It was late night and Tsunade was going over the Autopsy reports she was about to send to Kusagakure. It had been nearly two weeks since Naruto had brought the bodies to her, and explained what had happened.
As she was going over the reports her senses picked up on something and her eye twitched slightly.
"You know it is incredibly rude, not to mention illegal, to sneak into another hidden village like this." She said. Shizune looked at her in bewilderment, and nearly had a heart attack as a man appeared perched on the windowsill. He was dressed in black with a long over coat, gloves and vest. His head was bandaged from his eyes up, his village headband resting just above his nose. Stranger still about the man's appearance was they was the darkness seemed to linger around the man like a living thing.
"I apologies for my rudeness Lady Hokage, but I'm afraid I did not have time to wait with proper protocol." The man said.
Tsunade gave him a half-hearted glare as she turned to face him. "Who are you and why are you here?" She asked him.
The man bowed respectfully to her and spoke. Keeping his head lowered the entire time. "My name is Ikino, I need to talk to you about the two Kusa Nin you picked up recently." He told her.
Tsunade eyed the man curiously. "And what does a Shinobi from Yorugakure have to talk about a pair of Kusa missing Nin?" She asked.
"We believe that they were working for a former Night Shinobi named Isalla." Ikino told her. "He went rouge some weeks ago and we believe he has been making a rag tag company of missing Nin from all of the villages."
"For what purpose?" Tsunade asked.
Ikino shrugged. "We don't know if he has his own plan or is just trying to survive at this point, but he is a dangerous man to be sure. Several rather powerful missing Nin have already joined his company and we believe it is only a matter of time before he makes a move."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed in thought for a moment as she dissected the information that Ikino had given her. "So why tell me?" She asked.
"The Yorukage has tasked me and my squad with finding him and considering these Kusa Nin are our best lead for now we will be going through the land of fire quite thoroughly in order to locate him. As such I deemed it appropriate to inform you of my team's movements through the surrounding country side. Considering the two Nin were found near Konoha it is likely that our best leads will come from a thorough examination of the surrounding area." Ikino answered.
Tsunade nodded. "Very well then I'll allow your cell to continue your investigation, but only your cell I'll also be posting a black ops unit to keep an eye on you as long as you're in the Land of Fire." She told him.
Ikino nodded his thanks. "Thank you Lady Hokage." He said bowing again. He reached into one of his coats inner pocks and produced an envelope.
Tsunade took it from him and opened it scanning over the contents.
"That is everything we have about both Isalla and the Shinobi we have confirmed to be working with him." Ikino told her. "If I find anything detrimental to the Land of Fire I shall hand it over to your ANBU agents immediately." He added.
"Awfully kind of you," Tsunade commented.
Ikino shrugged. "Orders from Lord Yorukage." He said. "Yorugakure is a small village and it would be unwise to say the least, to start making enemies of the large more powerful villages like Konoha."
Tsunade nodded as she handed the envelope to Shizune. "Have a bingo book make of the Shinobi in this file and summon Sasuke here immediately." She ordered. Shizune nodded before taking the envelope and rushing out the door.
"Is there anything else?" She asked Ikino.
The man shook his head. "No," He said simply.
Tsunade nodded. "Very well then," She said in a tone that bore the end of the discussion between them as she turned back to her desk.
Ikino nodded and withdrew from her window. She watched him and the three other Shinobi from his squad make for the village exit.
She'd have to talk to Sasuke about upping the village's security as well.
"Sensei, are those the Kyojin no Gyokuza mountains?" Akari asked pointing to the rather impressive mountain range that stood well above the tree canopy. Naruto nodded, "Sure are." He said, "We should get there about midday tomorrow." He said.
Akari let out a satisfied groan, "Finally, I was beginning to think they were a fairy tale."
Naruto gave her a small grin, "Should only take us two or three days to make it through the pass. After that its easy travel through the Land of Planes." He told them.
"Two or three days?" Akari shot back at him.
Naruto nodded to Tsugashi seeing as he was the expert on the matter.
"The only safe passage through the Kyojin no Gyokuza mountains is the Idaina Yuki pass, it's an easy trail – as far as mountains are concerned – however it loops back on itself constantly, that coupled with the altitude makes it a three day trip for a smart traveller. But it can be done in two if we're fast enough." He told her.
Akari let out a groan and hung her head in defeat. Aside from the missing Nin on the first night nothing of any interest had happened. A few bandits had tried to rob them, but they had been dispatched easily. Naruto gave the young Genin a half smile. He was much like her when he was a Genin.
How did Kakashi Sensei ever put up with me? He wondered to himself.
Ikino inspected the ground beneath him; there were clear traces of a small unit moving through here not a week ago. Another Shinobi landed next to him.
"Have you found something Sensei?" He asked.
Ikino nodded. "This is them – I hope. Looks like they're heading south." He said standing up.
"South?" the boy asked. "What's to the south?" He asked.
Ikino shrugged. "Not sure," He answered. "There's the Land of Planes. It's out of the way enough," He began before trailing off.
"Out of the way enough for what?" The boy asked.
"We know Isalla is after money," Ikino began. "If he were to target the Land of Panes their isolation would mean that he would be able to take over the nation or he could just as easily ransom key figures like the Daimyo. The Kyojin no Gyokuza mountains make travel between the Land of Planes and the Land of Fire slow and seeing as they have no costal abilities it would easy to overrun with a handful of elite Shinobi."
The boy nodded. "So should we head for the Kyojin no Gyokuza mountains then?" He asked.
Ikino nodded. "I'll go on ahead. Yin I want you to get Hina and Makabi and follow me at a distance."
"Why?"
"If we're right and he is heading to the Land of Planes, the Kyojin no Gyokuza mountains are the perfect place for an ambush. If that is the case then I'd rather have myself caught in the trap than the three of you. You're my back up on this one." He told Yin.
Yin nodded after a moment of hesitation. "Yes Sensei." He said.
Ikino smiled. "Good, you find the others and then make for the Pass I'll head there immediately.
The two shook hands before departing in opposite directions.
After a night at the inn of the small village at the base of the mountains Naruto and the others set out at dawn in order to make it to the first rest point before night fall.
The climb was long and exhausting, inch by inch and step by step, Akari, Taki and Azuko slogged through the Pass. As they ascended into the mountains it became noticeably colder and before long the wind felt like an icy dagger as it cut thorough everything the three young Ninja put on to prevent the cold.
Fingers numbed and legs burned as they made their way deeper and deeper into the mountains. The Pass was thick at the beginning, but as the group climbed higher the bath inevitably narrowed, but grew thicker as they descended.
The cold wind brought snow from the peaks of the mountains with it, making the path slippery, Akari rolled over another lip of a small rock face and staggered to her feet. She was exhausted just from the climb, and wondered if he would have been able to make the Pass a month ago.
A thought struck her and she reached into her pocked and produced a leaf that she had picked off the trail, just as Kakashi had taught her she ran her Chakra through her hand and into the leaf, it curled in on itself a little and she allowed herself to smile at the progress she had made though the training.
A kunai stabbed into the lip of the path and Akari hobbled over to help Azuko over the lip of the climb. He muttered something about not needing any help so Akari shrugged and let go of his arm. Deprived of the additional support Akari had given him Azuko began to fall backwards down the ledge. Before he had fallen too far Akari grabbed his arm and hauled him up. He grunted his thanks as Akari made her point clear.
After all five of them made it up the short climb they set off once again down the narrow path. The day followed on with more of the exhausting climbs and long paths through the mountains, when Akari heard it, a faint popping sound.
With her ears bundled up in a scarf she wasn't quite sure she had heard it. She glanced back at the group to see if anyone else had seen it, but they all had their eyes downcast as they trudge along the path.
On instinct she looked up and stopped dead. "Sensei!" She shouted over the howl of the wind.
"What?" He shouted back.
"Mountain peaks aren't supposed to get closer like that are they?" She asked.
Naruto looked at her in confusion, as he followed her finger his heart nearly stopped. The group all looked up and had similar reactions.
"It's an Avalanche!" Tsugashi shouted in horror.
"What do we do?" Taki asked.
"We can't do anything." Tsugashi sighed.
"Just stay put." Naruto said. He jumped to the front and handed his bag to Akari. "Hold onto that for me would you," He said.
"What are you doing?" She shouted at him as he began to walk up the side of the mountain.
"I'm going to stop it." He said simply.
"You can't stop and avalanche!" Tsugashi said.
Naruto gave the man a glare. "I don't let my comrades die," He said sharply. "Now just trust me and stay put." He said. He held his hands together and focused his chakra.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" As the smoke cleared five Naruto's ran up the mountain at full speed, two branching off to either side. As the avalanche loomed over them all five clones ran through a series of hand signs in perfect unison.
"Gonna need some help here buddy." He said as he took a deep breath.
"Yea, yea, I got ya." Kurama muttered as he lent Naruto some Chakra for the Jutsu.
"Futon; Sūpā Kyōfū-ryoku no arashi no Jutsu!"
As Naruto exhaled an unbelievably strong wind met the oncoming avalanche and stopped it dead. The other four looked on in awe as with a little extra effort Naruto pushed the avalanche back sending the thick blanket of snow hundreds of feet into the air.
The other four clones vanished and Naruto landed in front of Akari, he took his bag back and smiled at them. "Well let's get going." He said leading from the front this time; "It's only a little further until we reach the first rest stop." He said.
The rest of them followed in silence amazed at just how casually Naruto had been able to rebuff an avalanche with just four clones.
They walked single file for another hour or so, the wind died down and the sun sank under the mountain peaks, bathing the semi valley in darkness. The way point was a small hut built deep within a cave entrance on the side of the trail. Tsugashi set about making a fire as the others flopped to the floor from exhaustion.
And we've got days of this? Akari thought to herself as she lay on the floor. A warm cup nudged the side of her face and she looked up to see Tsugashi resting a cup on her cheek.
"Drink this," He told her. "It should warm you up." He said as he gave Taki and Azuko one. She looked at the cup and the greenish liquid in it. Naruto downed his in one go while Tsugashi sipped his appreciatively.
Shrugging the three Genin took a sip of the greenish brew experimentally.
Devine was not a word that adequately described the drink, it was warm but not hot and it banished the bone numbing cold that had taken root in the young Ninjas bones despite the thick snow gear they had brought at the market town the day before. The taste was wonderful and decedent, sweet on the tongue and playful too.
"What is this?" Azuko asked looking at the cup in his hands.
"Midori tengoku," Tsugashi answered him. "It's a special tea grown in the Land of Planes. Good for revitalising a tired body." He told them.
Taki took another sip of the tea and sighed happily as she felt herself perfectly rested.
"For most people it's the best way to make it through the pass on their first attempt. It revitalises the body and coupled with a good night's rest makes you feel right as rain the next day." Tsugashi explained as he finished his tea. "It's also delicious." He added.
Akari grinned. "That has to be an understatement." She murmured.
The next day carried on in a similar manner. The trek through the mountains was exhausting in the extreme, but the next day seemed to drain them a little less and by the third day they were making good time as they neared the end of the pass.
As they walked the narrow path in the height of the mountain Naruto kept on high alert. He had studied the mountain range in detail, the chances of an avalanche at this time of year were highly remote, not to mention one of that magnitude. This coupled with the event of the two Kusa Nin on the first day had Naruto anxious, he had this nagging suspicion that they were being tailed, but his cones had found nothing when he had sent them out, in mass to scour the mountains.
However as a Jonin and as a Shinobi of his level he knew better than to let his guard down.
It was the sudden and violent explosion of the path that confirmed Naruto's suspicions. He was walking at the rear of the group, Tsugashi in front of him and Azuko and Taki ahead of him with Akari in the lead.
Naruto managed to grab Tsugashi and Azuko before the blast threw large chunks of the mountain in all directions. He saw Akari and Taki get thrown forward by the blast before falling down the mountain side.
He sent three clones after them as he grabbed Tsugashi and Azuko. They were falling fast and Naruto strained his brain to think of a way out. They had been thrown a good fifty feet from the mountain side from the blast and they were several hundred meters above the ground.
He sighed realising Kurama's power was the only way to survive. He drew on the beats Chakra and the orange glow of Kurama's chakra covered Naruto.
He grew a Chakra hand from his chest to grab on to the mountain. "Hold on." He shouted over the rush of the wind to his passengers.
The hand gripped stone tightly and the three began their diagonal descent to the Mountain side.
"Hear it comes." He shouted as they closed on the rock face. He let go of the mountain and grew several more arms to grab onto the mountain to take the impact.
The jarring impact nearly had Naruto drop Azuko and Tsugashi, but he held tight and the group heaved a sigh of relief. Naruto looked down for a trail to land on and saw the end of the pass some two hundred feet below them.
He heaved a sigh of relief as he let them all drop to the path. Naruto couldn't help but laugh as the adrenalin stormed through his body, making him feel more alive than ever before.
The sound of falling stones got his attention and as he looked up he sighed.
"I hate it when I'm right." He said wirily.
All around him, the sixty or so missing Nin only laughed.
Okay so this took me a while to update, but hey its the holidays so meh.
Hope you guys enjoy, it's dragging out I know but I'm trying...kind of...:)
Next chapter soon.
Until next time I wish you all the best.
Yours truly.
Nicolai Grey.