Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Ruroni Kenshin, or Bleach.
Chapter 22: Ambush
Naruto appeared right below the arch of the East Gate. Since he was in a hurry, he decided to go with Shunpo, causing him to materialize out of thin air unlike the smoke and leaf, a trademark of Konoha's Body Flicker technique. Such was the case; Team 8, Kurenai, and Hideki were quite surprised of his sudden appearance.
The reason why he was almost late was because it took him quite to decide what to bring for his first C-rank mission as a Genin. He wasn't used to being a team player since most of his missions as Oni were solo and he performed them in a way that he was back before dinner so supplies weren't really a big deal for him.
It was 5 minutes before the scheduled meeting time that he decided to just go with the flow and bring a bit of everything he had in his armory, just in case he needed them on short notice. Thankfully, he already mastered the creation of Storage Seals so he had them all stored in a modified pocket dimension hidden in a tattoo on his left hand.
He looked around to see that everyone was there and staring at him in shock which confused him. Deciding to break the ice, he spoke to get their attention.
"Sorry for taking so long, everyone. Had to make sure I packed the right gear to avoid problems later." Naruto said as an apology. Kiba got rid of the shock of seeing their impromptu leader materialize out of thing air like a ghost.
"No worries, boss. We just got here anyway." the young Inuzuka declared with a grin. The 'boss' title earned a raised eyebrow from Kurenai but she said nothing. "So what did you bring with you? I don't see any pack or a bag to hold your supplies in."
Naruto grinned and raised his left hand, showing off his storage tattoo.
"I got everything I need right here."
"Huh?" Kiba asked, confused. Kurenai, however, gasped when she saw the intricate seal on Naruto's left hand. "What is it, sensei?"
"Naruto, how in the world did you get a modified storage seal grafted on your left hand?" Kurenai said with some surprise. Grafting seals on skin was a very intricate and complicated art. Not many were capable of doing it and those who could were ranked as Seal Masters. So far, only Jiraiya of the Sannin was capable of such a feat though it would seem that Naruto could do it as well much to her shock and disbelief.
"You mean this?" Naruto asked, pointing a finger at the tattoo. "I made this myself around 4 years ago, Kurenai-sensei. I studied a bit of Fuuinjutsu in my spare time. I had this grafted immediately after I mastered it. Quite useful if you ask me."
His last statement confused the Genins, as well as the client who was staying silent and listening in on the conversation.
"Why is Naruto-kun's tattoo surprising, Kurenai-sensei?" asked Hinta in confusion.
"You see, Hinata, the tattoo on Naruto's left hand is an advanced storage seal. Unlike storage scrolls, the storage tattoo is a complicated piece of Fuuinjutsu that would allow the user to store an unlimited amount of items without it breaking up its inner workings. Not only that, Naruto can easily bring out any item he sealed inside it with just a thought and an application of chakra." Kurenai explained to the stunned group who immediately eyed the tattoo on Naruto's hand. "Normally, it would take a Seal Master of renown to graft a storage tattoo but if Naruto's claim is made in honesty then he is a skilled Fuuinjutsu user."
"Oh gosh, Kurenai-sensei, you're making me blush." Naruto said with a straight face though his blue eyes were twinkling in amusement. This also made the Genins chuckle since they knew Naruto doesn't know how face compliments, especially those that were wholeheartedly given.
"Anyway," Kurenai said to catch the attention of the group. "Now that everyone's here. We can now start our mission. Here's how things are going to work. Hideki-san will be in the center with his cart. Hinata and Kiba will take point and scout on ahead using your respective bloodlines and will keep us posted if someone suspicious enters their range. Shino and Naruto will be flanking the cart while I take up the rear. We will rest at noon and when the sun goes down to set up camp. Rotation duty will be decided then. We will resume travel after breakfast and follow the same pattern. Any questions?" Naruto raised his hand. "Yes, Naruto?"
"What are your orders in case of an attack, sensei?" he asked seriously.
Kurenai nodded in approval. Considering how good the boy was, he expected him to ask the question immediately.
"In case of an attack then we will subdue and interrogate. Keep in mind that we have a side-mission to bring down the Crimson Rose so any information we can get on that group is a plus."
"Agreed, Kurenai-sensei." Naruto said with a smile, adjusting Kenshin on his hip. He had a gut feeling that something big was going to happen in this mission. He just didn't know what.
They made camp on their first day of travel towards Tea Country since they didn't want to travel in the dark and risk the safety of their charge. Everyone pitched in to set up their impromptu camp, in a defensive position with Hideki's cart in the middle surrounded by Team 8's and Naruto's tent.
It was around midnight when Naruto relieved Hinata of her watch and ushering her off to bed. He blanketed the area with a thin stream of Reiryoku, effectively giving him a sonar-like view of anything within 500 meters of the camp. Nothing would be sneaking in to assassinate anyone if he had anything to say about it.
It was an hour into his shift when he noticed a presence walking toward him from the cart. He looked over his shoulder to see their client approaching.
"Good evening, Hideki-san." Naruto greeted the man. "Aren't you supposed to be resting? We have a full day tomorrow."
Hideki released an amused chuckle.
"You don't have to worry about me, Uzumaki-dono. After all, I usually wake up around this time to enjoy the silence to think some things through." said the man though Naruto immediately detected the honorific.
"Please, Hideki-san, call me Naruto. I'm simply a Genin and giving me a title is not proper." Naruto said with a grin though he was inwardly suspicious. He had a distinct feeling that the man knew something and the next statement definitely proved that.
"Oh no, Uzumaki-dono. I could never disrespect someone Mifune-dono treats in high regard." Hideki said with a grin as he moved to stand beside the blonde before whispering. "Or should I amend that by addressing you in your proper title, Oni-dono?"
Naruto immediately looked at the man who was giving him a kind and understanding smile.
"How…"
Hideki interrupted him as he continued to whisper.
"You need not worry about me revealing your secrets to your peers, Uzumaki-dono. After all, it is not a good idea to spread around that the Hitokiri Battousai is back and pretending to be a mere Genin despite his S-rank status. Anyway, I know because of your presence."
"My presence?" Naruto asked with a bit of curiosity lacing his voice.
Hideki nodded.
"Yes. You're presence is quite…unique, so to speak." Hideki said with a nod. Seeing the confused look on the teen's face, he explained. "You see, Uzumaki-dono, I wasn't always a merchant. I served as one of the generals of Mifune-dono's army back in the old days. I retired and continued the family business. Despite being out of touch with my warrior side, I never lost my skills in sensing a person. That is why I recognized you immediately even after so long. After all, I was there in the battle when you fought side-by-side with Mifune-dono."
"Huh? You were there?" Naruto asked with surprise.
"Of course, I might be a retired samurai but these old bones can still hold a sword and use it well." Hideki said with a sniff before giving the blonde a smirk. "Anyway, despite how you changed your outfit and without your famous mask, I still know it was you because of your presence. It was to my surprise when Hokage-sama assigned not only a strong team of Genin to protect me, but included the dreaded and powerful Oni as part of the retinue. To that effect, I thank you for accompanying me on this mission, Uzumaki-dono. In fact, I feel quite safe right now with you around."
Naruto merely shook his head and shifted his gave towards the surrounding gloom with a pensive look on his face.
"I am no longer that man, Hideki-san. Despite what you know of my skills, I have sworn to never bring to life my old persona. Right now, I am merely Uzumaki Naruto, a Genin of Konohagakure no Sato." Naruto said with a sigh.
Hideki chuckled making Naruto look at him in confusion.
"Ah, the inexperience of youth." Hideki quipped before giving Naruto a serious look. "I don't think you quite understand life that well, Uzumaki-dono. Take my statement earlier into account. As I told you, despite being a businessman of some renown, I still have my old skills. It will never disappear but tempered by age and experience. It is the same with you. Despite how you buried your alter ego and tried your best to make sure that he doesn't come out, you can never deny the fact that your other persona and you are one and the same. You have the same body, you have the same skills, and you have the same experience. So forgive me for saying so, Uzumaki-dono, you will and always will be Uzumaki Naruto, Oni, the Hitokiri Battousai of Konoha."
Naruto nodded in understanding. He didn't think of it that way before because of how much he wanted to bury that past behind him. He couldn't deny the fact that the old samurai-now-businessman was correct. No matter how much he tried, he will still be Oni.
"You are correct, Hideki-san. But as it stands, I will stick to the promise I made to myself. I may have the skills of my past and using it still, but I will no longer take a life if I can help it." Naruto declared with determination in his voice.
Hideki nodded.
"Ah, a worthy goal, Uzumaki-dono. A worthy goal indeed since life is precious and must always be nurtured and protected." Hideki mused before his voice turned serious. "However, think about this, Uzumaki-dono, what would you do if the only way to save someone is to kill? What would you do if you have no other options presented to you but to take a life? To abstain from killing is a worthy goal but keep in mind, Uzumaki-dono, that life is a cycle. Death has always will be a part of human experience. As a samurai, I have lived the code of a samurai and we respect life to the fullest. But if it is needed, we become monsters in the battlefield."
Naruto was silent as he pondered the man's words, however, Hideki didn't stop there.
"What you need, Uzumaki-dono, is to find a balance within you. Unlike when you were as Oni, living your life in constant bloodshed, you are still a man. It is important to find a balance. If it is time to kill then flip your Sakabatou; flip it back to spare someone to let him or her live another day. Keep in mind, like the blade, your choice will determine if you are right or not. Accept who you are, Uzumaki-dono, for if you do then you will become stronger to protect those around you."
Naruto pondered the words before a smile made its way to his face.
"A stronger blade to protect, huh?" Naruto said with a determined glint in his eyes. He turned to Hideki who was giving him a grin. "Thank you for your advice, Hideki-dono. You reminded me of something I vowed to myself when I took up the blade for the first time."
"Oh? And that is?" Hideki asked curiously.
"To protect those who are precious to me." Naruto answered before walking toward the darkness, disappearing as the shadows of the trees swallowed him whole.
Hideki looked at where Naruto disappeared with a smile on his face. It would seem that Oni finally made peace with himself and for that, his enemies should beware of facing a resolute man.
They might not survive the experience.
Kurenai and the rest of Team 8 were quite confused. When they broke camp the next morning, they noticed somethng different about their temporary teammate. That, and the fact that Hideki kept giving Naruto a sly look as if he knew something they didn't.
The Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha noticed that Naruto's aura was different this morning and it definitely showed.
Before, there was a sense of foreboding, a heaviness that indicated that the boy was carrying something heavy deep within him. She first thought it was because of the Kyuubi the boy carried in his gut but decided against it. No, there was something different about the boy and she couldn't deny the fact that it was a positive change.
They resumed their journey without problems since Team 8 and Naruto worked like a well-oiled machine, wordlessly splitting the chores between them that they packed everything up and erased any trace of their presence in record-breaking time. In fact, the way they moved indicated that they did this before which made Kurenai remember the conversation she had with the Hokage along with her companions.
Uzumaki Naruto trained the clan heirs in such a way that they were more powerful than their peers in the Academy. She couldn't deny the proficiency of the boy's training since her team was quite good – individual skill, physical and chakra endurance, techniques, and teamwork – all were finely tuned that she didn't have to do anything but to make sure that they would be capable enough to survive whatever missions they would be facing in their shinobi career.
She was brought out of her musings when she heard her only female student shout an alarm.
"AMBUSH!" Hinata all but screamed to her teammates, her Byakugan blazing as she honed in on the incoming threat.
"How many, Hinata?" Naruto asked immediately, placing himself beside Hideki who was quite calm despite the incoming threat.
"Forty! No wait, make that fifty-five. Some of them are lagging behind. They got us surrounded." Hinata replied before placing herself in front of the cart with Kiba and Akamaru backing her up. "Sensei?"
Kurenai jumped on top of the cart and started making hand seals, planning to put the cart and the client under a genjutsu to hide him from view. However, she stopped when she felt Naruto appear in front of her with his face and one of his hands towards the sky.
"Everyone brace yourselves." Naruto calmly told everyone. "Danku!"
A rectangular yellow shield appeared a few feet away from his hands, effectively covering everyone from any attacks from above. Kurenai was about to ask why he did that but she didn't have to since a few seconds later, the shield was met by a powerful explosion that shook them to the core and causing the earth to shudder a bit. They all looked up to see the solid energy shield sporting cracks from the power of the attack.
On top of them was a huge bird the size of the Hokage Tower flapping its gigantic wings. It did a few aerial maneuvers before lowering its altitude until Team 8 and Naruto could see two people on its back.
"Well, well, well, I don't know what jutsu you used but I'm impressed that you could withstand my chakra cannon." said the muscular guy with black hair. He was wearing a standard Jounin outfit but it was topped off by a red robe. Over his shoulder was a huge cylindrical object, a cannon if the smoking tip was anything to go by.
"I say they're just lucky." said the other one, a woman who wore a red kunoichi outfit. "Why don't you give them another taste, brother dear?"
"I agree, sister mine." agreed the man before leveling the weapon towards the Konoha team. "Fire!"
A large ball of red energy flew out of the tip of the unknown weapon towards Naruto and his team. Kurenai grabbed Hideki before jumping out of the way with the Genins of Team 8 doing the same. Naruto, however didn't move as he eyed the incoming projectile calmly.
"NARUTO!" screamed Hinata, worried about her friend. However, she, as well as everyone was shocked at what happened next.
Naruto saw the incoming projectile and decided to fight fire with fire. He settled into a battoujutsu stance before channeling large amounts of Ki and Reiryoku into Kenshin. The swords and its scabbard growled blue.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Uzumaki Ken Ougi: Shinryusen!" (Dragon God Flash)
Faster than the eye could see, Naruto pulled out Kenshin from it's sheathe while releasing his hold on the energies on the blade. A wave of pure soul energy flew out from the swing in an arc that cut the energy bullet in half, splitting it in two and causing it to explode harmlessly away from him.
However, the attack didn't stop there; it continued on its path and sliced the gigantic bird the same way it did to the bullet. Unfortunately for Naruto, the two enemy enemy shinobi saw the attack and jumped out of the way, leaving the bird to its fate.
"What in the world was that, Genji?" screamed the kunoichi, shocked at the power the teen released that not only countered his brother's powerful attack, but destroyed her summon as well. It was unbelievable.
"I don't know, Kaoru, but whatever it was, it's not a good idea to get hit by it or we're doomed." Genji grunted before pulling out a flare from his back pocket and pointed it to the sky. He pulled the trigger causing an orb of red light to fly up the canopy of the trees. A loud battle cry was heard when the red flare reached its peak. "If they're not going down the easy way then we'll just force them down…in numbers."
Naruto jumped down from the roof of the cart to land softly near Team 8 and Hideki when shouts from the woods alerted them to the incoming ambush.
"Oh my, I guess we have our hands full." Naruto noted, eyeing the incoming horde of mercenaries, if he wasn't mistaken judging from the way they were dressed. Their speed weren't up to standard as well meaning that they didn't have chakra or shinobi training. "Can you detect chakra in them, Hinata?"
Hinata, who had her Byakugan on since her shout of warning shook her head.
"None, they are merely civilians. Mercenaries or bandits, if I hazard a guess." She answered, preparing herself for the incoming battle.
"Alright, team." Kurenai started, causing the Genins to look at her with their game faces on much to her approval and shock. "Protect the client at all cost. Maintain a perimeter while attacking in pairs. Hinata and Kiba, you take one end, Naruto and Shino, you take the other. I'll deal with the blind spots."
Naruto, however, had other ideas.
"Let me add to the numbers, Kurenai-sensei. With the big wigs around, we are going to have to focus on them as well. Right now we need quantity and I can easily give you that in spades." suggested Naruto, forming a cross-shaped seal in front of him. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Twenty Naruto appeared in puffs of smoke before taking their positions for the incoming battle. Since Naruto already thought of a strategy before making the clones, they already knew what to do. When the Genins faced their respective opponents, five Naruto clones supported each team while the remaining ones formed a circle of defense around Hideki who watched them all in amusement.
Seeing that everything was well in hand, Kurenai nodded and dashed towards the crimson kunoichi with Naruto trailing behind her with a relaxed smile on his face. Of course, Kurenai noticed the teen following her but decided against telling him to stand back. With the techniques the boy showed, he could definitely take care of himself but she would watch out for him just in case. Besides, she was dealing with two enemies who had shinobi training so she definitely had her hands full.
This was going to be a long day.
Naruto's eyes were everywhere. He made sure that his team would make out of this battle alive, possible wounds? Yes; dead? Definitely not on his watch. Thanks to his training, his friends were performing admirably against the hordes of mercenaries and bandits trying to bring them down.
Hinata and Kiba worked like a well-oiled machine. Thanks to their many spars back in Konoha, the two formed a sixth sense of sorts regarding each other's movements. Both used their respective styles to attack while defending each other and covering each other's blind spots. He grinned when Kiba and Akamaru appeared behind Hinata as the girl performed the Kaiten that threw away a dozen or so bandits trying to overpower them with numbers. Yes, they definitely had things well in hand.
He and Shino were also doing good facing their own bandits; however, they were less destructive in how they were bringing them down.
Naruto used Shinsoku to disappear and appear behind the enemies guard and hit them with a well-placed chop to the back of the head, putting them to sleep. They were going to wake up with a migraine, he was sure of that.
Shino, on the other hand, was making use of his bugs to either stun his opponents or drain them to the point of unconsciousness. Thanks his training, Shino's reserves were larger than average, making his hive grow to epic proportions that made the Aburame Clan Head crow in happiness (inwardly, of course). Shino was currently using the hundreds, if not thousands of bugs in his arsenal against his many opponents, dropping them like flies, no pun intended.
Naruto put another bandit to sleep when the memories of his clones hit him. His eyes immediately honed in on Kurenai's battle against the two shinobi, and she wasn't doing too well. He immediately turned to his partner.
"Shino, I'm going to help Kurenai-sensei. I'll leave a clone here with you as backup." said Naruto to the Aburame clan heir.
"No need, Naruto-san." said Shino as he spread his arms wide causing thousands of bugs to exit from his sleeves. The bugs scattered and attached themselves on various bandits, draining them off all their energy and putting them down for the count. "Go help, sensei."
Naruto nodded and created a clone, just in case, before using Shunpo to appear in front of Kurenai who was about to get hit by the large cannon Genji used as a bludgeon. Since he didn't have time to draw Kenshin, not to mention the lack of space to maneuver, he raised his hand in front of him and focused his energies.
"Seki."
The barrel of the cannon collided with the ball of Ki and Reiryoku before it exploded, easily negating the force of the attack and repelling it back. Because of this, the man was pushed back a few feet but remained rooted to the ground.
"Who the hell are you?" Genji shouted at the teen who not only stopped his chakra bullet twice but also used a strange jutsu to repel his attack. This kid was trouble.
"Uzumaki Naruto, Genin of Konoha, at your service." replied Naruto with a grandiose bow before turning to Kurenai. "Sensei, I'll take care of him while you concentrate on the other."
"Are you sure, Naruto?" Kurenai asked worriedly. She was thankful of the boy since the man was about to hit her on her blind spot as she concentrated on her female opponent. Sure, the boy was strong but to take on a shinobi who was clearly Jounin-level in strength was not something she was comfortable with. "He's clearly a Jounin."
"I know." Naruto said with a smile as he drew Kenshin from its scabbard. "Don't worry about me, Kurenai-sensei."
With that, Naruto disappeared in front of his team leader before reappearing in front of a startled Genji, his sword already on a downward strike. Genji was shocked but his well-honed battle instincts purshed him to raise his cannon to block the attack. The sword struck the cannon with a resounding twang of metal. Genji was surprised at the boy's strength despite his small frame.
"You're good, kid, but not good enough." Genji exclaimed before shoving Naruto back with all of his strength and adjusted his cannon while channeling his chakra to the weapon. "Take this, brat."
Genji fired three chakra bullets in rapid succession but Naruto saw it coming. Coating his blade with Reiryoku, he batted the projectiles away from him with his blade before they exploded in the distance, leaving him unscathed.
"I guess it's my turn." Naruto said with a grin. He raised his hand, palm forward, towards his opponent. "Sokatsui!"
A ball of red energy flew out of his palms towards Genji who fired off another bullet from his cannon. The two bullets of energy collided resulting in a powerful explosion. The shockwave threw Kurenai and her opponent off balance but Genji and Naruto stayed their ground thanks to the chakra they channeled to their feet.
"Nice." Naruto said with a smile though he was inwardly surprised that his Sokatsui was equal to the chakra bullet of his enemy. He didn't channel too much power into that attack to cause serious damage but would be enough to knock someone unconscious. Since fighting with projectiles would be useless at this point considering his opponent's specialty, he decided to do it the old fashioned way.
Dashing forwards at top speed causing him to disappear in the eyes of his opponent, he reappeared to hit his opponent in the gut with a Ki-enhanced punch. The strength of the attack lifted Genji a few feet off the ground, eyes wide in shock and pain. Naruto followed it up with a kick to the head, throwing the man away, bouncing off the ground before landing in a heap. The blonde was surprised when his opponent stood up with an angry, yet pained expression on his face, blood dribbling down his chin.
"You're going to pay for that, brat." Genji all but growled as he flew through hand seals which Naruto recognized and filled him with dread. The man slammed his hand on the ground before shouting out his ultimate combo. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu."
The clearing was covered in smoke, causing everyone to freeze and put up their guard. They were not prepared when a loud roar echoed all around them that almost destroyed their eardrums. When the smoke dissipated, Naruto saw a gigantic armored tiger armed to the teeth looking down at them hungrily. Genji was standing on the tiger's head, his cannon already prepared for a shot.
"Shit." Naruto cursed, inwardly worried since a summon fight was not something he wanted on his plate right now.
Kaori saw her brother bring out his trump card and decided to do the same. She cancelled the genjutsu that Kurenai was about to place on her before using Shunshin to appear beside her brother. She grinned at the Konoha team and their target below before pumping chakra to her legs and jumping up, doing seals all the while. When she reached the peak of her jump, she pointed her open palm downwards and shouted. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Naruto cursed again when the kunoichi's summon made an appearance - a large armored eagle with razor-sharp beak and talons. He inwardly cursed. Now they had two summons to deal with. He used Shunpo to appear before Team 8, Kurenai, and Hideki, the three were looking at the two large summons in dread.
Kiba, seeing Naruto appear, decided to break the ice, hoping upon hope that the enigmatic blonde had something up his sleeves that could deal with two gigantic summons or they were doomed.
"I hope you have something in your arsenal, boss, or else we're either tiger food or bird food." Kiba pleaded with Akamaru whimpering behind him.
Naruto could see that Team 8 was afraid at the power their opponents had and the recent addition to the battlefield was more than what their nerves could handle. Hideki, however, was grinning at him like a loon. Stupid old coot.
"Yes, I do." Naruto whispered which everyone clearly heard and caused them to breathe a sigh of relief. "However, if I do bring out my summon, you have to promise me that you're going to let me explain after all this is over and done with."
"I don't care what summon you have, Naruto-san, but could you please bring it out now?" Shino said in monotone but there was a hint of hysterics in his voice that told everyone that he was nearly at his limit.
Naruto looked at Kurenai who was giving him a nod. He sighed and flipped through hand seals while linking with Kurama.
"Are you ready?"
"Oh, I'm definitely ready. This is going to be fun!" Kurama crowed in delight. He was going to be having a ball tussling with two boss summons. After all, it was history ago that he destroyed Danzo's weird summon creature.
"Two?" Naruto asked, preparing himself to channel his tenant's chakra.
"Hm, make that four, kit. I need to make sure that my size is appropriate for the encounter."
"Four? You do know that if I do give you four tails of chakra, that would make you bigger or on par with them right? Everyone in a mile radius will see you." Naruto pointed out to his friend and partner.
"Well, with four tails worth of chakra, I can easily bring them down before anyone would notice."Kurama rebutted with a grin.
"Right? Who wouldn't notice a gigantic red fox with nine tails? You're crazy, you know that right?"
"Pot, kettle, and black. You might want to hurry up, kit, since those two summons are on the move."
Naruto looked up to see the two large creatures preparing for their own attacks. Seeing that he didn't have any choice in the matter, he channeled four-tails worth of chakra into his system and into the technique. Kurama's chakra blanketed him like a cocoon causing his team and Hideki to back away from him.
"I hope you guys will listen to me after I bring him out." Naruto muttered under his breath though everyone could hear it quite clearly. He disappeared from the vicinity of Team 8 and materialized 100 meters in front of them before shouting. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Kyuubi!"
End of Chapter 22
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