Hello everybody, and welcome back to chapter thirty-four of The Winds of Change! Right, I'm really sorry with the long wait. Work has been piling up, and life has just been insane. So, here we are back with 34! Really getting into The Assault no!

A couple of things before we begin, though. A friend of mine, Bree Avalon, recently had all her stories deleted due to unforeseen circumstances. As a great writer, it makes me sad to see her works go down the drain. Computers problems not only wiped her account, but also all her files and documents, meaning all her hard work just disappeared. She has bounced back remarkably, and has since published an OCxNeji Fanfiction. I would be really happy if you could check it out and review? s/9419962/1/Fog

Thank you in advance.

That's all, let's get on with the show! I present to you chapter 34, of the Winds of Change.

Chapter 34:

"Are we all ready?"

The question earned the groups attention. The smell of nervousness and determination mingled with the musty scent of stone. Kakashi felt something deep rumbling in his chest. It seemed to be what everybody else was feeling. A fear of failing. A fear of not reaching their objective. He hadn't felt this since long ago.

The main group was now split into opposite groups, all nodding in agreement to his question. This was it. The big one. The beginning of the end.

Kakashi really wasn't good with speeches. At all. Rubbing his masked chin, he eye-smiled sheepishly. Was he really going to do this? Give something motivational for the younger generation to hold onto. Learn and listen from. Perhaps his speech would be remembered by these kids all their lives. He just hoped it was for the right reasons, and not the wrong. "Hehe..." he chuckled nervously.

The groups looked at him closely, the ones that knew him better smiling knowingly, the ones that didn't either frowning in annoyance or looking confused.

"I'm not good with speeches." The Copy Ninja coughed into his fist, "But, I think it's natural for a team leader to give a speech. At least, that's what my sensei always did. And he was a great man."

Briefly reflecting on times gone by, Kakashi shook his head with a smile, "So, perhaps I should to?"

There was a general murmur of agreement. And a 'Yosh!' from Gai. Feeling slightly heartened, Kakashi began,

"This isn't the time to lie to you. This is dangerous. Very dangerous. We have rogue ninja, and we have the Akatsuki. I'm grabbing you by the scruff of your neck and throwing you to the wolves. We're all going to the wolves in the end. In the middle of those wolves, in the middle of all the bruises we will receive, and the blood that will be spilled, there is something very important. Family. Through all the hardships, family stick together. Family pick us up when we are down, and they berate us when we do something stupid. But they always remain, always watching, always waiting with open arms to catch you when you fall. Family is not measured by who you are born to, or your relationship with someone; whether rival, friend, lover, or whoever. It's measured by your loyalty to those around you. And knowing they would do the same for you in a heartbeat. An old friend of mine once said 'Those who break the rules are trash. Those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash'. Our teammates, our family are in there. Alone, most likely scared. Surrounded by wolves, caged in. And we're there hope. We're there family. We don't leave people behind. It does not matter whether you are from the Leaf Village, from another hidden village, or are simply a wandering traveler. Whether you be a boy or a girl, ninja or civilian. We all owe it to each other to protect and serve as they would for us. Shinobi are bathed in blood and guts, and are dirty; sometimes broken individuals. But we are family. And we protect our own. I'm not asking for you all to play nice. I'm not asking for you all to become best friends. I'm asking that we all work together to slay the wolves and save our family. Some of us may not come back, some of us may fall. But we will fall knowing that we helped save our precious people. And that, one day, they would do the same for us. So, let's not waste time. I'm usually lost on the path of life, but today, the path of life has sent me here, to protect my family!"

"...Damn." Sasuke mumbled as most of the crowd cheered, the more stoic ones smiling softly. Even The Uchiha couldn't keep the smirk off his face as Naruto fist-pumped into the air. A feeling of pride coiled into his gut, making his lips squirm upward slightly.

"Yosh! I agree with my youthful rival! The flames of youth burn within us all, and it is our duty to fan and flame them, no matter who they may be! Onward!" Gai's voice bounced off the walls. Four separate corridors, dark and dank, lay behind them. And they would all disappear down them soon.

And so, with nods, the groups scattered their separate ways.

"They're in there."

The two large groups froze. So, this was it. Beyond those large, grey doors, would be the fight to end all fights.

To the surprise and unnerve of Kakashi, they had yet to be assaulted by anymore ninja. Either they had drastically overestimated the amount of men and women in the compound, or Itachi had dealt with them as he went. There was still no sign of him, so Kura and Kurenai had raced off towards his weakening chakra signature. But would they send their whole force after one man? Kakashi's fingers twitched in nervousness.

Hinata and Kiba went off on their own, much to the obvious begrudge of Naruto, Sasuke and Shino. No matter, they would have to deal with it. Although, their tense body language and focused aura was certainly doing wonders for moral.

With a solid team of talented individuals a his back, Kakashi turned to them. They looked eager, ready to get going. He smiled softly. He had a good team on his side today.

"Are we ready?"

They all nodded silently.

Kakashi and Shizune withdrew a large amount of explosive tags, throwing them all on the large door. "Move!" The Copy Ninja yelled, as they all collectively leapt backwards. There was a large explosion, smoke engulfing the crumbling door. The ninja groups rushed forward, into the dark haze. The smoke filled their lungs, causing them to cough and splutter for a few moments.

As they came out the other side, Kakashi's only order was, "Scatter!"

An array of fuuma shuriken flew at them from the large chamber they were now in. With watering eyes, the group reacted quicker than most would in that situation. Luckily, nobody was injured as they all leapt to the side in time, dodging the projectiles as they thunked into the walls. But, they were separated. And that's what the enemy wanted.

Sasuke grimaced. Shit, the whole team was scattered, how could they possibly-

"My my, if it isn't the Uchiha!"

An ear-splitting laugh filled Sasuke's head as the genin dodged out of the way of a fast moving chain. It smashed into the ground, upturning rubble and dirt. Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Kan!"

The man laughed, his chain returning to him as he stood proudly. His back was straight, his face contorted into a mocking smirk. "It seems you did not die. Shame. You waste the air you breathe."

The Uchiha didn't respond, his obsidian eyes challenging the man to say anything more. Kan opened his mouth to fill the air with more of his mocking tones, but paused as a kunai flew towards his head. He ducked, the metal weapon sailing over him. He flashed the Uchiha a mocking smile. In a flash, Sasuke was there, his fist pulled back. Kan whipped his chain upward, charging his lightning into it. The Uchiha cried out in pain as the chain touched his ribcage, a sharp shock running through his body. He jumped backwards. Panting heavily, he assessed the damage. Nothing major, light burns.

Kan laughed, a thick and condescending tone. "Such an insolent brat. Prepare to fall afoul of my chain!"

With a growl of undetermined hatred, Sasuke charged in again.

Kakashi blinked. Having awkwardly skidded away from the shuriken, he rose silently. His breath hitched. The first two things he saw were Sasuke dueling with Kan, and Naruto stood stock still in the middle of the room. Teeth bared, hands clenched. Staring into the darkness. The Copy Ninja immediately began to charge over towards Sasuke. Naruto was fine where he was. What mattered was eliminating the man Sasuke was fighting. He soon realised he was being flanked by Neji and Gai. Neji's Byakugan flared suddenly. As the rest of the group slowly stood up, Kakashi's mind went into overdrive. Only one enemy encountered so far, things were too good to be true. Something was seriously wr-

The sounds of concrete being torn up filled the air as two figures shot out from the ground. "Lightning Style: Lightning Spear!"

The spear of lightning zapped towards Kakashi, and he was barely able to comprehend it's arrival. He charged chakra into his arms, hoping to absorb as much of the chakra as he could, avoiding burns. There was no need."Rotation!" Neji was in front of Kakashi in a heartbeat, twisting around to for the blue dome of chakra. The spear crackled against the shield, eventually fizzingly out as the Hyuga came to a stop. His pearlescent eyes shined like cold hard steel.

The second figure, large and bulky, came crashing down atop Gai. The Jonin held his hands over his face in an x-shape, barely being able to hold off the gargantuan man.

"Bobo loves flesh!" Gai's eyes widened as Bobo's large teeth sunk into his shoulder. With a howl of pain, Konoha's Youthful Green Beast used all his strength to headbutt Bobo's shoulder. The force knocked the man backwards, luckily not tearing Gai's flesh from his bone. But, the bite wound was thick and large, blood oozing from it. Gai winced in pain, a testament to his fortitude that he wasn't screaming in pain.

Bobo's mouth, covered in blood cackled madly. "Bobo loves the taste!" Kakashi almost vomited. This was the sick twisted man that attacked Ino? No wonder she was so scarred.

"Settle down Bobo," the other ninja said, cracking his knuckles. "Focus on the Leaf Ninja. And then you can eat all you want." The way he said it was like a master scolded his dog, but then promised him some nice tasty meat.

On the far wall, Ino was frozen with fear, her back pressed against the cool material. Bobo was here. So close. The thought hadn't even occurred to her. Of course he would be here! She had tried to block the notion out, but now it was back full force. And far worse. The feeling of dread crept up her spine, coursed through her veins. He was death itself. He had torn that little boy to shreds, and now he was going to tear her to pieces and eat her raw, like some cattle. She couldn't do anything to stop it. The cold sweat caked her skin and froze her already trembling bones.

"Are you alright Ino?"

She barely made out the voice, turning her head slightly to the side. Tenten frowned, her chocolate eyes filled with concern. She resisted the urge to feel the girls forehead. She was looking really pale-

"Is that the girl!?"

Ino's heart stopped beating. Bobo's wide round eyes had noticed her, shining with glee. He began to bounce up and down like an excited school-girl, drops of blood splattering onto the floor. "It's you! It's you, it's you, it's you!"

Tenten's head snapped to the side, her eyes widening in recognition as her breathing slowed. Was this the man that had traumatized her so? The one who made the normally bright bubbly girl one year her junior clam up like a little boy who assumes there are monsters in his closet? She felt sick. The man who ate children.

Without any warning, the large man barreled toward her.

Tenten's breath hitched, panic overtaking her. Withdrawing an array of shuriken and kunai, she chucked them at the big man, cursing wildly. Her aim was off. She would miss. And they thudded into his skin easily. He made no attempt to dodge them. He did not flinch. He merely tore them out as if they were stickers stuck to his skin. Tenten turned white as a sheet.

They were off-centre, and normally wouldn't kill a man. But, they would injure him. Slow him down, anyway. This hulking giant shrugged them off like toothpicks. Was this a Jonin? Someone stronger than her in every single way. Tsunade was powerful. But even she wouldn't have been able to shrug off that.

It was only on instinct that the two ninja leapt to the side just in time, as Bobo's massive frame smashed into the wall, sending deep cracks all up it. Ino could only stare as Bobo removed himself from the cracked wall, smiling gleefully. He wasn't even bruised. "Time to play!"

Bobo's shoulder smashed into her stomach as he ran forward. Her already shaken breath was knocked clean out of her system as she was pushed forward, her feet no longer touching the ground. "Ino!" Tenten yelled, running after the two as they smashed straight through a wall, dust and fragments now cluttering the floor.

From across the clearing, Shikamaru witnessed everything, his usually cool eyes filled with panic. "No!"

Kakashi gritted his teeth. Things were going bad. He went to charge after Ino and Tenten. He didn't have the chance.

Neji's eyes widened, his stance dropping into one of shock. How had he not noticed. He needed to warn-

"Now!"

The other man who accompanied Bobo yelled loudly, his voice ending with a shrill note of silence. The sound of gears turning filled the air, and all of the shinobi's eyes were drawn upwards. To their horror, the ceiling opened. Sixty or so nuke-nin dropped from it, weapons drawn and murderous looks in each of their eyes. Neji scowled in disbelief, his stance dropping back into gentle fist. His sensei's hardened exterior darkened further. "Neji."

The younger ninja nodded. Gai leapt upwards, ready to engage the enemy while they were vulnerable in the air.

Kakashi withdrew a kunai. This was going to be a fight. He just hoped everybody was ready.

Shikamaru's body acted on it's own as he charged forward, barely making out the shapes of the people falling from the sky. Ino was in danger. He knew, he knew it was stupid to bring her on this mission. He knew! Stupid, stubborn girl. As the sounds of battle soon reached his ears, he remained focus on the gaping hole in the wall. Where Ino was. His vision of the hole was blocked as a man landed in front of him. "Get out of my way!" Shikamaru roared with unnatural ferocity, sloppily withdrawing a kunai from his pouch. The nuke-nin had just risen from the crouched position he had landed in. The kunai slammed straight into his rib-cage, puncturing his heart with a sharp slick sound. Wet blood sprayed on Shikamaru's hand, but he paid no mind to it.

The Nara didn't even register he had killed someone as he continued running, leaving the kunai in the dead nuke-nin as he dropped to the floor. That hole was where his... where his... where his love was. And she would not be taken from him!

He could smell her. It was her scent. Naruto was not a bloodhound, and he presumed the slightly enhanced sense of smell came from the Kyuubi. He recognized his teams smells, but only when he was near. And he could smell Sakura's. She smelt of strawberries. Kakashi smelt of some musky scent mixed with dog, and Sasuke smelt of tomatoes. Which was odd, now that he thought about it.

"Where is she!?" He called out to nobody in particular. The battles raged on around him, the clang of metal, the smell of sweat, the smell of iron. His teeth were bared in an animalistic fashion.

There was a scraping sound across the ground a few feet away. Naruto's blue eyes widened. "Long time no see, demon."

"Mizuki." The blonde growled, his hands clenching into fists.

The darkness seemed to disappear, and Naruto's heart stopped beating for a moment. Mizuki smirked devilishly, his body covered in a Konoha flack jacket. His old attire. Like he was still one of them. Clenched within the former Konoha shinobi's hand was some pink fabric. It belonged to Sakura, that was obvious. But it was torn in a quick movement. Naruto had heard stories about women's clothes being torn off without their permission. This stoked his already burning rage even more.

"What did you do to her!?"

"Hello again, Naruto," Mizuki dodged the question, licking his lips as if he was expecting dinner. "You haven't grown much, have-"

"ANSWER MY QUESTION YOU BASTARD!"

The boom that Naruto's voice held almost sent Mizuki stumbling back, his green eyes hardening. "Still a monster I see. Not that I would expect anything different, from a demon. You think you can march in here with your little buddies, your 'allies'? Is this where you believe you actually have friends?"

"Where is she!? Answer my question before I tear you to pieces!"

Mizuki smiled cunningly. He was getting to him now. Everything was going to plan. The boss was going to be pleased. Orochimaru had nothing on his new employer, that was for sure. Nothing on him at all.

"I'd expect such things... from a demon!" With a grin so foul and so mocking, something in Naruto's subconscious snapped. He was going to kill this man. Painfully. He could almost feel the Kyuubi rumbling in his chest. Laughter. Sardonic laughter from within it's cage. He roughly quashed that damn demon, turning all of his hate onto the one man in front of him.

Dropping the piece of fabric in his hand, Mizuki hastily pulled something from his back. Unfolding his fuuma shuriken, he threw it at the blonde. With a feral growl, he ducked under it, snarling. "This is going to be the end you bastard!"

Mizuki smiled, dropping into his taijutsu stance.

"Yes it is Naruto. Yes it is."

Dun Dun dun! So, Mizuki is not actually working for Orochimaru! Who is everybody truly working for? All will be revealed... sometime...

Anyway, if you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to tell me in a review! Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!