Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor am I doing this for monetary gain. All rights goes to their respective owner(s).
ITALICS - Thinking
BOLD – demon speak/jutsu
Arc Three: Home is Where the Heart Lies
Chapter Ten
"Down with Yagura!"
"You killed my wife you bastard, I demand justice!"
"You bring shame to those who founded this great village!"
"Vile cretin, may you rot in the Shinigami's stomach!"
All of this and more was the sounds of those protesting at the bottom of the Kage Tower in Kiri. Between this bloodthirsty mob and the entrance to the tower was a line of Yagura's loyalists who were ready to attack at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, The ANBU stationed around the incident made Yagura smile as he thought they were still loyal to his cause.
The blind fool.
Said Kage was now looking down at the mob which made him sneer in disgust. Everything he did was for the betterment of the village, and the civilians had the gall to protest against him? Luckily for Yagura, he had an appointment with Kabuto so he could deal with this. A week had passed since the first minor protests began, and ever since then they have become more frequent. The civilians even posted propaganda signs around town which listed each of the vile acts Yagura has done since his reign.
Elimination of any bloodline holders.
Wiping prominent, historical clans off the face of the Elemental Nations.
Raising of taxes on those without bloodlines which left them in a poverty like state. And the list went on and on.
Yagura couldn't stand to look at the mob anymore and promptly turned around and sat in his chair with a huff.
"Can Kabuto be any SLOWER!?"
Meanwhile, the secretary outside was doing the paperwork for today as she waited for Kabuto to arrive. Earlier, she got a message from one of Shizuka's summons and quickly realized a way in which the gas could be acquired. The blonde haired, middle-aged woman did not have to wait long as the target had arrived.
"Ah, Kabuto-san, here for the appointment with Yagura I see." She greeted warmly and with a smile.
The grey-haired shinobi nodded with a predatory smirk, "Hai, and if it's not too much to ask, are you free later on?"
The secretary gasped, and acted like she was flustered by the request. "A date Kabuto-san? Why, I'd be happy to accompany you. Does six o clock tonight sound alright?"
"Depending on what Yagura asks of me, perhaps…may I enter?"
She shook her head with a frown, "Sorry, Yagura wants any and all weapons left with me."
Kabuto narrowed his eyes looking for any sign of deceit on the secretary, but ended up finding none. With a shrug, he took off any pouches he had and emptied his pockets. With the current situation inside the village, it was no wonder why Yagura was overcautious.
After a check by an ANBU, Kabuto was allowed access into the office and, once the door clicked closed, the ANBU set a genjutsu over the secretary to make it look like she was filling out paperwork. In actuality, she would be searching for anything of importance.
"Kunai, shuriken, explosive notes…c'mon, where's the good stuff!" The secretary thought to herself with slight nervousness.
Two minutes later, her eyes widened at the oversight Kabuto made. There, on a small storage scroll, was the kanji for death. Knowing what would be in that scroll, she quickly grabbed it and handed it to the ANBU beside her. Once stowed away, that same person handed the secretary a dummy scroll which replaced the original. They knew Kabuto would find out sooner or later, and it would only be a matter of time before she found herself killed. Luckily, this Iron Country rebel was trained in assassination and had just the plan to avoid this.
The genjutsu was dismissed and a nearby snake took the scroll to Orochimaru with a note attached to hurry. It was now up to the civilians to enact phase two of the plan, a phase in which innocents would become martyrs for the liberation.
With Mei's Rebels
While the protests were continuing inside, Naruto, his crew, and the rebels have been busy preparing for the final assault. Thanks to morale being boosted slightly a week ago thanks to that nighttime raid, the rebels were eager to train. The result of this request? Zabuza, Haku, Orochimaru, Shizuka, and Naruto taking time out of their day to work them into the ground.
Naruto taught battle tactics and provided mock scenarios to improve their strategizing; shogi was also played occasionally. Orochimaru and Zabuza taught the art of assassination and interrogation, but the Sennin focused more on the art of poisons. Lastly, Haku and Shizuka taught those who were interested in the medical field. Mei and Ao were busy planning out their final assault as well as going over information gathered by Shizuka and Orochimaru's summons. Of course, all decisions were relayed with Naruto and the others.
Speaking of Naruto, his two-tailed companion Yuki has grown much in terms of skill. It was but a month ago when Naruto got the surprise of his life when the fox started to spit out massive ice bullets. Two weeks after that, Yuki managed to harden her skin like thick ice on a frozen lake. From there, her skills continued to blossom and now she was currently training with her master; both were learning how to use the fire element.
"Ready Yuki?" Naruto asked with a smile.
"-Eady!" Was the enthusiastic reply.
"3…2…1, FIRE!"
Naruto took a deep breath and channeled his inner anger, then punched forward which made a medium size fireball fly outward across the sea. At the same time, Yuki took a deep breath and burped out a swath of flames high into the air. However, after the flames died down, the fox's eyes widened and started to hop around Naruto in a panic.
"-Outh burns, hot, hot!"
Naruto chuckled, grabbed the canteen on his belt and made Yuki sit and open her mouth. The cool liquid soothed the arctic fox's throat which made her happy; her wagging tails were testament to that. Naruto soon capped the canteen and clipped it to his belt once again. With a smile he rubbed behind Yuki's ears.
"Better Yuki?"
"Better!" The fox suddenly sniffed the air then ran towards whoever was incoming. "-Uka!"
Shizuka chuckled and bent down to greet her. Just as Yuki got there, she rolled over and expected the one thing she loved the most.
Belly rubs.
Shizuka didn't disappoint, and after about a minute she halted her show of affection and rose to kiss Naruto on the lips. Their relationship only grew thanks to Kurama's words, something which Naruto took to heart. It was that same night that he broke down and confessed his pains to Shizuka. It was a hard night for both, but it only helped solidify the love they felt for each other. A massive weight was lifted off Naruto's chest.
"How goes the training, my love." Shizuka said with a smile.
Naruto smiled back as he replied. "Slow and painful, but I have made some breakthroughs."
"Like what?"
"I found that I can expel fire Ki from my feet…and mouth, though I don't recommend attempting that again anytime soon. Yuki can vouch for that."
"Hot, hot…-outh burn!" Yuki said in her usual high pitched voice as she started to swat at a nearby butterfly.
Shizuka couldn't help but chuckle at the image in her head. However, her thoughts were broken as she remembered why she was here in the first place. Seeing her fair maiden's now stern facial expression, he tensed wondering if something went wrong inside.
"I almost forgot why I was here, but Orochimaru would like to see you as soon as possible. A present arrived for him recently...one which might surprise you."
Naruto nodded and kissed his loved on the cheek before he left. Once out of earshot, Shizuka looked at Yuki with a crazed smile as she pulled a kunai from her hip pouch.
"Oh Yuki, guess what time it is?"
The fox whimpered and quickly ran the other way; tails between her legs. With a laugh, Shizuka cocked back her arm, and threw the shinobi weapon.
"I must thank Anko for this…who knew reflex training could be this much fun!"
"-Uka evil, Yuki run!"
Rebel Camp
As Naruto walked through camp, he was greeted with the smiling faces of the rebel forces and the occasional respectful bow. After the nighttime raid, the survivors quickly realized that if it wasn't for Naruto and his crew that they would all be six feet under, and Yagura's reign would have held strong. Add in his lessons in strategy and his tales of the war in Iron Country, they all began to look up to Naruto like some sort of savior.
"Commander Harumasa cheated death twice, he must be some sort of God."
"How can he be so calm staring death in the face?"
These were but some of the whispers that soon went around camp, ones that Naruto couldn't help but smile when he heard them. His trip down memory lane was soon halted as he arrived at Orochimaru's tent. Naruto didn't even have to speak as the Sennin knew he was outside the door.
"Come in, Naruto-san, I believe we just found the ultimate key to winning this war."
Naruto sighed and entered the tent ready to reply, but he choked on those words once he laid eyes on what the Snake Sennin was working with.
"No…those can't be what I think they are, right?" He thought and hesitantly reached for one, only to have his hand swatted away.
"Ku ku ku." Orochimaru started. "Wouldn't want you to accidently gas this camp now…no, that outcome would be quite troublesome."
"How?" Naruto said, still speechless on the spectacle before him.
"The rebels from Iron Country are quite good at what they do, ku ku ku, that and Kabuto was also a bit overconfident of himself."
The Sennin grabbed his notes and handed them to Naruto as he started to work again.
"The mixture is quite simple, yet genius at the same time. While in the vile, the compound is inert, but once exposed to oxygen, it turns to gas instantaneously."
Naruto tried to decipher the notes, but all he got out of it was one thing. "According to your notes, the liquid is almost nonlethal, yet the gas is deadly…how exactly are you going to create an immunity?"
Orochimaru smiled, "That is for me to worry about, but I should have one completed by tomorrow, ku ku ku. Also, I sent Kabuto a taste of his own medicine…call it a favor for the Iron Country rebel who became Yagura's secretary."
Naruto nodded with a smile and handed the notes back. "Is there anything else you need or may I be dismissed?"
The Sennin simply waved his hand towards the exit which prompted Naruto to leave. Once outside, he decided to pay a visit to those who arrived two days after the nighttime raid.
Kiba, Choji, Hinata, and Neji.
All four were currently training nearby, sometimes even sparring with the rebels on the island. For now, there was not much they could do but thanks to the last conflict they had, they knew it could change at a moment's notice. As Hinata and Neji traded blows using their clan's taijutsu style, Kiba and Choji were playing a game of shogi. It was something they grew to love after hanging out with Shikamaru so much, that and they found it to be a great way to help plan for large scale battles. These activities, however, were halted as Naruto arrived on the scene.
"Hello everyone, glad to see you're doing well this fine day."
Each nodded and replied with a bow, but it was Kiba who spoke up first. Although nervous about what he was about to request, Kiba really wanted to show that he and Choji were Chuunin material.
"Um, Naruto-san, if it's not too much to ask, may Choji and I lead an infiltration mission…we want to help supply the civilians with the needs to protect themselves."
As Akamaru barked in agreement, Naruto started to run scenarios through his head.
"Hmm, if they fail, then Yagura would be onto us in a heartbeat. Then again, if they succeed, then we may be able to push the final attack ahead of schedule." A slight pause was made before he asked Kurama. "Thoughts my furry friend?"
Said fox opened one of its eyes before he yawned. Kurama was slightly annoyed that he was awoken from his slumber.
"Damn brat, you call at the most inopportune times..." Naruto mentally rolled his eyes which made Kurama chuckle a bit. "…but in response, explosives make a great distraction."
Naruto shook his head in mirth at the response, he was a beast of untold devastation after all. Breaking from his thoughts, he cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention.
"Kiba, Choji, due to the seriousness and extreme danger of this mission, I cannot have Neji and Hinata come with you due to their Byakugan. However, I will let you pick a team of three rebels that have trained in assassination, stealth, and interrogation. You two will lead, and before you leave I expect a full report on your plan of action. Is that clear?"
The battle-hardened expression on Naruto's face matched his tone, one which made Kiba and Choji stand at attention.
"Hai, Commander Harumasa!" They both shouted.
Naruto held out his hand, his stern expression still present. "Headbands, the last we need is for you to be captured and linked to Konoha."
Kiba and Choji shakily reached up and took off their headbands. After one look at their reflection in the polished metal, they laid them in Naruto's hand. It was here said person's gaze softened, and a reassuring hand was laid upon their shoulders.
"Choji, Kiba, I understand your hesitation as I was once in the same shoes. Like I, you must harden you hearts and believe in the skills you have learned thus far. Like I, your path is at a crossroads; the correct path hinged on the outcome of what you are about to undertake. Go now, gather your team and make us all proud."
The two stiffly nodded and ran off to do as told. As soon as they were out of eyesight, Naruto smirked and got in his usual defensive taijutsu stance.
"Let's see how far you've come, shall we? Come, let us see if you can push this immovable mountain."
Byakugan's now active, the cousins gave a nod to each other and smiled as they worked in tandem to take Naruto down.
With Tobi
"After a week of conditioning, my pet is finally ready for his first task." Tobi, or Obito Uchiha thought as he walked down the torch lit corridor, prison cells lining each wall.
"Oh how he gallantly tried to put up a fight, but alas, my Uchiha might was too great for his simple mind."
In one of the cells, Utakata heard footsteps coming his way. With an emotionless, drone like gaze, he walked up to the bars to meet his master. Tobi couldn't help but grin underneath his mask as he stopped in front of Utakata.
"Hello my pet, are you ready to undertake your first mission for me?"
"Yes master, my will is your command." The controlled jinchuriki replied in a flat, boring tone.
Tobi added chakra to the lock seal on the cell, then opened the door and stood back to let Utakata step out.
"Go to Kumo, my pet, and take what is rightfully ours…oh, and do create a little chaos while you're at it."
Utakata bowed low, his tone the same as before. "As you wish, master."
Tobi chuckled to himself as he used Kamui to teleport himself and the jinchuriki to the outskirts of Kumo. As the masked man watched Utakata start his task, he evilly chuckled and thought back to Naruto.
"Two can play at this game, Demonic Warrior, but only one will come out on top."
With that, he used Kamui again to head back to the Akatsuki base to inform Deidara and Sasori of their mission into Suna. Tobi hoped he would have three pawns at his disposal by the end of the day.
With Nagato
Said Uzumaki sighed and rubbed his temples at the news the man in front of him just gave.
"What you just said, Jiraiya, are you absolutely sure it is genuine?"
"My spy network is almost fool proof, and do you honestly doubt your cousin's words?"
Nagato leaned back in his chair and turned to the window to stare at his reflection.
"With these eyes, I feel like Kami, almost am Kami, but these eyes are a curse. If not for learning about my cousin, I would have likely fallen down a dark path; the lust for power almost too great to handle." The Godaime sighed then turned back to look his Sensei in the eyes with a smile. "You needn't worry about me Sensei, I understand your concern, but you fail to realize that these same eyes helped subdue the Juubi."
"But Nagato…" Jiraiya was about to protest, but Nagato raised his hand which made him stop.
"There is much you don't know about these eyes, Jiraiya. Facts that I will never divulge as the secret these eyes hold is too great." The Godaime sighed. "I appreciate your report, Sensei, but I must plan accordingly when Obito does make his move; dismissed."
The Toad Sage took one worried glance before he shunshined back home.
"Your move, Obito, your move."
Rebel Camp, Kiri – Afternoon
Inside the village, the protests had settled thanks to the ANBU arriving and making it look like they dispersed the crowd. In reality, they slipped a note into each of their pockets telling them when they would protest next and to start stocking up on shinobi equipment for the final push. Speaking of shinobi equipment, two genin were currently fidgeting nervously as they were being stared at fiercely by four individuals; Mei, Ao, Naruto, and Zabuza. They had gathered their team and wrote out a battle plan, now all that was left was approval.
"So," Mei started as she looked at the plan in front of her. "You wish to infiltrate Kiri with your handpicked team to supply the civilians with the needed equipment to stage a violent protest inside. Also, you wish to plant explosive tags in key points around Kiri to act as a distraction once the time comes for the final assault…am I correct?"
Kiba gulped, "H-Hai, Mei-sama."
Choji nodded and continued for his partner. "Hai, Yagura's office, the front gate, and the hospital is where we will plant the explosive tags."
Ao, who was sitting next to Mei, looked over the plans for a brief moment then handed them off to the person next to him.
Zabuza.
A couple minutes passed as he took the time to dissect the genin's plans. One thing that they omitted was point of entry.
"And pray tell how you are entering Kiri? Omitting something of this importance can be grounds for us to dismiss this operation all together." Zabuza harshly stated.
Kiba took a breath to calm himself, "Hai, we omitted that because Choji and our team was unsure about where the best place was to enter…all seemed to have failure written all over them. So, we thought you would know."
Naruto decided to take over, his voice was a little better than Zabuza's. "I must commend you both on already discussing this with your team, but next time do your research before creating a battle plan…your enemy already knows their environment, do you?"
The two genin shook their head and couldn't help but look at the sandy ground. They knew that they mission wouldn't get the green light. Or so they thought.
To their surprise, a scroll was thrown at their feet which made them look up into Mei's smiling face.
"You have plenty of time to study the map of Kiri before your mission, oh and I recommend using the underwater caverns for entrance. They connect to an old forgotten part of the village and should exit near the civilians you're trying to supply."
"Thank you Mei-sama." Kiba and Choji said with a bow.
"You're welcome, dismissed."
"There is one thing I should mention." Naruto interrupted as the two genin started to leave with the scroll. "Our troops inside will be notified of your plan via summons so do watch whom you kill."
Ao decided to speak up, "Three taps on the chest will be the universal sign for friendlies; all will be notified."
Kiba and Choji bowed and dismissed themselves from the tent. Once gone, Mei looked over to Naruto with an evil glare.
"I should melt you for bringing this to my attention last minute, I do hope these genin are up to the task at hand."
Naruto smiled, "Ye of little faith, Mei-san, ye of little faith."
Mei huffed and quickly exited the tent, Zabuza and Ao leaving shortly afterward. Once everyone was gone, Naruto pulled the scroll Kisame gave him out of his kimono. Once unraveled, he started to read; the contents of which made his eyes widen in shock.
"It can't be, that should be impossible?!" He shouted then took a glance at Honjo, then back at the letter in his hands.
Kumo
Utakata slowly advanced towards the guards at the entrance to Kumo, and continued to walk even though they told him to stop. As the guards advanced, they took their last breaths in this plane of existence. They fell to the ground in a crumpled mess thanks to their necks being broken. Utakata didn't get five feet into the village without being surrounded by a variety of shinobi.
"Halt, you shall go no further! Surrender yourself or face execution." One of the ANBU said.
"Yugito mine, begone from my sight." Utakata droned out then dodged a sword strike aiming for his head.
"He wants the jinchuriki, quick, inform A-sama and…"
The person who spoke had their words cut off by a shadow overcoming them followed by a large oppressive feeling. There Saiken stood, fully formed and his head up into the air collecting blue and black balls of chakra. The shinobi around the beast paled at what that attack was, they knew they had no such defense against that.
With a roar, Saiken launched his Bijuudama straight into the heart of Kumo. Instead of a blast, however, the massive attack was suddenly deflected high into the air where it detonated. It was almost like another sun was being formed. As everyone's eyesight returned, they sighed in relief as they saw Matatabi glare at Utakata. The next thing that happened was a blur as the two-tails punched Saiken in the face which sent the bijuu careening out of the village.
A battle between two bijuu had commenced, one that would last well into the night and be felt for miles around.
Kiri – Nighttime
Five figures, dressed in all black garb with facemasks covering everything but their eyes, and a hood to cover their hair, stood on one of the uninhabited islands near one of the underwater caverns. They just did last checks and were waiting for Kiba and Choji to lead them in.
"Everyone ready?" Kiba whispered only to get nods in return. "Good, remember, radio silence from now on and also our password in case we get separated."
Choji looked down at Akamaru who would be staying on the island as a sort of guard dog. They would have loved to take him, but the risk of him attracting attention was too great. He rubbed Akamaru behind the ears with a smile.
"We'll be OK, don't worry."
Kiba's companion whimpered, but barked in acceptance of leaving his owner behind.
Without a word, one of Mei's rebels used a water jutsu to create an air bubble around their heads. Afterwards, they dove into the cool water and descended towards the cavern. Although the visibility was low, they could make out what hand signals were made. About two minutes into the mission, the cavern came into view which Choji pointed at. With an OK signal, they made their way into the cavern and followed it straight into the village.
Once back on the surface, the group found themselves in what looked to be a dilapidated prison. A prison in which some bones of the accused still lay in their cell. Although a disturbing site, all five concentrated on the mission at hand. One the air bubble was dismissed, each activated a seal on their suits which made them dry instantly. It was another of Shiuzka's genius creations.
"Remember, three taps on the chest." Choji reminded them then led the team out of the forgotten prison.
Eventually, they came to a spot where they had to make a difficult decision. Either traverse the sewer system, a place they had no knowledge on, or continue up to the village. Heeding Naruto's advice, the choice was simple. They continued until they found themselves outside an abandoned warehouse.
Climbing to the roof using chakra to get a vantage point, Kiba pointed towards the Kage tower then one of Mei's rebels who had the most experience in stealth. She nodded started to hop the rooftops in a silent manner. The hospital was next on the list which Choji and another rebel got. It was now down to Kiba and the last rebel. They knew that the front gate was on their way to the secret area the civilians were planning their protests.
"Ready?" Kiba said as he readied himself to jump.
The rebel nodded, his tone just as quiet. "I should say the same to you. You haven't made your first kill yet."
The Inuzuka sighed, "I know, I've been avoiding it as long as I could…perhaps the today is the day to see if I am cut out for this lifestyle." A slight pause, then a smirk came to his face. "Enough chat, let's go."
The rebel nodded and followed Kiba to their destination.
Meanwhile, in a different part of the village, Kabuto and his date was sitting across from one another at a restaurant. It wasn't lavish, but enough to make a good first impression. Orders placed, the two started up conversation over a bottle of sake. At first it was the usual getting to know one another, but soon it took a turn for the worse.
"As much as I have enjoyed myself tonight…where did you take my weapon?" Kabuto grit his teeth in the end.
The Iron Country rebel played her role well as she reached into a hidden pocket to pull out what looked like a small spray canister.
"You dare accuse me of such a crime? The nerve." She replied in shock, but gasped as Kabuto suddenly grabbed her by the chin.
As she was pulled in close, she could practically taste the bastard's bad breath.
"Don't play dumb with me women! Where is my weapon!?" He slapped the secretary across the face which produced gasps from nearby patrons. "ANSWER ME!"
Acting the part, the rebel fake cried as she grabbed the sake bottle and smashed it over Kabuto's head. Seeing him dazed, she took the canister from under the table and sprayed it into Kabuto's eyes. The man screamed in agony as he collapsed to the floor and scratched at his melting eyeballs.
"There's your damn weapon, enjoy hell you bastard!" The Iron Country rebel yelled then kicked Kabuto in the balls for good measure.
With that, she exited the restaurant and made her way to the Kage Tower as she had some last minute things to collect.
It didn't take long to get to the hospital, but once they did they scanned the area for potential enemies were they spotted two on the roof, and six guarding below. Three of the six managed to see Choji and the rebel briefly thanks to the moonlight, but thankfully they tapped their chest three times. The two replied the same way which made the guards discreetly nod. The three allies then helped distract the other guards by arguing that they saw something in the shadows. Using this, Choji and the rebel ran up the wall of the hospital ready to take the two guards out.
Kunai at the ready, the two nodded to each other and tackled the guards, slitting their throats not even a second later. Although Choji felt disturbed by what he did, and how much he wanted to throw up, he put his full focus on the mission.
"You OK?" The rebel asked and laid a comforting hand on his allies shoulder.
"Yah…could be better, but the mission is more important."
The rebel nodded with a smile. "Spoken like a true leader…let's go."
"Right" Choji replied then made his way to the air vent entrance and used a kunai to pry the cover off.
Once both were inside, they replaced the cover and made their way through the hospital vents; explosive tags planted along the way.
Kiba was breathing heavily and doing the best he could to keep his dinner down. Ten Yagura loyalists lay dead at his feet, and a bloody kunai was in his hand. Somehow the loyalists found out they were here and ambushed them, and as a result his companion was seriously wounded. Said rebel was currently sitting against the nearby alley wall, his coughing breaking Kiba from his stupor.
"I'm sorry, this is my fault. I should have checked my surroundings better and…" Kiba started but was halted by the rebel's pained chuckle.
"No Kiba, this is not your fault, but both of ours." The man coughed up a heap of blood which stained his black mouth guard. "I commend you for killing 15 out of the 20 and putting your life on the line for me…it's what any good leader would do."
"I can abandon the mission, get you to Shizuka or Hinata or…"
The rebel quickly covered Kiba's mouth to shut him up. "Complete the mission, use this experience to better yourself, and never forgot the sacrifice I gave here today." Another cough full of blood. "N-Now go, more are on the way."
The Inuzuka was conflicted, as much as he wanted to stay and help fight off incoming forces, he also wanted to see Kiri be liberated. With tears in his eyes, he gave a kunai to the rebel and helped close his fist around it.
"I will never forget what you did this day, thank you." Kiba whispered and ran off to finish the mission.
The rebel grinned and started placing explosive tags over his body. Once done, he henged into a civilian so that no ties were made to Mei and the others but to the increasing tensions between Yagura and the village populace. With a hiss of pain, the rebel stood and ran into the oncoming loyalists with a war cry. It was the last thing the enemy heard before everything in a one block radius was destroyed by a massive explosion.
Kiba, who just arrived at the civilian's hideout, heard the explosion go off and couldn't help but let out a small grin of happiness. He knew what the rebel had done. Happiness now gone, he checked his surroundings and made the secret knock on the door in front of him. A small peep hole opened up where two eyes took a glance at Kiba then closed the hole back up. Soon, the door opened where Kiba was ushered inside by an elderly women.
"Come in, we have been expecting you, but from that explosion early I take it we haven't much time for chat." She said then sighed. "And to think that I prepared tea and cookies for you, oh well more for me."
The Inuzuka gave out a light chuckle as he was escorted to the speakeasy below and into the boss's office. It was one of the Iron Country rebels.
"Ah, Kiba, Naruto-san said we would be expecting you. Do you have the goods?"
The Inuzuka nodded and activated two seals on his clothing to produce two massive storage scrolls.
"These scrolls hold ten times as much as the regular storage scroll, inside are supplies given to us by Konoha, Iron Country, and Kumo. Explosives, kunai, shuriken, senbon, katana, tanto, wakizashi, clothing, armor, and the list goes on."
The boss couldn't be happier. "Couldn't have come at a better time as we are planning to strike the academy in three days. Any news on when you will commence the final strike?"
Kiba nodded and added chakra to the last seal on his clothing. A manila envelope was produced which he gave to the leader. Said person looked it over and nodded in acceptance.
"Good, everything seems in order then. Before you go, condolences to the one you lost today."
Kiba frowned, "Hai, a great soldier he was. Thank you."
"Anytime."
As Kiba made his way out and to the front gate, two people were about to meet in Yagura's office.
Just as the rebel Kiba sent got done with placing explosive tags in discreet areas around Yagura's office, the door suddenly opened which made her jump to the ceiling to avoid whomever that would be. The rebel sighed in relief however as she watched the secretary push a secret button on the desk which opened up a fake wall. Knowing that she was safe, she dropped down and greeted the secretary with three taps on the chest.
The Iron Country rebel smiled, "Good to see you, perhaps you could help me take what we can for our advantage."
The one who just dropped from the ceiling didn't say a word, she simply followed the secretary into the records vault and started to pull things off the shelf and place them in a pile. Once done, she unsealed a storage scroll from her suit and used the scroll on the pile. In a puff of smoke, they were stored on the scroll. After three minutes of searching, the two had enough and closed up the vault room before making their way out of the tower.
"Follow me, my team has an exit already planned out." Mei's rebel quietly said. "However, it might get a little wet."
The Iron Country rebel giggled, "Please, I lived in a snowy environment almost my entire life. If I could survive that, then a little water doesn't scare me."
"Noted."
Another ten minutes had passed, and everyone found themselves in the old prison they were in at the start of the mission. One thing that the others noticed was Kiba's glossed over eyes and a missing member. It didn't take long to connect the dots. Not knowing what to say, Choji gave his friend a reassuring hug with the others soon joining in. It was here that Kiba broke down and let his emotions out. It would be another five minutes until they left the cavern, and another 15 to get back to the main rebel camp. Choji and Kiba would give their reports in the morning, but for now they had to reflect back on this mission; both pros and cons. By time they fell asleep, both had a better understanding of what the shinobi lifestyle was.
With Utakata
The jinchuriki looked down at the defeated form of Yugito without a hint of emotion. She was currently unconscious due to overuse of Matatabi's chakra, that and the multiple injuries she sustained. Utakata, however, had many injuries of his own. Second to third degree burns littered his body, multiple broken bones, and slash marks from claws; some which ran deep, some not. He also suspected he had internal bleeding, but Saiken was currently taking care of that. Before using the seal on his body to call his master, Utakata glanced back towards Kumo as he remembered Tobi's words.
"Chaos you shall have, master, this world will be ours for the taking."
AN:
