Chapter 02: Invasion
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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, which is the property of Kishimoto. Any songs that I may use in a chapter will be declared at the end of that chapter.
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It had nearly been two years since Danzo had taken the position of Hokage and Orochimaru had run from the village. Over the years he had slowly turned the village into a heavily militarized city, with severe restrictions on the civilian council. But that didn't stop them from plotting. They had finally found a way to get rid of the demon brat for good when several murdered civilians were discovered after the Kyuubi festival.
The Jinchuuriki claimed that they attacked him, and was forced to fight back. Without Sarutobi to protect him from the village's wrath, they would finally run him from their glorious home once and for all. Little did they know that several eyes were on the village, specifically the young blond haired boy declared the child of destiny.
All of these eyes were different summons who were asked to keep an eye out for the boy, along with any other young children that suffered due to the village. Now that the elders had decided to banish the boy they could act. Several ANBU noticed small summons such as dogs and birds dispel across the village.
Within a hidden cave in the heart of the elemental countries, a meeting of titans was taking place.
"Who will be the one to claim the boy as their own?" a giant snake hissed, taking in the news that the messengers had delivered.
"The Snake Contract has two strong summoners, even if one hates the other due to Danzo's lies, my own clan is already allied with a human clan that has the Kumokimera Kekkei Genkai," A spider clicked out from behind its mandibles, "It is best if Manda and myself do not participate in the attack, so Otogakure will remain blameless in."
"Sadly Dokujoo is correct in her statement. Only one boss should lead the attack, and the only two unaligned clans are the Hawks, and them," A large male wolf snorted, pointing his snout towards several large felines patrolling the caves that they called home.
"If you do not want the boy, Master of the Hawks, then I will lead the attack." A low rumbling voice came from the shadows as two bright yellow eyes opened to stare at its compatriots.
"We hawks have found someone more suited for our contract, the Uzumaki is yours. But here is my question, where will we take those we acquire in this raid?" The large hawk replied, his eyes gleaming
"To Otogakure of course, my summoner Orochimaru would never turn someone shunned by that village away when they have nowhere to go to begin with." Manda hissed laying his suggestion out on the table, "Besides, sooner or later every clan in this alliance will be allied with Oto, so we can be sure to keep an eye on the Child of Destiny as one instead of many."
"Then let it be known that we will raid the Hidden Leaf tonight. We will remind these humans that why we form contracts to benefit everyone, we do not truly have need for these methods. Prepare the troops for battle." The shadowed figure said as he walked out into the middle of the room, towering over all of the others.
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"Men and women of Konohagakure! We have called you all here to witness the punishment of the Jinchuuriki!" Homura stood proudly over the gathered mass of Konoha. He bore a grin that hadn't been seen on his twisted visage for many long years. It didn't take a Shinobi to deduce why, either.
On a raised platform right at the base of the Hokage Tower was the bane of the village's existence. Naruto Uzumaki was positioned on display and in chains for the entire village to see. The young boy was staring back as defiantly as he could, but the amount of hatred focused on him was almost too much to bear, and he bit his lip to stop himself from crying.
"This monstrosity has been accused of the murder of several civilians nearly two weeks ago during the Kyuubi Festival. He has escaped answering for his crimes because of the late Third Hokage's intercessions. But no more! The brat has cost so many lives and hasn't answered for it, but today he will. While the sentence would be, and rightfully should be, death, killing him runs the risk of awakening the demon. Instead, we the council have decided that he is to be banished from our glorious village." Koharu motioned for a nearby ninja to set the boy loose. A burly man in an Anbu masked complied and Naruto rubbed the angry red marks on his wrists where the manacles had been digging in.
"From this day onward, know that you are no longer welcome here. If you are seen on Konoha lands, or even in Hi no Kuni, you will be identified as the enemy, and treated as such. We have decided your fate, and you have been judged... EXILE!"
Naruto began to panic as the villagers and Shinobi began to converge on him and the platform. In his head he could hear the beating of the drums and a memory from a life not his own stirred. The need to flee became a physical force pressing him into action, and he dashed between the villagers as well as he could. They were all yelling at him, and Naruto was reminded of all the insults he had been forced to bear. While none of the individuals in the mob spoke the words directly, their combined seemed to merge to create a single voice.
Deception
Disgrace
Evil as plain as the scars on his face
Naruto ran as the villagers opened up a path, trying to trip him or throwing things. The majority of the projectiles missed, either from halfhearted aim or his own movements, but something connected solidly with his back and it splattered. Wet remnants slid down his jumpsuit, soaking it through to his spine.
Deception
(An outrage!)
Some of the younger adult male villagers began to chase the young boy to get him out of the village, spurring him onto greater speeds. As he ran through the main streets it seemed like everyone had turned out to watch him flee in terror. He wasn't as surprised as he should have been.
Disgrace
(For shame!)
In growing desperation, Naruto began taking alleyways and back streets to evade his pursuers. By now only the most tenacious were still giving chase, and they must have been those with a personal vendetta against him. No longer were they bound by the Third's laws, and now that the 'demon brat' was an exile, they could strike out at him without fear of retribution. What a great day to be ex-Shinobi.
He asked for trouble the moment he came
A kunai lodged itself into the wall before him causing him to suddenly dart down another alley. Being in a closed corridor with people behind him throwing lethal weapons at him didn't seem like such a good idea any more. Well, at least he knew why everyone held so much malicious intent towards him now. Koharu and Homura had been kind enough to inform of his condemning secret.
Deception
(An outrage!)
To think that the village he had called home for so many years hated him so much. Especially over something he had no control. No say in.
Disgrace
(For shame!)
As he ran through the thinning residential district heading towards the main gate, he didn't notice an elderly woman shaking her head sadly from her balcony. The boy would never know that she was an old friend of his mother's. He would never know that she had tried to leave small packages of healthy food for him whenever she could spare it. He would never know that she was one of the few so happy about his birth, only for a horrible act of fate to destroy his life before it even had a chance to begin. The woman closed her window and closed the curtains, unable to bear watching the scene play out to its finale. She would be gone from Konoha before the week was out, and no one would be the wiser.
He asked for trouble the moment he came
The towering gates came into view, the only sign of salvation he could find. He reached deep into his core to withdraw all the strength he never knew he had to press on even faster trying to outrun his pursuers. Even this far into the outskirts, there were people watching his exile. Standing on the sides of the street, leaning out of windows and off of balconies, they were everywhere. Still their voices came together to create an eerie harmony of unspoken intent.
Born in grief
Raised in hate
Helpless to defy his fate
Let him run
Let him live
But do not forget
What we cannot forgive!
Tears coursed down his cheeks in rivers, blinding him. Tripping, he caught sight of his reflection in a large puddle. As he looked it morphed into a reflection of the Kyuubi, causing him to bolt to his feet and run faster. He would sob if he could, but he was unable to spare any breath for it, so he remained silent. In his panic and the chaos, neither he nor those giving chase noticed the thin mist that started to appear.
And he is not one of us
He has never been one of us
He is not part of us
Not our kind
He ran through the gates, where the mist was thickest. It felt like running through a curtain, and it soaked him to the bone. Still, he felt a sense of comfort. Not just in his body, but in his chest. Blinded by the strange fog and unable to distinguish his surroundings, he ran straight into a massive, warm, and furry mass.
Someone once lied to us
Now we're not so blind
For we knew he would do what he's done
And we know that he'll never be one of us
He is not one of us
Most of those following stopped in surprise to stare at the bizarre phenomenon. Konoha didn't have fogs like this! Not when the weather had been as dry as it was. The single Hyuuga in the crowd activated his blood-limit and stared, bewildered at the unfamiliar chakra signature in the rolling wall of condensation. Behind them, a large crowd gathered and caught up to them. Apparently they had been following for some time now, and taken a shortcut as opposed to back alleys. In an attempt to bolster their standing amongst their friends, two men gave chase into the fog with the intent on bringing the brat back into sight.
The crowd watched on, muttering inaudibly amongst themselves. There was silence from the fog, and confusion spread as faint stirring could be seen in the milky folds. Suddenly, without preamble the two men screamed as a viscous roar came from the depths of the mist.
The wet sounds of flesh being torn and blood spattering on the ground put everyone on edge. In a gruesome display of raw power, the shredded corpses of the men were tossed lazily toward the crowd, and a few screamed in horror. What could have done such a thing?
Deception
The mist started rolling forward once more as it continued its approach. The crowd backed away and even more screamed as several large shapes could be seen coming towards them. It was impossible to tell what they were, but the silhouettes spoke volumes of muscular bodies on all fours.
Disgrace
Both Shinobi and villagers alike hastily retreated when animals of monstrous sizes began appearing out of the mists. Lions, snakes, wolves, spiders, hawks, and several other animals, many times larger than they should be, began stalking closer to them. Two majestic lionesses were leading the group, framing the form of a hulking male. When he roared, the villagers could sense an echo of their own hateful words, and their resolve and moral broke.
Deception
Disgrace
You exile him, though he saved you from fate
The giant creatures stalked closer as the villagers began to run. Many were terrified that they were being invaded by some foreign power. Others didn't know what to think, and still more were simply too afraid to think at all. They all shared one thing though. They all gave up their thoughts in their mindless scramble to escape.
Deception
The shinobi in the mob did what they could to drive them off, but there were far too many to kill or even hold back. For every beast that dispersed into a plume of dark smoke, two more eagerly took their place. None of them attacked though, opting instead to defend themselves with lethal precision. The best the Konoha-nin could hope for was to fall back and try to keep the monsters away from the civilians.
Disgrace
Several wolves began herding the Inuzuka clan members and dogs away from the other summons, separating them from their pack. Every attempt that the canine part of the clan made to speak with their feral brethren was met with barely restrained hostility. The enemy pack was simply too enraged, or unwilling, to talk. Still, they were able to pick up the faint traces of the words, lingering in the air. They wouldn't recall them later, but they understood better than anyone what was happening.
You hate him for the scars on his face
A massive hawk summon with a wing span easily the length of a power pole swooped down and snatched a purple haired orphan girl from the streets as she tried to flee. Her screams echoed along the crowd, but no one moved to save her. After all, what was some orphan girl when their own families and selves were in danger?
Deception
The Aburame clan quickly found itself surrounded by the spider summons, and every clan member with a hive of Kikaichu tensed at the presence of their natural enemies. The arachnids didn't attack them, though they never lowered their aggressive stance either. Instead, they moved closer and closer, forcing the humans to back up. The most perceptive of the group noticed they were being herded towards the Inuzuka, though they were helpless to do anything about it.
Disgrace
From the fringe of the crowd came a scream of terror, as another of their number was taken from them for whatever reasons. A red and black snake that was as thick as a merchant cart had snapped up an outcast boy and vanished without a trace. No one bothered to spare a thought as to what would become of him.
You asked for trouble and forward we came
Gradually but relentlessly, the other species continued to herd both the Shinobi clans and the clanless civilians alike in the direction of the Hokage tower. The men and women held their breath as they were forced to whatever goals the animals had in mind.
Born in grief
Raised in hate
He will soon find his fate
Let him run
Let him live
But you'll come to fear him,
Remember his name!
Before long the entire village had been herded to the base of the tower. Danzo was atop of the tower with several contingents of ROOT, trying to figure out what was going on. He had only just been alerted to the actions of the 'council', and he was furious. The Jinchuuriki was the single biggest asset in the entire village, bar none. He was even a large part of the reasoning behind Sarutobi's death. And those two fools decided to kick him out simply because of a few grudges and their hopes for a better approval rating among the sheep-like masses? He made a mental note to have them dealt with in the near future. If they thought they were going to have the same liberties as they did when Sarutobi was in office, they were sorely mistaken.
But that was going to have to wait. For now he had to figure out what these beasts were doing in his village, killing and terrifying his people. His answer came in the form of the leader of the group. The boss summon, it would appear, of the Lions themselves. When the ROOT operatives had come to him with details of what was happening, he didn't believe it. Sure the Lion contract existed, but it hadn't been seen in decades. For them to just show up on a spur of the moment like thing? It was highly unlikely. There was more going on here than he was being told.
This cub is one of us
He will always be one of us
He is a part of us
He is of our kind
He is loyal
He is kind
You are spiteful
And we'll return it to you in kind!
He is one of us
The massive creature continued with thundering footsteps that shook the ground they stood on. The minor animals watched as he approached, and backed away. Even those not of his species stepped aside in reverence to his size and power. One by one, each of the summons disappeared into the mist, leaving the bodies of the dead. Most were shinobi, though there was a fair share of civilians to pay the toll.
Deception
The unnamed titan stared directly into the unfaltering face of the new Hokage, ignoring the scurrying humans at his feet, two of which were the council that would drive a young boy from his home in such an obscene manner. Yes, they were bad. But the man in front of him? This snake in the grass? He was far worse. Still, Danzo was not the target of this attack, and was as such ignored. The two elderly ninja, now enticing the others of their kind to attack his legs? They were not to share the same fate.
Disgrace
The lion looked down at Homura and Koharu in disgust. With a vicious snarl, he batted both of them in a single swipe of his paw and sent them bouncing sickeningly off of the stone wall. The medics of the surrounding Shinobi force made to check on them, but were killed by the boss grinding them into the earth with a massive paw. After a moment, Homura showed signs of movement, betraying his advanced age, and he propped himself up on one hand, twisting to look back at the mountain that had attacked him. It gave a feral grin, showing gleaming teeth, each of which was longer than the old man was tall, before crushing him with his paw.
With death assured for the two humans that would dare treat a boy such as they did, the lion gave an earth shattering roar of triumph. The people listening wouldn't recall how long it lasted, but all would agree that it was an eternity. When it finally subsided, it turned and simply walked into the still thick mist, hanging around the entrance of the village. By the time it had faded, everything was long gone. Including the tracks.
Deception
Not three seconds after the lion had begun to roar, Danzo had heard an ear-shattering snap behind him causing everyone to look at the Hokage Mountain. A large crack had nearly split the fourth's face in half, and a wave of freshly sown terror swept through the crowd. For a moment, away from the eyes of everyone looking to him for leadership, even Danzo paled at the implication.
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Songs:
One of Us – Owned by Disney Corporation, The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. Second half created by us using rhythm and lyrics of the original.
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Author's Note: Here's the second half of the original chapter one, enjoy!