The Best Laid Plans
Arun
Chapter 15: A Shot Heard Around the World
Disclaimer: Tax the rich and they hike the price of the goods we buy!
In the evening light, General Hino of Fire looked at the troops arrayed neatly before him. As Commander of Southern Theatre, he was charged with the conquest of Tea. Turning to Brigadier Sarutobi, he raised an eyebrow in askance.
"Terujiro's moving his forces to the side to let ours pass as we speak," the recently retired Hokage replied, "and my squads are in place. I should join my troops for the assault."
"You're joining them?" Hino asked.
Sarutobi nodded.
"I need to show them there's plenty of fight still left in these old bones. Only way to cement the loyalty of fighting men like these quickly."
General Hino nodded and turned to the other General by his side.
"And what of you, Toyoda?"
"My officers are going to be leading from the front. Unlike Hiruzen, I understand and accept I'm too old for rapid assaults and desperate fights. I'll stay back here, organize units and expedite movement. We're racing against time and the faster we get more men across before Shinichi reacts, the better the chances we'll succeed."
Hino thought about it for a moment and nodded approval.
"Very well, Gentlemen. I'll leave you to your jobs. 1st and 2nd Regiments should have started the attack along the center of the enemy line ten minutes back. Good luck and good hunting!"
xxxxx
The capital was restive. Gossip of the imminent war was pervasive and most of the hearsay was negative. There was a palpable atmosphere of fear and as the Root operatives eavesdropped on the various patrons at bars across the city, they knew the situation wasn't yet ripe for an "event," but was slowly getting there. Until then, they would wait patiently.
Today, as it had before, and as it will forever, Root would ensure that The Great Tree would emerge triumphant both on the field and off against its adversaries in the end.
xxxxx
Vice Admiral Muramachi looked dispassionately at the smoking ruins of hundreds of buildings on the northern end of the city and the crippled hulls of his fleet. The fools in the capital had yet to realize it, but the war was already as good as lost without the navy to run interference against Fire.
But, he could not help but think that Konoha had made a monumental error in judgment. The pattern of assault on the ships in the harbor told him one tale, but it was at odds with the burnt out shells on the outer limits. It was confusing to divine the enemy's motives, but if he ignored the arson in the city as an aberration, a clear picture emerged. And nothing else made sense.
xxxxx
"Listen, kids," the ANBU explained patiently, "Jiraiya-sama's got enough on his hands without having to worry about you brats."
Sasuke opened his mouth, but stayed whatever he was about to say at the glare the operator shot him.
"I'm not in the mood for arguments," the man added with a glare in the raven-haired genin's direction. "I gave you an order and expect you to obey them, rookie ANBU though you are. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Sir!" Team 7 replied in crescendo.
The ANBU nodded and took a seat next to them.
"That's good."
Pause.
"So you're Kakashi-san's brats, huh?" he asked.
Team 7 nodded.
"Yes, we are."
"Well, you don't look like much, but Kakashi-san wasn't a looker himself," the man said.
"You've served with sensei?" Naruto asked, curiously.
The ANBU nodded.
"With him, and under him."
"Really?"
"Got the scars and the tattoos to prove it, Brat," the man countered. Then, softening his tone, "I'm Tripod – don't ask how I got that name and if you value your life, you won't laugh."
"Honored to meet you, Tripod-san. I'm Haruno Sakura, and these are my teammates: Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."
"This must be my lucky day," Tripod said with a grin. "I got to meet the fabled Team 7 face to face."
"Ha! Ha!" Naruto laughed sarcastically.
"I'm exaggerating, of course," the ANBU added with an even wider grin.
"What was sensei like back in those days?" Sakura asked.
"I heard he was an asshole back before he became jounin. They say he changed. Me? I didn't know him back then. What I do know is that he is the best damned tactician and the best commander I'd worked with during my fifteen years of service in ANBU. Why there was that one time…" Tripod trailed off.
"Tell us," Naruto urged, seeing that the man wasn't going to explain.
Tripod shrugged.
"I can't. You guys aren't cleared for that compartment. Anyways, he was an intense kind of man. And he's loyal like you wouldn't believe. Would charge the gates of hell to save a subordinate and was always worried about his men and the mission. There are some commanders who'll expend nin like so many ryo, but Kakashi-san wasn't like that. You had to complete the mission, of course, but you always knew that if you died, it wasn't because your CO decided you were expendable. ANBU are, mind you," he said, shooting them a pointed look, "but Kakashi-san was a craftsman and he didn't like wasting bodies. It's not efficient, you see.
"And then he quit ANBU. I'd heard over the years he'd mellowed out quite a bit."
"Kakashi-sensei, mellow?" Naruto said aloud, wonderingly.
"These days, at least, he is," Sasuke countered.
"The first few months of our training were intense," Sakura explained for Tripod's benefit.
The ANBU nodded.
"I know. Hell, everyone in Fire's Ninja Corps knows by now, probably. You guys are famous."
"Really?" Naruto asked eagerly. The attention whore in him was curious, damn it!
"Truth, Kid. What Kakashi-san put you through would have killed lesser people. Sure as hell would have killed me when I was your age. I'm sure you paid a heavy price with broken bones and contusions day after day, but no one in ANBU corps doubts the price wasn't worth it. I mean, you faced Oro-fucking-maru and lived. There ain't many that can claim that. And everyone in ANBU regrets not having been there for the Chuunin exam finals."
Team 7 grinned in elation.
And the grilling continued.
xxxxx
Jiraiya patted his friend Yakushi Kabuto on the back to steady the boy, half a kilometer from Team 7 and Tripod. The sannin and the traitor-twice-over were hidden behind a crop of trees flanked by ANBU and assorted nin. Their position overlooked the entrance to the safe house where Oto remnants were holed up. The holdouts were the very ones whose loyalty to the late Orochimaru was weak and who could be turned, if Kabuto was to be believed, and thus, ripe for the turning.
"Relax, Kabuto, there's nothing to fear," the sannin said, fixing the spectacled medical genius with a look. Jiraiya was fully aware that Orochimaru's pet gofer might have lied about his friends – one reason why the boy was going in alone to convince them to come out and surrender. If he'd lied, or had somehow arranged an ambush – as farfetched as that idea was – this was the time to back out and beg for his life.
Kabuto chuckled lightheartedly. He thought he managed to mask his nervousness, but to a seasoned spy as Jiraiya, it was as plain as light of day. But the sannin didn't give away the fact he'd read his prey's discomfiture. Let the medic underestimate him at his own risk.
"In you go," he said. "How much time do you think you'll need?"
"Probably most of the day. They're going to be nervous. Konoha hasn't exactly been kind and gentle with their comrades these past few weeks."
Jiraiya shrugged. The Hokage's orders were to summarily behead captured Oto nin unless they surrendered without a fight. Those that did were arrested and interned in camps under observation. The plan was to track down their families, take them hostage and relocate the nearest of kin to Konoha to convince the nin to switch allegiance to Fire. But there had been precious few prisoners so far and the sannin thought he knew why. Orochimaru was reviled like nothing else in Konoha and ANBU hated him even more. Leaf shinobi were simply not accepting most offers of surrender.
"That can't be helped," he said cheerily. "If it helps, tell them I have enough men under my command to raze their little hole to the ground and grind everyone in it to dust."
Kabuto nodded and firming his resolve, approached the hideaway.
xxxxx
Kimimaro's condition had continued to deteriorate. Nothing Karin did helped. The other fugitives were grateful for her presence and over the course of the last couple of days, had slowly begun to look to her for leadership. Anyone who could control a maniac like Juugo was leader material, as far as they were concerned.
Karin, for her part, knew that it was only a matter of time before the bone wielder died. It wasn't just his disease that was killing him, but something else. If she didn't know better, she'd have thought that Kabuto had poisoned her patient.
But right now, Kimmimaro's impending demise was the last thing on her mind. She had far more immediate concerns. Like what Kabuto's chakra was doing in the neighborhood mixed with numerous others. Had he sold them all out – Karin knew Kabuto and his capacity for betrayal well – or had he reached an accommodation with Konoha to spare their lives? Before she could make up her mind and order an escape through the tunnel leaving behind only a sacrificial guard, Kabuto forced her hand by approaching the entrance himself.
Karin glared at the senior medic as the latter climbed down the slippery ladder.
"This ladder's a deathtrap," he quipped in a tone that screamed flippant to kunoichi.
"Are there Konoha nin outside, Kabuto?" she asked, ignoring his comment altogether.
"Why," he replied with a smile, his hands out in front where she could see them, "yes, of course. Jiraiya-sama was quite insistent on bringing help."
Whatever else Kabuto may have had in his mouth went unsaid as one of the bystanders shoved him against the wall. The marks of the curse seal began to spread across the aggressor's body.
"You traitor! I ought to kill you here and now!" the boy growled.
"Tenchi, stand down," Karin ordered him, as much to exert control over the situation as to calm Juugo. Tenchi was a good fighter, but he wasn't the brightest bird in the flock. And Juugo was all too willing to go on one of berserker rages, distressed as he was by Kimmimaro's condition. To Kabuto, she said, "Please explain."
Kabuto nodded. He was actually glad that Karin appeared to be in command of the cutthroats – he had hoped someone would be for otherwise odds were about even he'd get his throat slit for going to the trouble of saving the ingrates. It also helped that he had worked with her extensively before and knew her to be pragmatic in these things. A kindred soul, even.
"I convinced Jiraiya-sama to spare our lives. He's here to accept our surrender."
"And the others with him?" one of the others asked heatedly.
"Would you come here alone if you were in his place?" Kabuto shot back. Then, aloud, "Where's Kimmimaro? Has his condition improved in the last week?"
Hidden behind the wall of bodies in the back, Juugo relaxed at Kimmimaro's bedside. He'd been ready to kill Kabuto if the medic had betrayed them, but he was glad that was not the case. Kabuto wouldn't be trying to heal the ailing Kaguya if he were really a traitor.
"He's here in the back," the bloodline progenitor of the cursed seals spoke loud enough to be heard at the front, even as the others parted to make way for the medic.
"Kimmimaro's much worse," Karin added, guiding Kabuto to the Kaguya. Her eyes were strangely focused on the senior medic, a fact that did not escape her quarry, but slipped everyone else's notice.
The way Kabuto met Karin's gaze unflinchingly, she knew for sure he meant everything but good health and a long life for Kimmimaro. It did not even cross her mind to reveal the truth to the others, however, for she knew it was the right thing to do under these circumstances. One life quenched for many bequeathed.
Calm as a hermit contemplating the mysteries of the universe, Kabuto took the seat Juugo evacuated. As Karin watched from the side, the mild-mannered medic used his skills to do a number on Kimmimaro's lungs under the guise of a medical checkup. It was a good thing, she mused, that the Kaguya was unresponsive from the painkillers, or he would have given the game away under the excruciating pain.
So, at the end of the checkup, when Kabuto stood up, Karin knew that he'd stolen what little time Kimmimaro had left in the world. But she couldn't feel any pity for the Kaguya. Such was the world of shinobi and though the bone wielder was a friend, he would be the death of them all with his fanatical loyalty for Orochimaru if he lived.
"I think we can save him if we get him to Konoha fast," Kabuto announced. "The disease is too far gone and the only one who can possibly save him is Tsunade of the Sannin."
Juugo brightened considerably.
"You think so?" he asked.
Kabuto nodded.
"I'm afraid he's not much for this world if he stays here. The Senju is his only chance."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Juugo asked heatedly. "Let's start for Konoha already."
Several of the others looked askance at Karin. They did not trust Konoha to keep their word, but Juugo would make mincemeat of them if they objected.
However, Karin was now a part of Kabuto's conspiracy.
"If there's even the slightest chance we can save Kimmimaro, then we have to take it," she declared passionately.
A few shoulders slumped in the back and others heaved a sigh of relief at the passing of immediate danger. They would deal with Konoha later, but right now, Juugo was the most immediate, and by virtue of that immediacy, also the biggest threat.
"A word of caution, however," Kabuto spoke in warning. It wouldn't do to have Juugo think that Kimmimaro was saved and then have him die on the journey to Konoha. There was no telling what the crazy bastard would do if that happened, but if Leaf shinobi became the target of the opprobrium, the spectacled genius knew what Jiraiya would do to him as repayment. "Kimmimaro's too sick. He may succumb to the rigors of travel."
Juugo slumped visibly.
"We'll do everything to keep him safe and comfortable, Juugo," the medic nin continued, "but I don't want to get your hopes up until we reach Konoha."
Juugo nodded understanding.
After that, it was but the work of a few minutes to convince the others and just like that, Konoha's strength had expanded by several dozen.
xxxxx
It was late in the night and General Shinichi, commander of the forces defending Tea against Fire's imminent invasion was fast asleep when his aide woke him up. The General was instantly awake and he knew as soon as he read the message that Tea was lost. Unlike most of his compatriots, who'd thought Tea couldn't win at all, he'd felt that country had a slim chance of holding off Fire before Snow and Rock were cajoled to intervene in his nation's favor. But now… The scale of the disaster ruled out all any chance of fending off the invading army.
"3rd and 5th regiments of Fire have broken through the Southern flank," he bitterly read aloud an excerpt from the fateful message. Then to his aide, "Get me couriers. Are the Command staff awake?"
"I sent for both the couriers and the staff, Sir. They should be arriving at the Command tent now. I also sent for the cook to prepare tea for everyone, Sir."
Shinichi nodded.
"We better get there ourselves, hadn't we?"
Inside the Command tent, they found Shinichi's staff caught in a whirlwind of activity as officers asked for and got incomplete reports from their subordinates. A steady bunch walked in and out of the tent as the whole camp quickly came alive, and couriers hurried to the command tent and patiently awaited their summons.
Shinichi beckoned for the couriers after casting an experienced eye over the chaos inside the tent. He judged it as having the right tempo and sense of urgency.
"My compliments to Maj. Taira. He is to make haste with the Seventh and Fourteenth infantry battalions to the Southern flank and using Hill 34 as the anchor on the right flank, form a defensive line perpendicular to our main battle line. His orders are to hold firm until relieved and to defend the units on the front from flanking attacks.
The nearest courier nodded and hurried away. Shinichi watched after the boy leave with a heavy heart. In his heart of hearts, he already knew his move would fail. Fire would have sent their most mobile troops and their damned ninja through that breach. And he did not doubt more reinforcements were streaming into Tea even now, but he had his duty and honor and if he was to die, he would die like a man fighting to his last breath. 'Damn that traitor Kita Terujiro to a thousand lifetimes in the darkest pits of hell!' he cursed mentally.
"My compliments to Lt. Col. Tachibana," Shinichi continued, his mind wandering back to the nigh impossible challenge at hand. "He is to take command of Eighth, Ninth and Thirteenth infantry battalions and First and Second cavalry battalions and counterattack the enemy. His orders are to plug the breach at all costs."
The next courier nodded and made to leave. But before he could get on his horse, an arrow appeared as if by magic buried halfway into his right temple.
And Shinichi knew that a shinobi was inside the camp proper. He just had a moment to curse the Gods aloud while someone else inside the tent raised the assassin cry before his aide exploded in a fiery cataclysm. The explosion blew the Command tent and everyone inside it sky high leaving few survivors.
Without shinobi to play counter-nin and defend high value targets, and with one entire flank wide open, Root had smuggled in assassin team right into the camp. After that, it had taken less than a minute to genjutsu Shino's aide when the Major bore the news of Terujiro's betrayal to the General. At this crucial moment, they'd detonated the unwilling suicide bomb in the nerve center of the entire front.
That night, as Tea units reeled and were hammered from attacks from front and the rear ever widening the breach, Root carried out seven other missions deep inside Tea, striking at supply bases. They also captured key communication stations along the front line, and sent confusing messages both to the frontline and the capital that put the whole front in disarray come morning.
xxxxx
"What's your name?" Karin asked the blonde teen after the camp was struck and the evening meal shared.
Naruto glared at her in return. He felt insulted that an enemy of Konoha dared speak to him.
"Don't glare at me," the redhead seethed, her temper getting the better of her.
Naruto's glare did not abate and Sasuke joined him.
"Naruto, Sasuke, shut up," Sakura barked, noticing the unfriendly looks the other prisoners shot her teammates. Sometimes, the boys were such idiots! There was only one reason that Jiraiya-sama and ANBU would go to so much trouble to smuggle Oto nin into Fire masquerading them as civilians, and she and the dumbasses had discussed the subject just the day before. Too bad their brains suffered from chronic testosterone poisoning.
Her words earned Sakura a glare from her teammates. That is, until she bopped them on the head.
"Idiots! They aren't the enemy anymore. Or did you forget the talk we had yesterday?"
Naruto had the sense to look ashamed. Sasuke continued to glare. The raven-haired genin was a stubborn son of a bitch when he chose to be.
"Don't mind them," Sakura told the redhead POW, "they don't mean any harm."
Karin looked doubtful.
"The blonde's Naruto, the ravenhead's Sasuke and I'm Sakura. We're genin."
Karin frowned dismissively, though she was curious. What were genin doing in the company of ANBU and a sannin?
As if sensing her thought, Naruto popped his shoulders.
"Let's spar, Pinky. Usual rules, 'Uke?"
Watching the spar, Karin learned grudging respect for Team 7 and Konoha. They had seen it before in the professionalism and efficiency of Leaf ANBU, but the skill the genin demonstrated stamped in their hearts the true might of the most powerful village in the land.
xxxxx
Jiraiya stared at Team 7 speculatively for the longest while.
"When did you figure it out?" he asked finally.
"It wasn't that hard when your civilians have powerful chakra and we've been taking the utmost care to maintain secrecy about moving our prisoners," Naruto replied.
Jiraiya thought about it and nodded.
"Very well. You're part of this compartment now. You can't share information about our prisoners or even betray you possess knowledge about them to anyone else unless authorized by the Hokage, the Council, the ANBU commanders and I."
Team 7 nodded.
"Good. Dismissed."
xxxxx
The war was going badly for Tea. In one week, Konoha had crippled their navy at port and Fire followed that move by sinking the surviving remnants at sea. Fire's army had also advanced hundred miles into the country, encircling seven regiments in a pocket between the naval landings on the northern coast and the lightning fast pincer in the south. All efforts to relive the trapped units had been unsuccessful and after losing most of one of the two last combat ready regiments, abandoned in favor of defending the capital. That was two days back and official word of their surrender came yesterday evening. Rumors ran rampant as the capital's militia and whatever units could be scrapped together rushed about strengthening the defensive works, but the citizenry were close to panicking and an atmosphere of gloom and doom had seized the city. The steady stream of refugees running away from the frontline past the capital certainly did not help the undercurrent of terror.
The conditions were ripe for a riot among the civilians and Root operators smuggled into the city started it with a liberal dose of sabotage and arson. And as the granary went up in smoke as well as two watchtowers and several public buildings, plus the numerous peasants killed more or less at random in main thoroughfares, the city exploded in unrest.
xxxxx
When word finally reached the port about the riots in the capital, Vice Admiral Muromachi knew what to do. Konoha nin had done a number on his fleet and crippled it, but they had left behind the port infrastructure intact after they fired up large sections of the city. It would have served Leaf and Fire best to have their ninja hold it until they were relieved, but someone on their side must have screwed up and they hadn't. So, as his country crumbled around him, Muromachi was left staring at a golden opportunity to prick his enemies and to deny them the ability to field a significant naval arm for some years to come.
He knew that his orders would probably cost him his life when the Fire Daimyo learned about it, but if Hi no Kuni ever got its naval arm, Rock and Snow wouldn't be able to liberate it this side of eternity. So…
"Ensign, get me Captain Satsuma and Commander Momoyama. Fast."
The ensign saluted smartly and left without a word. He returned five minutes later with the captain and the commander.
"Gentlemen, please be seated," Muromachi said. "The war is lost. All that is left is for the politicos in the capital to surrender, which after two days of riots among the population, won't be long now. But that's not why you're here. I summoned you both to discuss plans for firing up the port infrastructure and for planning the insurrection to come afterwards. How should we go about it?"
Satsuma frowned in thought for a moment.
"We have plenty of timber in the warehouses, Sir," he said.
"Yes?"
"We could pile the timber on the locks and pumps of the graving dock, soak them with fuel and set them on fire. We could also do the same with the damaged ships and destroy their superstructure. There's no point in scuttling the ships in shallow water, but if we can damage them enough, it'd take them lots of time in the yard before they can set sail again," Momoyama elaborated.
It was clear that both officers had already discussed this at length, smart and aggressive as they were, which was exactly why the Admiral had called for them.
"Set parties to work on that right away. Also, see about firing up the fuel tanks as well. And dump the rations into the sea. Let the damned bastards bear the cost of feeding the civilians," Muromachi supplied.
Satsuma thought about it for a moment. They would simply have to ensure that the food supplies brought in by the Fire people were stolen or destroyed en route.
"Yes, Sir."
"Get on it. We'll disperse into the countryside once the work is done, leaving behind only a small guard."
xxxxx
The gates of Konoha bristled with ninja as Jiraiya's party and escort reached the walls of the village. While guards rushed about processing prisoners, Jiraiya approached Team 7 who were busy chatting with Tripod, their minder for the concluded journey.
"Well, that's it kids," he said. "Sorry we couldn't spend as much time together as I wanted. But it's straight to ANBU training for you and we'll meet again in six months."
Team 7 nodded.
"'Till we meet again! Work hard and enjoy ANBU life. The village needs you for the next war."
"We will be ready, Jiraiya-sensei."
"Yes, you will." Jiraiya smiled fondly. They were well-behaved kids, really, and Minato would have been proud of Naruto and his friends. He certainly could not wait to see what the future held in store for them.
xxxxx
Author's notes:
Well, this is no longer the shortest chapter, but yes, here begins the time skip. LOL Next chapter will be set three years in the future.
Now for a few clarifications: I've had comments saying that Team 7 haven't played a role in the story so far. I just want to make it clear that they're genin and TBLP is not a fairytale where rookies win wars. Team 7 will play a much more active role post-time skip, where they'll have the power, the experience and the authority to matter.
Also, I hope that the Tea invasion left you aching for more. I intentionally gave only the barest details and didn't delve too deeply into the action. Sorry. I know some of you wanted it, but it'd have meant pointless descriptions of battles that have no bearing on the bigger plot. Moreover, while Tea is the precipitant of the next war, its role in the story is limited. I've covered all aspects that are important to the plot. Tea can now serve as a testing ground weapons, doctrine and train soldiers for Konoha and Hi no Kuni, as well as serve another important function, but I'll delve on that in future chapters.
Please leave reviews.