that the papers contained instructions on how the members were supposed to act. They were so detailed as to actually describe even how they were to answer to common inquiries. In fact, they even specified when to get up and brush their teeth.

Everything was perfect. The instructions were designed to bring as little attention to the spies as possible, but gave the members enough self-sufficiency to last for quite some time, without any funds. They could simply live for years on their jobs, in an endless perpetual cycle of repeating their activities.

"This is just what we need," Shikamaru stated. Everybody gathered around.

"From the information here, the 41 people were assigned menial tasks to do just to blend in with their environments. They were not good at what they do, but they weren't bad. On good days, they must hide any excess things, and restrict themselves, while on bad days, they are to use the excesses they stored and to work hard. In effect, they always stayed in a state of mediocrity, drawing absolutely no attention to them. Moreover, they are forbidden to have any friends, always staying away from social activities and abstaining from coffee breaks and the like. In time, even their employers would forget they even have such a person under their employ. And they could do this for years, even decades, until the time Kumo attacks."

"It's perfect," Naruto said. "But still, they were caught. I wonder how."

"Yes," Shikamaru stated, clearly distraught. "I had thought of two possibilities. One, a person had broken down under such a rigid manual, and Hidden Mist was able to track them all down. However, the problem with that fact is that these ninja had extensive preparation. From the way they prepared, we can identify these 41 people as no mere amateurs, but as infiltrators with many years worth of experience under their belt. They would not mind such a severe restriction, at least not in less than a month."

"Yes, and Neji-san and I have checked the surroundings. The enclave blends in perfectly, a feat only an expert can perform."

"Which brings me to the second option, of which I believe is highly plausible. Hidden Mist has an excellent anti-spying system, and these spies were busted the second they set foot on Mist soil. Kirigakure was able to track these men down, and when enough data was gathered…"

"They busted this place down," Sakura nodded in agreement. "But that also means that we…"

"Are being watched this very second," Shikamaru answered for her. "So we need to be careful, and watch our backs. Neji, Hinata, I want you two to alternate with the activation of the Byakugan, so that at any given time, we always have a 360 degree vision."

"Yes."

"No, that's just stupid," Naruto stated flatly. "For brains like yours, I'm surprised, Shikamaru."

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, IDIOT!" Sakura practically shouted.

"Look, if extremely experienced trackers were found on the first day they were here, then there is no chance that we haven't been found. Those people were tracked for weeks before they were finally killed, but at that time, Hidden Mist was preparing for war, right? But now that they are in it, they fight on too many fronts alone. They can't take on all four other hidden villages at the same time, because if we're killed, Konoha goes to war, and Konoha's ally Suna will too. Right?"

"That still doesn't account for the fact that we may simply die in a freak accident of which there is no explanation," Sasuke said. "And if our deaths are known, it doesn't appear good on Konoha's record if we were found deep in Mist territory, in the middle of a war."

"But so what! Konoha hasn't had a breakdown on intelligence since God knows when. Konoha wouldn't give a damn about saving face at this point, it will just look for any fake excuse to start a war."

"You both have a point," Shikamaru said. Boy, he sure hadn't had surprises like these before. Sure, he lost a couple games of Go and chess to Temari, but it has been a long time that somebody was able to point out something he hadn't seen before. Training under Legendary Sannin does have its advantages. "We won't need to be that cautious, but we cannot be that relaxed. Moreover, without the Byakugan activated, we'll have two stronger foes the enemy must deal with. Call Kiba and Shino back…."

"HEY GUYS!" It appeared as though the voice was projected through ten megaphones. "LOOK WHAT I FOUND!"

"So much for hiding," Naruto said, "Nobody will miss that loudmouth's voice."

--

Kiba had Akamaru prowl around the vicinity, while Kiba carefully observed the walls of the enclave. Akamaru was no longer the little puppy that could ride on Kiba's head, but rather a large canine who could carry Kiba on his back. However, Akamaru still had an agility that allowed him to fit in small cracks. Kiba had trained Akamaru well, and their teamwork is better than ever before.

Unfortunately, it appeared that Kiba's training wasn't perfect. He still couldn't get used to Akamaru's rapid growth spurt, and as a result, had sent Akamaru to a rather shaky place. Being so heavy now, Akamaru had fallen straight into a hole.

"Shino! Get over here and help me pull Akamaru up!"

Shino gave a great look of disturbance, but then called back hundreds of bugs, which entered the large poncho he was wearing. If you weren't acquainted with Shino, this large, eerie bug-user with a hooded raincoat and dark sunglasses would pass as the stereotypical drug-dealer.

The two of them tried very hard, and Akamaru used his hind legs to push himself up the loose soil. They were about done when Akamaru suddenly lost his balance and caused all three of them to fall into the ditch.

"Damn. This is so….."

"Kiba, look at this," Shino stated calmly, almost apathetically.

Akamaru had lost his balance because there was a tunnel on the side of the wall. It had been carefully concealed, and there was a faint trail of somebody crawling through the tunnel.

-----------------

"Nice work, Kiba, Shino, Akamaru," Shikamaru congratulated, but his voice was still a little high from seeing the three of them covered in quagmire. Evidently, there was water mixed with the soil, which refused to be removed without a fight.

"So what jutsu is this?" Sasuke asked.

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked.

"This tunnel is clearly made by the intruder who killed those 41 people. And since we found not a trace of mud in the enclave, this water jutsu was clearly made after the person left. Not only does it hide the tunnel nicely, and eventually cause it to cave in, but it also hides his smell."

"Wait a minute Sasuke, you're ahead of me." Wow, somebody actually ahead of me. "How do you know it was only one person, and how do you know he didn't wash himself off when he got out?"

"Because the killing jutsu left some marks on the walls, and it was all one exact same style and texture. It's true that a jutsu can be used by two people at the same time, but their forms are intermixed. It is impossible, and unnecessary, to control the jutsu just right so that a uniform style is developed. This must be the working of one person. Second, why would somebody dig a tunnel into a muddy ditch, rather than flat soil? To eliminate a group of extremely experienced ninjas would require absolute precision, and nobody can spare the time to wash himself."

Shikamaru was amazed. Naruto and Sasuke both had really grown and matured. He might actually start to like these guys. He also grew afraid. Shikamaru understand the textures and forms of performing jutsus, but to notice them quickly and alone requires profound skill and experience.

"Well, let's just follow the tunnel," Kiba exclaimed.

The tunnel was extremely small, but it was mostly because so much of it was caved in. Had they arrived a few days later, the tunnel would have been impassable, and observers would probably state that it was made by a mole or something.

It wasn't a particularly long tunnel, but it did take an entire minute to traverse all the way to the other side.

"So," Shikamaru took out the mission layout like a checklist. "We have answered the last two questions. It seems Mist has a very powerful ninja. But now, onto the first three. It would be best for us to gauge Kiri's strength, and the best way to do so is to see how well they do on the battlefield."

So began the long walk toward Mariana Island, the scene of many clashes between Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa. It wasn't really that the place was far; in fact, it was probably only 20 miles out from Cape Landers. They got there before the sun set.

If one were to look at the island, one would wonder just what is so special about this place that would cause it to be the site of so many skirmishes. In fact, only one battle had taken place that was outside the vicinity, a little skirmish that attempted to delay the Iwa troops from reaching the island. For no reason other than being the point of closest contact with all three Hidden Village, Mariana Island had become the focus of all three villages. And none of the villages want to get away, preferring to crush the enemy at a concentrated area rather than spread out their flanks scores of miles.

In the center of Mariana Island is a large plain, perhaps a hundred square kilometers. This plain is named the Plains of Golgotha. For some reason, it had yet to be touched, but when the 12 Konoha ninjas arrived, the threat of imminent destruction was almost tangible.

Everybody was now on the open lookout. They realized that this is a real battle zone, where clashes and fights are bound to happen. Lawlessness is also prevalent, as martial law is in place. Even local bandits can take advantage of the sudden breakout to pillage villages and homes.

Shikamaru had last heard of a little battle that occurred in the woods to the East of Golgotha. The battle took place a day earlier, according to sources that Shikamaru met. The entire group had been clueless the moment they set foot on Mariana; they knew of no place to begin. Therefore, they would follow even the slightest hints, no matter how unbelievable they are.

"Well, well, well, would you look at that," Kiba murmured.

In front of them lay the corpses of 12 Cloud ninjas, their bodies hacked to shreds. Shikamaru couldn't help but notice how clean their wounds were. Despite the apparent carnage, the attackers had done their job quickly and efficiently; there were no unnecessary cuts or bruises. In fact, the cuts seemed almost surgical, but with blades that were as sharp and hard as diamond.

"Neji, Hinata" Shikamaru said, "Come and take a look. Can you tell me the cause of death?"

Neji and Hinata both looked intently, with their Byakugans fully activated. After a couple of minutes, Neji shook his head.

"Whatever jutsu was utilized, it sure didn't disrupt any chakra networks."

"And the injuries seemed to be done by brute force, no elemental attacks whatsoever," Hinata added. "Sakura, can you check please?"

"Of course," Sakura replied. Sakura donned her surgery gloves. "I always bring them just in case." Sakura turned the corpse around and around, sometimes opening wounds and checking organs. Everybody else had somehow found themselves with their backs turned toward Sakura. "You're right, Hinata. The injuries are not jutsu-inflicted, but more of simply being hacked by kunai. And very sharp and precise kunai for that matter. Some of their bones were cut."

"Bones…" Naruto murmured. Sudden, he remembered! Back when they were chasing Sasuke!

Naruto remembered a man with long white hair, and two red dots on his forehead. He remembered as six of Naruto's shadow clones piled onto the man, but bones had emerged from the man's elbows, shoulders, and knees. "With my special bloodline," the man had said, "I can make my bones ten times harder than steel."

Naruto came out of his reverie. But he needed more information first. "Fuzzy eyebrows, did the man ever tell you about his story?"

"Which man?"

Naruto didn't want to bring up the Sasuke Rescue mission again. "The last member of the Sound ninja, Orochimaru's personal bodyguards."

Rock Lee remembered. "Yes. He had a very tragic life. At a young age, he was imprisoned, because his clan, even though they were warlike, feared his overwhelming ability in his bloodline limit. When he had yet to reach ten, his clan let him free, because they declared war on Kirigakure. Despite their powerful bloodline, it was hopeless to defeat the entire Hidden Village of the Mist. The boy himself managed to escape and found a true friend in Orochimaru, desiring nothing more than to do every last one of his master's wishes."

"Did he live?"

"No, but it was not because of our skill, but on luck. He had contracted a fatal disease, which had killed him, right when he had achieved complete victory over Gaara-sama and me."

"What clan was he a part of?"

"Umm… I can't really remember, we didn't know any names… Wait! Yes, that's it! The Kaguya clan."

"Shikamaru, I think that is an important note to remember. I mean, Rock Lee and I both fought that man, and his bloodline limit would be the only thing I know that can inflict such damage."

"Wait, let me check," Lee said. "Yes, the surgical precision and deep clean cuts fit perfectly with that bloodline ability."

"That can't be true," Sasuke said. He hadn't said a word since they had last met at the enclave. "You are referring to Kaguya Kimimaro right? Orochimaru's ablest and most loyal servant? The one with the ability to change and regenerate his bones?"

"Exactly."

"Kimimaro was the last of his clan. The rest of them were wiped out when they launched a suicide attack on Kirigakure. Orochimaru had intended for Kimimaro to be the one who would be his container, but because of a fatal disease he contracted, Kimimaro became useless. Unless you're saying he was reincarnated, you're making an impossible conjecture."

"There's always Edo Tensei," Sakura replied. "True, Orochimaru is dead, but that doesn't mean nobody else has found out the secret."

"OK, OK, enough already," Shikamaru said, half-annoyed. Well, he was annoyed all the time, so you couldn't really tell what he was thinking. "We'll just tell this to Hokage-sama, and maybe she will be able to do something." Which brings me to the question, why did she send us rather than ANBU? It must be because of Sasuke. She wants us to harmonize again. The rest of the village must really hate him, and she cannot want another Itachi on her hands.

Shikamaru was forced out of his stupor by a sudden crash in the treetops nearby. A ninja fell off, only to be picked up by comrades and rushed away.

"We've got company," Shikamaru said.

Indeed, at that precise moment, an avalanche of kunai rained upon them.

"Dispel!" Everybody shouted. Most of the kunai disappeared, except for 12, which were aiming directly at everybody's vital points.

A man materialized out of thin air, with his kunai inches from Sasuke's throat. However, it suddenly seemed to be blocked by an electric force field. Sasuke then pulled his Sword of Kusanagi out, and impaled the man. Sasuke then sent the current through the man's body, stopping his heart.

Naruto recognized the jutsu. He had witnessed Sasuke use Chidori Nagashi on Yamato when they first met. Sasuke used it again the second time on Naruto, and Naruto could still remember how his entire body seemed to go on fire. It was a sizzling feeling, but very painful.

Elsewhere, Shikamaru had all the Rock ninjas trapped in a Shadow Bind. Shikamaru's stamina had increased immensely. There was no way he could have done that extensive of a Shadow Bind three and a half years ago, but now, he seemed to be doing it as if he were watching clouds.

"Hold them still, Shikamaru!" Naruto shouted. Not to be outdone by Sasuke, Naruto used his latest move. He prepared Rasengan in both hands, one in each, and threw them toward the 20 ninjas. However, the Rasengan seemed to suddenly burst open, as the wind-imbued chakra contained within Rasengan exploded. At the last second, Shikamaru released the ninjas. The chakra easily penetrated the Rock ninjas, and turned their bodies into pieces of slimy meat.

Everybody seemed to be shocked at the apparent cruelty of Naruto's jutsu. Well, everybody except Sasuke, who had experienced Naruto's wind-style Rasengan when they last met. True, Sasuke had Chidori Nagashi protecting himself, but he still felt the stinging pain as the chakra had attempted to tear him to shreds.

"Hey, it was painless for them. Anyways, where did those Mist ninjas go?"

"They went that direction," Neji replied, who had his Byakugan activated. "And they're going very fast. Follow me."

They streaked through the woods at what appeared to be breakneck speed. Those ninjas appeared to be very fast and experienced. They were obviously jonin, or at least jonin-level.

"Wait, they've stopped," Neji stated.

As the group stopped nearly instantaneously, Akamaru suddenly started to growl and paw the ground impatiently. He had his nose pointed toward a nearby stump.

"What is it?" Hinata asked.

"He's smelled something malevolent, but also strangely familiar, right beyond that stump."

Hinata used her Byakugan. "There's a dead body right there, but what could it be to give Akamaru such pain?"

"Only one way to find out," Kiba replied.

Kiba and Akamaru moved cautiously toward the stump, as though afraid the dead body would suddenly spring up. When they saw the body, however, their expressions turned from surprised, to disgusted, to angry, and last, to a little afraid. The rest of the group came as well, and what lay before their eyes disgusted them to the core.

The carcass barely resembled a human. His body wasn't just mutilated – it appeared to have been eaten, from the inside. They could see the organs spilling out onto the ground, and his muscles seem to have been torn from brute force. This man had died a grisly and excruciating death.

"Sakon and Ukon," Sasuke stated.

"Those two brothers?" Kiba asked. "Yeah."

"Kirigakure must have been horrible," Sasuke continued, "For Orochimaru to have found so many followers from that village."

Kiba looked at everybody else's blank faces. "This is the bloodline limit of the two Sound ninjas I had to fight three and a half years ago. They are able to merge with the cells of others, and then tear their opponent to shreds from the inside out. The only way to stop that technique is to seriously wound yourself, and the both of you will feel deep pain, or in extreme cases, die together. I tried to do that back then."

"I had heard of this clan before," Sakura stated. "It was in one of the history books we had to read at the Academy. The Mitsuko clan was one of the oldest in Kirigakure, an indispensable part of the village. It is much like the Hyuga Clan of Konoha. This was also the first clan that was exterminated in the Mass Purge of Kirigakure."

"So," Shikamaru said. He was clearly distraught, and deep in thought. "All of a sudden, we have two clans that are supposedly exterminated, and all of a sudden, they are back in the game. Anyways, let's not forget the mission at hand."

Apparently, the ninjas had stopped to treat their fallen companion. They had gathered together with their friends, who seemed to be the medical ninjas.

"They are very good medical ninjas," Sakura replied, "Their movements are so precise it's almost beautiful. They could even be Kabuto's teachers. It's a pity we cannot share this knowledge and expertise."

"We should report back to Tsunade immediately," Shikamaru hissed. "We had thought Orochimaru's bodyguards were one-of-a-kind, but suddenly, Kirigakure seems to make them common."

Silently, the group made its way back. Their muscles seemed to have become megaphones, and were very surprised that the Mist ninja didn't hear them and kill them by eating them inside out. Finally, they arrived at a safe spot, far from the battle zone.

Shikamaru explained that they knew enough now, and it is probably all they can get short of actively participating in the war. He stated that they needed to tell everything to Tsunade first, and leave the rest to her. "Politics is a very troublesome business," Shikamaru stated matter-of-factly.

However, no sooner had they gotten off of Mariana Island and back on Water Country soil that they were met with Kakashi, Tenzo, Gai, Kurenai, and Jiraiya.

"So, my young warriors," Gai exclaimed joyfully, "Tell us of your gallant adventures and any hard-earned information you got."

"We have a two-way radio, directly connected to the Hokage," Kakashi stated. "All the jonins and high-level chunins are listening in as well."

The radio was turned on, a light static filled the air, and Shikamaru was now probably talking to all the ninjas in Konoha right now.

"I must say that the findings are very surprising," Shikamaru stated. "What we know is that the 41 people massacred were excellent infiltrators, with many years of experience. They were to follow a strict regimented lifestyle, a lifestyle that could be maintained for years. So Hidden Cloud long had intentions of annexing Hidden Mist, being prepared for a long-term operation of data-gathering and fighting that could last several years."

On the other side, Tsunade realized the implications. Kumogakure had intentions to conquer the world, starting with the small Water Country. Their next target would have been the Alliance of Leaf and Sand, and last, their own ally – Earth Country.

"Moreover, they were killed by one extremely powerful ninja, perhaps the Mizukage. We have also found that there are two clans that were presumed to be destroyed, but seem to have been resurrected. They are the Mitsuko Clan and the Kaguya Clan. The Mitsuko Clan is the clan that can merge and separate the cells of the body they occupy, and the Kaguya Clan is able to manipulate their bones and make it 10 times harder than steel."

Tsunade was shocked. The extermination of the Kaguya and the Mitsuko Clans was well documented. There was a way to restart bloodline limits?

"All right, you have a new mission," Tsunade stated. "You are to observe a major battle that will occur at Golgotha in a week. Hidden Rock and Cloud have dispensed with all secrecy, since they know that they have no chance at beating the Mist in that genre. They have resorted to using superior numbers to deal a lethal blow. All available jonin will be assigned to help you."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Endnotes:

Please read and review