Chapter 7- Deceitful Alliance
~As I chase my dream to become Hokage, sometimes it's so easy to forget the darker aspects of our work. For a shinobi, the mission is everything. We must not only be prepared to kill and be killed… but we must be ruthless enough to allow innocents to die… all for the sake of the mission. We have all sorts of excuses to justify it: 'the many before the few', 'the greater good', 'the death of one to prevent the deaths of a hundred'… but is it something I'm really capable of doing? Can I really turn a blind eye to the innocents who would suffer due to my actions?
-Uzumaki Naruto
(Location- Konoha Village)
Konoha Village has always been a prosperous town, easily one of the most peaceful on the entire continent. A stranger to this place wouldn't believe that half its inhabitants worked as spies and assassins. Right now the sound of tools and construction could be heard all over as the people were hard at work to restore this town to its former glory following last week's… incidents. Authorities have determined that the sudden riot and mysterious fire that engulfed the village was all Orochimaru's doing… much to the relief of the two anonymous genin who caused the whole thing.
At this moment, Hinata was moving silently through the Hyuga main house. She stepped quickly and quietly, trying to be discreet, often looking over her shoulder and hoping not to draw any attention all the while clutching her bag. If anyone found out what she was doing, she could get into a lot of trouble…
"Hinata." the girl froze in place at the call of her name…
"Y-yes… father?" Hinata spoke, turning around and facing her father. Her arms tightened around her pack, though she tried to act natural…
"I have been told you had successfully completed an A-rank mission" said Hiashi, looking down at his daughter with no visible emotion.
"Yes father…" Hinata answered, lowering her head.
"Hmm…" Hiashi closed his eyes and said nothing as he walked past her. He stopped for a moment, not turning to look at her, "Good job." he said, and walked off.
"Whew…" Hinata closed her eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief. Her shoulders loosened and her heart was still pounding. Being in the presence of her father was overwhelming. Usually he wouldn't even acknowledge her presence, let alone talk to her. What happened just now, she assumed was a compliment… but she felt relieved that he didn't find out what she was doing. Smiling, she quickly left the Hyuga compound and started moving through the streets…
"Where are you off to in such a rush?" a voice spoke up.
"Huh? E…EBI-SAN!" She jumped, just noticing him, "When did you get here!?"
"I've been all week… and I'm slightly hurt you've run past me several times a day and not once noticed." Ebi crossed his arms. He was sitting on the ground with his back against a wall. There was a large green cloth spread in front of him, and over it was a large assortment of shuriken and kunai, along with many other tools, weapons and trinkets. "Just trying to make a living."
"A-ano… Ebi-san? If you don't mind me asking… why exactly are you out here, selling weapons on the street?" asked Hinata
"Because that idiot Sasuke burned down my house, my possessions, my research and reduced me to sleeping in a cardboard box!" Ebi growled, pointing at an alleyway.
"(So all those housewives were complaining about him…)" Hinata sweatdropped as she recalled hearing them making a fuss about the homeless moving into the area.
"I'm not exactly suited for field duty. I earn my funding through research grants from Leaf Central… but now that my house and everything in it went up in smoke, so did this year's grant!" He continued to grumbling indiscernible threats about Sasuke, "Ah, don't worry, it isn't too bad! I've got other ways to make income." he added, seeing the look on Hinata's face, "I'm good at crafting weapons… and thanks to all the recent paranoia over Orochimaru, business is booming!" Ebi slid a clay jar in front of him, with the kanji for 'Iron' labelled on. Opening it up, he poured some of the contents into his hands, iron dust… "Stand back…" he released the dust from his hands and quickly performed a series of hand seals… "Katon…!"
Hinata's eyes opened wide, and some passerby's jumped in surprise when fire suddenly enveloped the iron dust. The iron dust was heated to a red-hot temperature by the small but super hot flame, it had melted together. Ebi's hands moved quickly as chakra from his fingers compressed the hot metal without touching it directly. Hinata could see the metal was shaping into a kunai!
A small crowd had gathered to watch him work. Ebi lifted the red-hot kunai with a pair of tongs, and dipped it into a small container of oil to quench the steel. He then quickly pulled the newly hardened steel out of the oil and ran his fingers near the dull edges. Hinata could see the blade of chakra on his fingertips shaving away the excess metal and sharpening it, while Ebi was murmuring a jutsu to draw out the heat. He then wrapped a piece of leather around the handle of the now cooled and completed kunai, "Finished." He said, as some onlookers applauded the performance.
"W… wow…" Hinata was speechless by his skills. The entire process took seconds. In nearly the amount of time it takes a normal man to fish out a kunai from their pack, Ebi had forged one from scratch!
"You'll find them all to be of exceptional quality." Ebi held the kunai by the tip of the blade and presented the handle to Hinata. She accepted the kunai and examined it. Though not a connoisseur of weapons, she could tell the quality of the weapon was above standard-issue. Neji's teammate Tenten would know better. "Since my current arrangements with Leaf Central fell through, maybe I should look into the weapons industry. You go ahead and keep that one."
"Oh… thank you!" Hinata gave a polite little bow,
"You're going to see Naruto right?" he asked, and she nodded nervously. "Tell him to stop by once in a while, I'll upgrade his weapons for a reasonable price… and he'll get even deals if he plans on using those weapons on Sasuke! Heh-heh-heh-heh…!" he started laughing in a really creepy tone… a number of people were staring at him or walking away quickly, the latter action Hinata quickly and eagerly took as she continued running on through the streets…
(Meanwhile)
"Hmm…" Naruto's eyes were closed in deep focus as he stood in his apartment. For the past week, he had not left his house, yet he kept up with his training. Even though he had won the battle against Nergui, he had learned he had a long way to go. He had to get stronger… to protect himself, and his friends.
Throughout this whole week he had been putting all his energy into chakra control, being able to reinforce his body while permitting less wasted chakra. His recent bout had also taught him the importance of maintaining his supply. If he were to fight Nergui again, he mustn't allow his reserves to go empty.
The other reason he hadn't left his apartment also involved his friends… namely, the fear that they'd kill him. On top of locking his windows, he had rigged them a system of bells and some crude traps as a security measure, while the door had heavily reinforced with an extra layer of steel, multiple locks installed and the same makeshift system of alarm bells; all to protect him from their (completely justified) rage.
"Nergui… he wasn't just strong, but the way he handled his demon, it's totally unlike me." Naruto said to himself. He hated to say anything that would praise the man, but he couldn't deny the fact that there was a bond between him and the Mukade. "The demon centipede shouldn't be anywhere near as powerful as the demon fox. But maybe the trust between the demon and the human carrier… maybe that's the secret to their power…" Naruto tossed his shirt aside as he put his hands together and began to focus. Reaching into himself, he was able to draw out some of the fox's chakra. Naruto's eyes moved down at the now visible seal, "I suppose I should try and make friends with the fox (or at least fake it, if it'll mean I'll get more power). I'll start by talking to him…." Closing his eyes, he spoke mentally, "Kyubi… are you there?" there was no response, but Naruto could feel the demon's presence "Can you hear me?"
"Grr… What do you want, brat?"
"(Score!)" Naruto cheered mentally, "You are no doubt aware of the enemies I've encountered, and the one I recently fought"
"All I remember was you were losing the battle to a worthless human and a low-grade demon."
"Bah, don't give me attitude just because you couldn't beat the Mukade!"
"-I- couldn't beat him?! YOU were the one losing while using my powers!"
"I still took him down, didn't I? With my OWN strength no less, along with Hinata! That guy was a really fierce opponent!"
"Fierce opponents indeed… a self-proclaimed immortal and a snivelling insect that willingly serves your race… Had I been in control, I would have torn them apart in seconds, yet you take pride in that embarrassing outcome."
"Oh shut up, you damn parasite. All YOUR bellyaching is making MY belly ache!"
"Definitely regret lending you my powers… I should have taken the centipede-man's offer to rip open your stomach and let me die with dignity."
"Hey! Who do you think you are, stupid fox?" Naruto shouted down at his stomach. Things were not going the way he planned, and now he was arguing with the fox. "You live inside of me, and that makes me your master! What do you say to that?"
"…"
"Yeah, that shut you up! I showed you who's boss!"
"No… I'm just stunned by your stupidity."
"Hey!"
"The Fourth is truly a cruel man… instead of taking me into the Shinigami's belly, an eternity of peace, I had to end up in yours."
"SHUT UP GODDAMMIT!" Naruto shouted and punched himself in the stomach, "AGH…!" he gasped and fell to his knees, doubling over and panting, "H… heh-heh…! How do you like that, stupid fox…!? I bet that hurt didn't it? Keep giving me lip, and I just might take this knife and commit Hara Kiri here and now!"
"Do it… I dare you!"
"THAT DOES IT!" Naruto shouted and raised a kitchen knife into the air… "Hmm?" He suddenly heard knocking on the door.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata's voice could be heard from behind the door. Naruto chucked the knife aside and approached the door. The seal on his stomach vanished as he disarmed the traps and unlocked the door. "Naruto-kun, I brought you the…!" Hinata's eyes suddenly opened wide and she nearly dropped her bag when she saw him.
"Oh, hey there Hinata!" Naruto smiled standing at the door, shirtless.
"…" No words came out. Hinata's face went totally red; she was on the verge of fainting.
"(Hmm? What's with her?)" Naruto wondered, reaching out and pulling on his T-shirt. She did calm down quite a bit… but she looked oddly disappointed about something. "Come on in!" he invited her inside. Hinata nodded nervously but complied, taking a few hesitant steps inside before Naruto closed the door behind them
"(So this is Naruto's home…)" Hinata thought as she looked around. The place was cleaner than one would expect, though not perfectly neat. Unlike her house, Naruto's apartment had a very warm and welcoming atmosphere… she could get used to this… "I… I brought you some food" Hinata remembered, opening up her bag revealing numerous food items, "I'm sorry… I couldn't find any instant ramen though." she said regretfully, wishing she could have brought Naruto's favourite. Cup ramen and other items that could be considered junk food weren't things they kept back at the Hyuga household.
"It's all right!" Naruto grinned brightly, trying to reassure her, "Thank you so much. I'm really, really sorry for asking you to do this" he clapped his hands together and bowed his head. His food supply had run out, and he was scared to leave the house.
"Oh, it's no problem at all" Hinata closed her eyes and giggled, feeling rather proud of her rebellious act of pilfering these items from the Hyuga kitchens. "But are you sure you aren't taking things too far?" she asked, looking at the extra-security measures Naruto had taken on the windows and door, also noticing that kitchen knife that was inexplicably sticking out of the wall.
"If you were around when that angry mob tried to crucify me, you'd be saying I'm not taking it far enough!" Naruto shuddered at the memory… one that would haunt him for a long time. "I won't bore you with the details of my miraculous escape… but since it all happened like a week ago, they've probably calmed down. I'm really hoping they do… since missions are starting again tomorrow…" Naruto sighed. "Sasuke is the one I'm really concerned about. He's not exactly the type who lets things go. Just between you and me, I still think he's holding way too much of a grudge! He didn't get it that bad! According to the doctors, 'one of them' still works!" Hinata blinked, confused by what he meant. "Uh… You brought a lot of food Hinata!" he changed the subject, "Way too much for me to finish all by myself. How about it? Care to join me for dinner?"
"A-Ano…! Umm… I-I-I… ah…" Hinata stuttered, going red like a tomato
"C'mon! Food always tastes better when you eat it with company!" Naruto grinned. Even though it was such a simple request, she could barely work up the nerve to answer…
"Y… yes…" she squeaked, as Naruto carried the items inside.
"Hmm…" After placing them on the counter, Naruto started looking at all the food items Hinata brought him. He had no idea how to prepare most of these. "(Crap… I'm no good at cooking!)" He thought to himself, scratching the back of his head. This was another reason he always made ramen, because it was simple to prepare, but this stuff…
"Um, Naruto? Would you like me to help you?" Asked Hinata, seeing his difficulty
"Oh… n-no!" Naruto said nervously, "I couldn't make you… you're my guest!"
"Don't worry, I don't mind at all" said Hinata as she moved into the kitchen and got to work, feeling rather excited. "Actually, if you want to, there are a couple of things you could help me with." she smiled.
"All right!" Naruto replied, rolling up his sleeves…
(About an hour later)
"Wow! This is really great!" Naruto exclaimed as tasted the food. The two of them were sitting at the table, both enjoying a nice traditional home cooked meal they prepared, "You're really good!" he said, devouring the food as if he was a starving man.
"Thank you…" Hinata went slightly red at the compliment and giggled as she watched Naruto cramming it into his mouth. It was a good thing she made a lot. She was really glad he enjoyed it, "I get a lot of practice making food for my team-mates… though Kurenai-sensei often makes the boys take turns preparing the food, not wanting them to always expect me to cook just because I'm a girl…"
"I tried cooking for the team once. It wasn't pretty." said Naruto as he finished the contents of his plate and began refilling, "I mixed up a clipping from a cooking magazine with a piece from a forbidden ninjutsu scroll… don't ask how, we still haven't figured that part out. As for the results… well… let's just say after it took a swipe at Sakura-chan and we spent the better part of the evening trying to take it down before it could terrorize the neaby towns, we unanimously agreed that I would never cook for the team again." Naruto shuddered at the memory. Hinata actually laughed out loud, but covered her mouth so as not to be rude… though she didn't seem to realize he was being serious.
"AH… that was perfect!" Naruto sighed, leaning back and rubbing his stomach. Hinata too was full. All the food had finally been finished.
"Ano… I'm glad you enjoyed it" said Hinata. She didn't notice she was stuttering less. Getting up from her seat, she began picking up the dishes. Right now, Hinata seemed to feel a lot more comfortable being around him.
"Oh, Hinata, you don't have to do that!" Not wanting to make her do more work, he stood up, reached over the table and grabbed her hand… They both froze, standing there… he still held her hand on his own… "Ah… sorry!" he exclaimed, letting go.
"It's… it's okay Naruto-kun…" Hinata looked down nervously… twiddling her fingers together in her usual style… her cheeks burning red. The warm feeling of Naruto's hand remained, "I-I'll start now…" she picked up the dishes, her earlier shyness seemed to have returned.
"Uh, here! I'll help!" Naruto quickly moved into the kitchen area with her. But for some reason, he was feeling nervous, and he also had this strange feeling when he let go of her hand… regret?
(Later on)
The two of them stood outside in front of Naruto's apartment, it was night time now. "T-thank you for having me over, Naruto-kun" Hinata bowed politely.
"Hey it's nothing!" Naruto replied. "It looks like the break's finally over, and we'll both be starting on our missions again" Hinata nodded, "Hey Hinata! Remember the promise?" he grinned and lifted his pinkie up.
"Yes," Hinata smiled, raising her own and locking it around his. "We'll do our best!"
They said their goodbyes, and Hinata ran off into the night. Naruto sighed as he stood at his door alone… "First time I ever had company… glad it was with her!" he smiled… looking down at his hand, remembering that moment when it held hers… "I really enjoy having her around. She could stay as long as she wanted… I should have told her that. I wish she didn't have to leave…" he started thinking… about how it would be if she stayed with him… "Argh! What am I thinking!?" he suddenly slapped himself in the face. "Can't let myself get distracted! Gotta prepare for missions! Training! Training!" he said as he swung the door shut and returned to his exercises.
(The Next Day)
"Welcome back Naruto!" Sakura said cheerfully to her team-mate as the team walked through the corridors towards Tsunade's office, "You all rested up now?"
"Uh… I'm fine, I guess?" Naruto blinked, rather surprised by Sakura's friendly attitude, considering what he did to Sasuke… speaking of which, the Uchiha stood at the side acting his usual. "Hey… Sasuke?" he leaned closer to Sasuke, "Is something wrong?"
"What do you mean?" asked Sasuke
"Well… seeing how Sakura-chan isn't strangling me with my own entrails right now, it's pretty obvious you didn't say anything to her… but if anything, I expected you to try and kill me! What's up with that?" he asked
"Don't underestimate me." Sasuke scoffed, "I am a ninja. I do not allow my emotions to get the best of me, and I will not disrupt my mission over a petty grudge."
"That's great! So we're cool then?" Naruto asked hopefully.
"No. I'm waiting until after we've completed the mission before I kill you." Sasuke growled.
"I… see…" Naruto sweatdropped and backed away from Sasuke. Sakura blinked in confusion, while Kakashi just continued reading his book.
"Well… I see you're all better now" said Tsunade, looking at Naruto as the team standing in front of her. "That's good, because I've got a big mission for you."
"All right!" Naruto cheered, "Is it another A-rank VIP bodyguard mission?"
"If it is… I just hope it doesn't turn out like our last one." Sakura sighed
"What do you mean?" asked Naruto, scratching his head.
"We were barely ten minutes into the mission before you beat up the VIP!"
"Hey, that punk was asking for it!"
"He was the son of a Fire Country Daimyo!"
"I stand by my statement." Naruto crossed his arms, "Anyways, he still hasn't gotten his memories back, so it's all good!"
"AHEM…" Tsunade cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention. "The mission I prepared for you is different from the usual. The ranking is B, not out of difficulty, but because of its importance. You see, this is a mission of diplomacy…"
"Oh great." Naruto crossed his arms and groaned, "By 'diplomacy', you mean no fighting. You just LOVE sending me out on these stupid filler missions, don't you?"
"Shut up!" She snapped at him and then continued, "For generations, the hidden villages have always been in fierce competition with one another… a competition which has given rise to much hatred and distrust… a sad tradition indeed. However, at this time we and another village have mutually agreed in not wishing to carry this ongoing hatred. This mission we entrust to you…" she placed a briefcase with the Village's symbol on her desk. "These documents will be vital in our effort to form an alliance between the Hidden Leaf Village and the Hidden Mist Village. Your task is to travel to the Water Country and deliver them for the near future treaty signing."
"Wow…!" Sakura exclaimed, this assignment… it was one that would help change the village! "(SCORE! Finally a job that doesn't suck!)" Inner-Sakura cheered
"Not bad." Sasuke whistled. Even the lazy looking Kakashi seemed impressed.
"An alliance? With the Mist…?" Naruto repeated. Unlike the others, he didn't seem thrilled… His expression was that of uncertainty.
Minutes later, the Team had exited from Leaf Central with Sakura holding the briefcase.
"This is so awesome! I'm almost nervous just holding this!" Sakura said happily with a skip in her step. "And she said we can get started right away! Argh! Now why didn't I pack in advance?"
"If I knew we were getting a mission like this, I'd have also prepared." Sasuke sighed
"Huh? Naruto? Is something wrong?" Sakura turned her head. Normally Naruto would be cheering about getting such a cool mission, but he seemed strangely depressed…
"No, it's nothing," Naruto shook his head.
"Hmm…" Sakura thought for a moment… "I know what'll cheer you up! Here!" she thrust the briefcase into his arms, "We'll trust you with the most important job!" Sasuke's eyes opened wide… had she gone crazy!? "Now you get to carry the papers that'll make this alliance final! What do you say to THAT?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"So I get to be the pack mule, along with the knowledge that you'll kill me if I screw this up? Well, how can I refuse such a generous offer?" Naruto laughed.
"Very well. Then it's been decided. Everyone will go gather their supplies and equipment and regroup at the gates in one hour." Said Kakashi.
As the team scattered and Naruto headed back to his apartment, he let out a deep sigh. There was something bothering him about this mission. Though he didn't say anything, he just didn't feel comfortable about it… the thought of going to the Water Country… he remembered someone he met long ago… during his first real mission…
"Do you have a precious person?" Naruto could remember Haku's words. Memories of the mission flooded his mind and the tragic events that unfolded… and the story he was told… "I was born in a small snowy village in the Water Country. I was happy… my parents were very kind people…" those words Haku had spoken when he had been defeated… right before his shocking revelation. "Blood… because of this blood… my father killed my mother… and then tried to kill me."
What Haku said at that time really came as a shock to Naruto. Having never known family or parents, he had always thought of them as people who always love and support their children, never doing anything to hurt them. The idea that a father would try to kill his own family… he never thought possible. Naruto sighed. It's because of Haku's story that he felt uncomfortable about going to the Water Country. Haku was the reason he came up with his own Ninja way, he couldn't help remembering his tragic story… and now they were going to the country he came from. No matter what, he just had a bad feeling about this. However, he couldn't let something like this stop him. Once he packed his supplies, he was off. The group had gathered at the gates. Without further delay, they left the village.
(Location- Water Country, Mist Province)
It has been two days since Team 7 had left the borders of the Fire Country, travelling by foot and by ferry to reach their destination. The Water Country was a very large island off the eastern coast, divided into several provinces, the largest being the Mist Province. Where the names for the country and province came from were of no surprise, the land itself was full of water, it was colder than it was in the Fire Country and this region especially was covered by thick mist.
Right now the group was travelling on a road through a misty forest which would lead them directly to this country's capital city, aptly named the Mist Capital.
"I wonder what the Hidden Mist village is like?" asked Sakura, "Do we even know where the Mist Village is located?"
"That information is classified." answered Kakashi, "We are to travel to the capital of the Water Country to meet with a jounin named Kirishaku who will guide us there."
"Kirishaku? Pfft! Nice name… what, his dad lost a bet when they were naming him?" Naruto laughed as the others let out a sigh. "But I am pretty curious about the Mist Village. I mean… it's not like ours, is it?" He remembered some nasty stories about the way they raised their shinobi.
"None of the villages are like ours, but the Mist is especially notorious. I'll thank you not to act out once we're there." Said Sasuke, "The locals may be distrustful of us at first, but if this alliance is to work, they won't show us any hostility…"
"Scratch that thought, because it looks like we got hostiles!" Naruto pointed ahead, as the four of them came to a stop. Blocking their path was a group of emaciated men, all dressed shabbily and all of them armed.
"They're the ones! They're going to meet Kirishaku!" said one of the men from the shabby-looking band, clutching a ragged old sword.
"Damn leaf ninjas… get out of our country!"
"Hmph… bandits it would seem, and some of the sorriest-looking I've seen yet" Sasuke scoffed. They looked more like a pack of wild animals than a group of thieves
"They sure aren't acting like bandits though…" Said Sakura. Bandits usually ambushed their target with the priority of robbing their victims. But these guys… the way they held their weapons, they were just too ready… it was as if robbery wasn't their goal.
"Does that really matter?" asked Naruto, stepping forward with a smirk, "If they're looking for a fight, they've found one!"
"Hold it." Sasuke stepped in front of Naruto. "You've got a job to do, guarding the briefcase and the papers. I'll handle this…" Sasuke momentarily took a fighting stance, and then darted forwards quicker than anyone could react and struck his elbow right into the face of the nearest man, causing him to fly back. The bandits gasped in shock, but quickly recovered, as one of them attacked from behind with a sword, but Sasuke effortlessly evaded the chipped old weapon and uppercutted him. As more of them tried to attack, he evaded all their weapons while striking back with his fists.
"KYAA! Sasuke-kun, that was so cool!" Sakura exclaimed, clasping her hands together…
"Show-off…" Naruto grumbled.
"First strike, successful" Sasuke smirked with his arms crossed as all of them fell… "What!?" he suddenly exclaimed as all of them started getting back up!
"PWAH!" one of the men spat to the side, rubbing his face where he had been hit. "That was surprising, the kid can really fight."
"He's a ninja… of course he can." another one of them spoke getting up, "But those punches are all show! Compared to Aniki's punches, that didn't hurt a bit!"
"I don't know what kind of weaklings you've dealt with before, but don't mistake us for common criminals!" they all took fighting stances… "HAA!"
(CLANG) Sasuke gasped when he blocked the chipped sword with his kunai, and found himself unable to push back. This man was strong! His eyes caught onto movement, as another one with a knife stabbed at him, Sasuke deflected it with a kunai in his other hand. He growled and spun his arms to break free and then attacked these two, but surprisingly they were able to dodge and deflect his hits!
"Trained fighters?!" Kakashi's single eye narrowed, while Sasuke was occupied with two of them at once, the rest of them came charging towards the group. "Naruto, whatever you do, keep the papers safe!" Said Kakashi as the attackers surrounded them.
Sakura lashed at an incoming attacker, but he quickly swerved out of the way and swung a Kama at her. Sakura gasped as she fell back to avoid his weapon! She growled as they moved fast and circled around her. Sasuke continued to fight two of them at once, both of which were able to stand their ground against him.
Though these men weren't shinobi, their skills were impressive. They clearly knew how to use their weapons and fought as a group against each ninja. It was more than merely ganging up on their opponents, but well-coordinated attacks. Like wolves bringing down a larger beast, they surrounded each one, closing off their escape routes while attacking whenever the ninja showed signs of vulnerability. They even succeeded in drawing blood.
Kakashi slammed the back of his fist against one of their faces, knocking him down. Though these people did have skill and teamwork on their side, those alone could not overcome a jounin of Kakashi's level, as he evaded their blows with the minimal movements and slipped through their guards, attacking with his fists.
"Dammit, they're stronger than they look…!" The swordsman who was fighting Sasuke fell to his knees clutching his bleeding shoulder.
"Giving up so soon?" a voice spoke up… everyone turned around to see the newcomer. All the attackers gasped, the look of hope returned to their eyes.
"Reinforcements!" Sasuke growled as more of these decrepit-looking men with shoddy weapons arrived, bringing their numbers up to almost thirty. Yet all the attention of all the bandits was drawn towards the individual who stood at the front…
"ANIKI!" They all shouted at the man, evidently the leader of this pack.
"Huh?" Team 7 stared at the leader in surprise. Despite the fact that these bandits were calling him 'Aniki' (big brother), he was clearly the youngest of the bunch!
The bandit leader was at most two or three years older than Team 7's genin. His hair was a very dark shade of blue, he was draped in animal hides and by his side he held an incredibly thick iron pole… a spear of some sort. Though the head was covered in leather wrapping, the shaft was heavy enough to be a devastating weapon on its own. More than anything, what really drew their attention was his sheer presence and the effect it had on the morale of his men. They could tell just by looking… he was strong.
The young leader raised the spear in one hand and pointed it at the Konoha Nins. Despite the tremendous weight of the weapon, he was able to lift it effortlessly, "What are you doing? These aren't ordinary people we're dealing with, they're professional ninja! Use your abilities!"
"But aniki…! That's forbidden! If we use them…"
"Now's not the time to worry about that law! If they go through with their mission, we're dead!" The leader glared at Naruto… specifically the briefcase he was carrying. "This is for the sake of our people! We can't afford to hold anything back!" The bandits that fought Sasuke got to their feet while the mob behind him readied their weapons, "ATTACK!" At his command, they all charged at the Konoha nins with renewed energy and confidence… but something was different this time…
"You had your last warning! Time to make an example…!" Sasuke quickly formed the hand seals, "KATON! GYOKAKYU NO JUTSU!" From his mouth he released a ball of flames. Instead of scattering, one of the attackers suddenly sprinted ahead of the crowd and leapt into the fireball, taking the full hit! "Nani!?" Sasuke gasped as the man who took the full brunt of his jutsu charged straight at him despite being on fire!
"You can breathe fire?! SO CAN I!" With his body still covered in flames, the burning man opened his mouth and unleashed flames every bit as intense as Sasuke's!
Sasuke gasped as he dove out of the way to avoid the fire, feeling the intense heat as it passed him. Immediately another attacker suddenly grew enormous spikes from his arm and started swinging at him, trying to rip him apart! Sensing that Kakashi was the strongest, most of the men charged towards Kakashi, all brandishing powers of their own!
"What is going on!?" Sakura exclaimed when her remaining opponent's eyes flashed into a different colour… and the sight of him began to flicker like a mirage, fading away and vanishing from sight. "AH!" She exclaimed when a thin cut appeared on her arm… her opponent had literally become invisible! "What sort of jutsu are they using!?" she yelled out, not recognizing anything these men were doing. Some were controlling elements, some were transforming their bodies, but none of them were performing any sort of chakra hand signs!
"These aren't ninjutsu… they're advanced bloodlines!" Kakashi exclaimed, quickly and carefully evading the attacks as six of them came attacking him at once.
"Are you kidding?! You're saying they ALL have powers!?" Sakura gasped when suddenly she saw the leader moving… "SASUKE-KUN! WATCH OUT!"
"What!?" Sasuke turned his head as the bloodlined attackers quickly scattered to get out of the way, and the leader came charging straight at him! "HA!" Sasuke struck his fist against his face… stunning him for a moment.
"RHAAA!" the boss ignored the pain and struck back with even greater force. Sasuke had barely enough time to guard against the blow, and was thrown back by the force of this man's fist! The bloodline leader then let out a loud roar as he gripped his heavy iron spear with both hands and swung it through the air…!
CRASH!
Sasuke's eyes opened wide as he sat on the ground. The spear had narrowly missed him and passed over his head… while a tree behind him had been smashed in half!
"You're not the one I'm after." The leader scowled, and turned to Naruto… his eyes focused on the briefcase he carried… "YOU!"
"NARUTO! WATCH OUT! HE'S AFTER THE PAPERS!" Sasuke shouted as the pack leader darted in his direction, swinging the heavy spear again. Naruto dropped the briefcase, raised both his arms in a defensive stance and quickly channelled his chakra…
"What?!" the pack leader shouted, when the solid iron pole struck Naruto's arms. The blonde genin's body slid a full ten feet away, but he was still standing!
"Shit…! That hurt!" Naruto growled as his arms trembled. The briefcase was still underneath his foot, he had used chakra to hold it there.
"Impossible…!" the pack leader growled, but a smirk crossed his face "You're not just a normal guy, are you?"
"In more ways than you can imagine" Naruto grabbed the briefcase and smirked back at his opponent. "Not bad! That had to be the second hardest hit I've taken this week!"
"I only came for the papers, I have no interest in taking your life!" he took a fighting stance, "But if you won't surrender them, then prepare yourself!"
"All right!" Naruto formed a seal with his hand, creating a shadow clone. Tossing the case in the air, his clone caught it and ran to safety. "LET'S GET WILD!"
At that moment… Naruto's teammates were also fighting fierce battles of their own.
"Face it! You can't win!" The flame-wielder laughed as he kept swinging at Sasuke with his now red-hot sword. The ninja was desperately avoiding his weapon, the kunai he held had been chipped and melted, and if that burning blade hit him directly, the wounds inflicted would be excruciating. The other attackers who had been aiding that man in the fight against Sasuke had backed off, not wanting to risk being hit by those wild and random swings. Suddenly, Sasuke tripped on a tree-root and fell back! "NOW TO FINISH YOU OFF!" he roared as he lunged down at him
"Amateur… totally fell for it" a smirk crossed Sasuke's face as he pushed against the ground with his hands, his foot shot upwards and connected with the man's chin, causing him to drop the sword as he flew upward into the air… Sasuke immediately sprung off the ground and leapt high into the air… "SHISHI RENDAN!" he shouted as he continuously struck the now helpless wielder of the fire power… finishing him off with a strong heel drop as he hit the ground. "Hmph…" Sasuke crossed his arms and turned his back at the defeated opponent, "You are too dependent on your powers. Randomly swinging a flaming sword like that… you were more dangerous when all you had was that rusty katana." He then turned to face the rest of his enemies…
"So your power lets you bend the light around you, making you invisible huh?" Sakura asked as she moved back. There was no reply… "HAAA!" she shouted, punching the air in front of her… her fist connected with something…!
"ARGH!" the man with the invisibility power fell back and suddenly became visible once more… "H… how… did you see me?"
"Invisible or not, you've got no concept of stealth. With the way you stomp around, you might as well be wearing a flashing neon sign!" Sakura declared as the light-bending rogue quickly flashed his eyes again, turning invisible once more to attack… "You think you can stand up to Sakura's HAMMER OF KNOWLEDGE!?" she delivered a crushing blow from her forehead. The young fighter's invisibility faded as he was blown away by the power of the headbutt. "(HA! How do you like me now, BITCH?!)" Inner-Sakura cheered.
"I'll give them one thing, they're really tenacious." All around Kakashi, the bruised and battered rogues were struggling to continue. Normally a single hit from Kakashi could leave a man unconscious for days, but these people kept getting back up, "These men aren't fools. They know they can't win… so just what is forcing them to keep on fighting?" In their eyes, he couldn't see any sign of greed… but fear and desperation.
(Meanwhile)
"HAAA!" Naruto and the leader of the pack were still locked in a fierce battle. In their fighting, they had gotten separated from the rest of the group. The area surrounding them had been totally levelled, trees had been smashed and the ground ripped apart, while the two of them continued striking at each other, taking powerful blows and returning them with equal force! Neither of them was going to back down!
"(Damn…! This guy… he's really strong…!)" Naruto thought to himself as he panted, wiping blood off the side of his mouth. Even with the body-strengthening techniques this punk was pushing him to the limit!
"(What's with him!? He just won't go down!)" The pack leader was also sweating. He had fought plenty of opponents from rogue samurai to missing-nin, and few remained standing after the first hit, none of them not without severe injury… but this kid was the only one to have ever shrugged it off completely!
"(That strength of his isn't normal… nowhere near Nergui's, but he's got the speed to make up for it.)" Naruto wiped some blood off his lips, "(The way he fights is so wild and aggressive, he's even more undisciplined than me! Is he self-taught?)" Naruto scowled at the pain from some well placed punches… "(A natural-born fighter, huh?)"
"(Someone of his level… I can't afford to hold back, not when there's this much on the line.)" He stared at Naruto… someone even younger who is able to challenge him to this degree… "Hey… you." he spoke up, looking at Naruto, "What's your name?"
"Uzumaki Naruto! Konoha Genin and future Hokage!" Naruto answered, "You?"
"Mizurei… Encampment 6 denizen and de facto leader." he introduced himself
"Now that introductions are out of the way, let's get some things straight," said Naruto, "If money's the reason you're attacking, then you've come after the wrong people. We're ninjas, and we're in the middle of an important mission!"
"You got it all wrong. We have no use for your money. We only want those papers." said Mizurei, "This is your last chance. Drop the briefcase and leave this country, otherwise I'll be forced to kill you in order to take them!"
"I don't know why a punk like you wants these papers, and frankly I don't give a damn. Bring it!" Naruto motioned with his hands, daring him to attack
"You have been warned…" Mizurei growled as he struck the base of his spear on the ground, pulling off the cloth covering the point of his spear and tossed it aside. He shifted his feet and took a new fighting stance. "RHAAA!" Naruto's eyes opened wide when Mizurei suddenly darted towards Naruto, his spear shot forward…
-CRACK-
"Holy shit…!" Naruto gasped as he looked to the side. He had just barely evaded the spear. The tip of it struck against the tree. Unlike before where the trees were always smashed apart, this time the branches didn't even shake… the thrust was so strong, fast and clean that he blasted a perfect circle right through the tree.
"You're lucky you chose to dodge that one" said Mizurei, pulling the spear back and glaring at Naruto, "If you took that hit, you'd be breathing through a new hole going right through your neck." he easily twirled the ultra-heavy weapon between his fingers and struck forward again, before Naruto could dodge!
"GRRR…!" Naruto growled, his teeth clenched tight, and blood dripped to the ground. Mizurei had put so much force into that stab… and it had taken all his strength, but Naruto had stopped the spear, catching the tip with both his hands. His feet were rooted to the ground, as his fingers bled from gripping the sharpened point.
Mizurei's eyes narrowed on Naruto. Suddenly he pulled the spear back, and Naruto who still held on tight, stumbled forward into Mizurei who slammed his fist into his stomach. "AAAAGH!" Naruto screamed, his shoulders hunched and mouth fell open as he felt the fist collide with his stomach, the shock surged right through him. He was thrown right off the ground and landed more than ten feet away.
Naruto was gasping for air, his stomach was in tremendous pain, and he could taste bile at the back of his mouth. Naruto rose to his feet, only for Mizurei to slam down on his head with his fist, followed by a savage kick that slammed upwards against Naruto's jaw. Naruto stumbled back, reeling in pain. "Ninja or not, I won't lose to anyone in a brawl!" Mizurei shouted as he continued his ferocious attacks.
"Kuso…!" Naruto growled. This guy was bigger and stronger than him, and he wasn't giving Naruto the chance to reinforce his body with chakra. Mizurei had the clear edge in close combat, and Naruto knew he had to put some distance between them! As he moved back, his hands reached to his pouch, but Mizurei's eyes didn't miss the movements, and he wasn't about to let Naruto get any weapons… Mizurei dropped his spear and suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Naruto's jacket with both hands before pulling him in for a headbutt! "UNGH!" Naruto exclaimed when Mizurei's head collided with his face, and left him seeing stars.
"I asked you to give up, and I'm through with being polite!" Mizurei glared at him, and Naruto's eyes opened wide as Mizurei pulled his fist back. It seemed like the very mist in the air was being drawn in by his hand, changing into water and then freezing into ice… it was his bloodline ability! "KURAE!"
"AAARGH!" Naruto screamed as he was thrown right off the ground and sent flying through the air. His body hit the ground hard. He lay there, only to scream out again as Mizurei stepped down hard on his chest.
"It's over" Mizurei spoke bitterly, pinning Naruto down with his foot, holding his spear over his neck. Naruto was at his complete mercy, any move he made would result in him getting skewered through the neck… "You lose."
Naruto opened his eyes and then stuck out his tongue, "That's what you think!"
"URGH!" Mizurei gasped as he suddenly felt a heavy impact on the side of his head, it knocked him off balance and he stumbled to the side, feeling the pain "WHAT!?" Before Mizurei could find out what hit him, Naruto suddenly sprung to his feet and punched upwards against his chin with all his might.
Naruto continued to pummel Mizurei, punching him across the face again and again, and then suddenly sprung off the ground and slammed his knee right into his face! Mizurei gasped as he stumbled backwards, staggering and barely able to stand, when Naruto suddenly grabbed his head with both hands… "LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT!" he shouted, delivering a mighty head-butt into Mizurei's face, returning the favour. It was Mizurei's turn to fall on his back, writhing in pain while gripping his face. "(Pant… pant…) too bad you forgot about him!" Naruto smirked as he pointed with his thumb to an exact copy of him standing right behind him.
The clone Naurto had formed earlier to carry the briefcase had kicked Mizurei in the head and gave the real Naruto the chance to attack. But despite the beating Naruto had delivered, he wasn't in the best of shape. Naruto was sweating heavily and breathing hard, and Mizurei was getting back up!
"You're tougher than I gave credit for." Mizurei smirked, using his spear for support, and let out a cough. Mizurei's eyes were squinted from the pain as blood dripped from his nose and mouth. "(Dammit… this guy's still able fight after I hit him so hard?)"
"I should be the one saying that" Naruto smiled back, unable to fully stand straight, his clone was supporting him. Like Mizurei, he had also taken so much damage "(This guy's still standing after all that!?)"
"(Just what the hell is he!?)" The two of them wondered at the same time.
Naruto growled, and tried to step forward… "Ungh…!" he gasped, his head hurt tremendously and he felt extremely dizzy, grabbing onto a tree before he fell. His head was spinning, and a moment there he had nearly lost consciousness.
"It looks like… we're both at our limits… doesn't it?" Mizurei was panting..
"Yeah… it's too close to call… we're too equally matched." Naruto replied
"Too equally stubborn is more like it. But I've got a job to do, and this fight has gone on too long. I'm ending this in one final shot" said Mizurei, coughing again.
"I agree!" Naruto nodded as he began to release chakra from his right hand. Naruto closed his eyes, and focused with his remaining strength while his clone rushed over and began to release its own chakra into Naruto's palm. With his head still spinning from all the vicious blows, he needed all the help he could get to perform this technique. He and his clone focused on the movement of chakra, the rotation, the speed, and the shape…. His eyes shot open "RASENGAN!" swinging his hand into the tree, chunks of wood and sawdust flew everywhere. There it was, spinning fiercely in his hand, the Rasengan.
"Impressive…" said Mizurei, staring at the orb of wind… his grip tightened around his heavy spear, "Let me show you mine… HAAA!" concentrating, water began to gather… surrounding the point of his spear… spinning like a vortex! "KOGOESHINU! (FREEZE TO DEATH!)" he shouted as he struck his spear to the side, piercing into a tree. From inside the tree, large spikes of ice burst out, ripping it apart! Naruto stared at the destructive effects of that attack. "This is my power… absolute control of water. I can summon and alter it at my will. Whenever I used this power in battle… I have never lost."
"Hey, Mizurei…" Naruto's expression changed. For the first time he called him by name. "That power of yours… are you by any chance related to someone named Haku?"
"Never heard of him… but it's possible. Most of us share the same ancestry." said Mizurei, shifting his feet and pointing his spear forward, "Uzumaki Naruto, I got nothing against you… but for the safety of my people, I have win."
"I'm a ninja, and I got a mission to accomplish. I can't let anything stand in my way. Even if I have to crawl over to that city a bloody corpse dragging behind me that stupid briefcase, I'll do it." Naruto glanced at that briefcase that lay behind him…
The two stood facing one another… neither of them moved a muscle, as a cold wind blew… suddenly the two of them sprung forward!
"RASENGAN‼"
"KOGOESHINU‼"
"DOTON OUGI: IRON WALL!" a voice shouted… and suddenly a thick wall of metal appeared between the two… both their attacks hit the obstacle. Where the metal had been hit by Naruto's Rasengan, it had been violently twisted and torn. Where it had been pierced by Mizurei's Kogoeshinu, the metal had been heavily warped and ripped apart from inside by many ice spikes that had formed.
"WHAT!?" both Naruto and Mizurei exclaimed, as the iron wall still stood, separating the two… and turned around to see who used it. Naruto's jaw dropped, "EBI!?" Ebi stood there, his hands forming a seal. His face was red and he was panting heavily as sweat ran down his face… "When the HELL did you get here!?" Naruto shouted, pointing at him
"Stopping you two from killing each other…!" Ebi replied, standing there… though he started to wobble a bit from exhaustion. "It looks like I made it… just in time."
"Wait… don't tell me you actually followed me all the way here!" Naruto exclaimed, and Ebi gave a nod… "DAMN! I mean, I already knew you were a total shifty weirdo, but just… damn…! You stalked me all the way into another country!?"
"Shut… up…!" Ebi gasped, glaring at Naruto. He had used up a great deal of chakra to perform that technique to stop the two from fighting. He had barely anything left. "Do you… have any idea… what you were doing?! Why you were even fighting in the first place?" Ebi snapped at him, though he looked ready to pass out… "What's happening right now… do you even stop and think for a second, rather than just jumping in at the first sign of battle!?"
"Uh…" Naruto had no idea what Ebi was talking about
"This mission… there's far more at stake than you realize…!" Ebi collapsed to his knees and panted. It had taken a lot of energy to catch up with Naruto's team, and even more to perform that jutsu. These two factors were taking their toll on him. Naruto stood there, confused by what Ebi was saying. "This fight… was completely meaningless!"
"I don't know who you are, but from what you're saying… I don't think you're an enemy." Mizurei said as he lowered his weapon. Judging by the newcomer's words, this Ebi person seemed to know what was going on. "You are right about us suddenly attacking without warning… but we had a reason"
"And just what is it?" asked Naruto
"Those documents!" Mizurei growled, pointing at the briefcase, "The papers you're carrying in that case mean certain death for me and my people!"
"Just what are you talking about?" wondered Naruto. True, he had heard Mizurei mention a couple of times some stuff about his people being in danger… but what harm could an alliance with the Leaf do?
"Listen…" Ebi got both their attention. He had finally caught his breath, "Rather than fighting each other without explanation, I suggest we talk peacefully."
"Alright. We'll talk…" Mizurei nodded, and slung the spear across his back. "But first, we have to stop the others from fighting. Come quickly."
Hindered by exhaustion or injury, the three of them hurried as much as they could through the misty forest to the area where Team 7 and Mizurei's gang had clashed earlier. Earlier, the forest was full of noise and the sounds of battle, but it had become quiet… save for the sound of talking…
"Team 7 sure is soft!" a loud, obnoxious voice spoke. It didn't belong to any of Naruto's teammates, but it was definitely familiar… "Look at you! Having this much trouble against a bunch of weaklings like this? I took each one out in one hit!"
"Yeah, I'll bet it'd be real hard for you to knock them out after WE went through the whole painstaking process of actually fighting them!" Sakura's voice retorted.
"Still, it was kinda strange of that Ebi guy to tell us to hold back… I mean, if these are just bandits we're dealing with then who cares what happens to them?"
"Hey, watch what you say about my people!" Mizurei growled as entered the scene, hearing what that person said. The ninjas were relatively fine, but Mizurei's entire band lay either unconscious or tied up. They had fought hard, pushing themselves to the limit until they were finally brought down by the arrival of ninja reinforcements.
"Hmm?" the person talking turned around and noticed Mizurei, along with Ebi… and Naruto's eyes opened wide when he saw who it was
"KIBA!?" Naruto exclaimed, seeing the fanged genin standing there talking with Sakura. "What are you…! But if you're here then…" looking to the side, he saw the rest of Team 8 standing there… Shino, Kurenai, and Hinata! "Why are you guys here?!" Naruto exclaimed, looking at all of them
"A-ano… Naruto-kun… we… Ebi-san hired us" Hinata said nervously
"It was important that I find you quickly, and Team 8 is the best at tracking." Ebi nodded, and Naruto looked at him. "Listen… I'm sure everyone is confused right now. Let's all move on somewhere, so we can straighten things out"
(Location- Encampment 6)
"(What is this place?)" Naruto wondered to himself as the ninjas passed through what appeared to be a gate. Mizurei had led them to a village of some sort. No… village wasn't the right word to describe it. This was an extremely run-down settlement, consisting of many decrepit houses all surrounded by a rickety fence. Painted outside the fence was a large red number 6. The houses here were all built shabbily and practically falling apart.
In the distance they could see a massive city, many times the size of Konoha Village. This was the capital of the Water Country, where Naruto's group should have been heading. They also noticed several other run-down settlements like this one, all of them had numbers running down to 1 which was the closest to the capital, while this one, number 6 was the furthest.
"Welcome to Encampment 6. The sixth site the damned call home." Said Mizurei, placing his hand on the wooden outer wall, his face showed no emotion. He then turned back to the entrance and motioned them to follow.
This place was filthy, not even fit for prisoners of war. It definitely did not look like a safe place, with all the weather-beaten shacks and makeshift homes. More than that, it seemed to be deserted. "Hmm?" Naruto blinked, sensing someone was watching him and turned around, looking at a house. For a second Naruto could see children peering through a window, but quickly ducked their heads when spotted. Naruto noticed the others were also glancing around. Even though they couldn't see everything, the ninjas could sense movement and shuffling all around them… they were being watched.
"They're wary of strangers… nothing good has ever happened whenever we get visitors." Mizurei spoke as they continued walking; finally reaching a shack made of wood and sheet metal, with an old dirty curtain for a door. "Come in."
The inside of Mizurei's cabin was no less depressing than the outside. It was cold and dark, kept lit by a grimy window that let in only a small amount of light. There was no furniture, just a stone circle for a fire in the middle of the floor. Mizurei rested his iron spear on the ground and then sat cross-legged on the ground. He poked a stick at the embers and threw on a piece of wood to light the fire. They all began to seat themselves around the fire pit, Hinata seated herself properly on her knees, as did Sasuke and Kurenai while the others sat normally. Caring less for manners, Kiba and Naruto simply let themselves plop to the ground and slumped across the floor.
"So now you'll explain just why you and your band of thugs attacked us?" Sasuke crossed his arms and glared seriously at Mizurei. He for one did not trust him.
"The reason I attacked you was to protect my people." Mizurei looked down and sighed. "In these camps… all six of them… everyone carries an advanced bloodline." At that statement, everybody's eyes opened wide.
"That can't be right!" exclaimed Sakura. "Everyone in your group having powers was outrageous enough… but an entire town!?" based on the number of houses, there had to be over a thousand people living in this camp alone! "More than that, you said there were five other camps? How could there be so many!?"
"Despite the prejudice it's famous for, it is out of cruellest irony that the Water Country has by far the highest Bloodline population in the world." Ebi explained. "In the civil wars that ended over a century ago, Advanced Bloodlines were seen as the most valuable of weapons. The wars spanned generations, and many of those carrying powers were used as breeding stock in order to create as many soldiers as possible." His eyes turned to Mizurei, Hinata and Sasuke. "As the wars came to an end… the many lingering bloodline soldiers became feared, to the point they were blamed for the war itself. In order to survive in this era they were forced to keep their powers hidden. Even to this day, the fear is so tremendous that if exposed, they would be killed on sight." Naruto glanced to the side and noticed Hinata shift uncomfortably at that revelation…
"But if what you say is true… Why these encampments?" asked Sakura. "Surely with the danger of having advanced bloodlines, you'd all be scattered across the lands and living in secret, not clustered in settlements like this!"
"This country has undergone some drastic changes." Mizurei closed his eyes and sighed. "We were not always isolated in these camps, just a few months ago we were all living as free citizens all over the country… but that all changed, because of Kirishaku." his eyes narrowed and fists clenched at the mention of that name.
"Kirishaku… hey, he's that guy we were supposed to meet! Isn't he?" asked Naruto, remembering that name "Just who is he?"
"A Jounin of the Hidden Mist, and younger brother of this country's Shogun." Said Ebi
"He's the SHOGUN'S brother!?" the Konoha Nins gasped at that statement. All of the major countries were divided into several smaller provinces ruled by Daimyos (Feudal Lords). Every Daimyo held military power and command over their territory, but the supreme, undisputed ruler of the country that all the Water Daimyos bowed down to was the Shogun of the Mist!
"He is next in line for the throne. Right now he holds arguably more influence than any of the Daimyos in this country, even the Mizukage. And to make matters worse, there is no one more prejudiced against Advanced Bloodlines than him." Ebi finished.
"Kirishaku… he is the one that put us in this state. There has been a recent advancement in local technology… new devices that can detect our presence and alert everyone. 'Lanterns of Truth' as he calls them…" Mizurei growled. "They have proven one hundred percent effective at detecting us. Kirishaku had these lanterns distributed all across the country. Every city, every town… and before long, every single one of us had been exposed!" Everyone listened, and Sasuke and Hinata seemed particularly still.
"Normally… when one of us is revealed, we are immediately killed… but the invention had worked too well. The lanterns revealed to everyone that there are far more of us living in this country than anyone had realized. Over generations that had passed since the war, we lived in secret among society, integrating with it… right now a good percentage of the population has advanced bloodlines. Even they are unwilling to execute us all… most of them at least." He growled, "Instead, we have been rounded up from all over the country, stripped of all our rights and freedoms, and forced to live in these filthy camps outside the capital city to fend for ourselves, where we can easily be monitored… but more importantly… face swift justice." His tone darkened on that last word.
"…justice?" Naruto repeated, his eyes narrowing. He knew perfectly well where this was going… but he had to hear this for himself…
"Anyone with an Advanced Bloodline who is accused of a crime will immediately be put to death, regardless of the severity and without trial." Said Mizurei. There was a number of gasps. Unknown to the others, Naruto's fists were tightening…
"This revelation has taken more than just our homes. Those of us who are married and started families have done so with normal people… yet fear has overcome those bonds. Spouses reject one another… parents turn their backs on their own children… all for a superstition from an age long past! It's all because of Kirishaku!" Mizurei shouted, punching the floor. "His campaign against us is why we have to suffer! He keeps fanning the flames and exacerbating their fears! We have no rights, no protection, and in their eyes we're not even human!"
"H-how… can anyone treat people like this…!?" Hinata trembled, clasping her hands
"It's terrible… when the ignorant hold power they do everything to make others follow their example." Ebi crossed his arms, "I came here as fast as I could to stop Team 7, as soon as I learned the details of their mission. I hired Team 8 on a tracking mission to find you as quickly as possible…" He straightened his glasses in his usual fashion, "There was no way for you to know what you would be doing should this mission be accomplished… just who you would be hurting. While the Water Country is notorious for its hatred of the bloodlines, the situation is worse than ever. Right now, the tension is mounting between the divided sides… with the way the bloodlines are being treated now… they may soon revolt."
"I just can't stand it… why are we being treated this way!? There's so many times when I just want to… GRR!" Mizurei shut his eyes in frustration… but then sighed and calmed himself… "But no… I can't. I have a responsibility. We who have been exiled from society now live in a world without law, and in such a world the rules are simple… the strongest are in charge." He explained, "I've been made the leader, and no matter which of the six camps people reside, they all follow me. It's for that reason precisely that I must remain calm. If we were to lash out with our powers, they would retaliate with military force. Even with our powers, there would be enormous bloodshed and loss on both sides."
"But soon, it might not even matter." Mizurei looked down and grimaced, "Because of our ongoing treatment, anger is growing… to the point where it will outweigh sense. No matter how hard I try to keep things peaceful, it feels like another war is inevitable… between us who carry the Bloodlines… against the Normals who despise us."
"GRRRR…" everyone heard someone growling, and turned around to see Naruto. He sat there, facing the ground and trembling…
"Naruto-kun…?" Hinata asked in concern as Naruto trembled even more…
"I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!" Naruto suddenly roared, causing everyone to jump back. Without warning, he slammed the briefcase in front of him and swung it open. Seeing the alliance papers inside, he grabbed them and before anyone could react he tore them in half and flung them into the fire!
"AH…" Everyone stared in shock at what Naruto did… There was a moment of silence as the alliance papers shrivelled up and burned in the fire… Sasuke and Sakura stared with their mouths and eyes wide open, and Kakashi's only visible eye was open in shock of one of his subordinates deliberately failing their important mission. Those from Team 8 also stared at Naruto. All was silent, until a loud yell was suddenly heard…
"NARUTOOOOOO!" Sakura shouted at him, but Naruto seemed completely unfazed… he didn't even seem to hear her, "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE!? YOU JUST FAILED OUR MISSION!"
"Argh…! I knew it was a bad idea letting you take care of the papers!" Sasuke slapped himself in the face… as Kakashi stood up.
"I am very disappointed in you, Naruto." Kakashi spoke, his arms crossed, his normally-lazy eye completely focused on Naruto. "You deliberately failed our mission in forming an alliance with the Hidden Mist Village" Naruto simply scoffed… he obviously didn't care. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?" Kakashi's eye narrowed angrily.
"It was for a good cause." Naruto said flatly.
"For a good cause… FOR A GOOD CAUSE!?" Sakura got angry, "What were you thinking!? I always thought you were just a klutz… but now I see you really are a total moron!"
"You are lucky to be from the Leaf. Had you hailed from any other village, the punishment would be all the more severe." Kakashi crossed his arms sternly, "What you just did is a completely disgraceful act as a shinobi and…"
"Shut up…" Naruto looked down, clenching his fists harder while his team continued to criticise him… "EVERYONE JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!"
Naruto's second outburst sent the three back in shock, not believing that he, the same blonde-haired, hyperactive, loudmouthed, deadlast shinobi not only committed something as bad as deliberately failing a mission, was now actually telling them to shut up. Sakura suddenly got angry again, and yelled, "What did you just say you…"
"You shut up too Sakura!" Naruto suddenly cut her off, "I've had it with you and all your criticisms about me! They may call you the smartest on a daily basis, but that oversized forehead of yours is all for show! You don't even realize what's going on!"
"AH…!" Sakura was shocked… hearing those words coming from the blonde shinobi
"What are you talking about? Sasuke looked rather cross, not liking Naruto's tone.
"This whole alliance… it's nothing but a sham!" Naruto said angrily to his teammates, "What's going on in this country… this isn't the first time I heard about it… this is the exact same thing that happened to Haku! This isn't about the peace or friendship between our nations… this is all about the Water Country using us to help oppress the Bloodlines!" Naruto stood up. "They knew from the start that there's gonna be a civil war, and the only reason they'd want an alliance with the Leaf is because it would force us into giving them military support! While WE help protect them against outside threats, THEY'RE free to oppress the Bloodlines all they want! No… more than that! This is about wiping the Bloodlines out for good!" the others gasped, while Ebi closed his eyes and nodded… affirming that Naruto understood the truth.
"…" Naruto's teammates all looked on in disbelief at what Naruto was saying. Sasuke then spoke up… "That's why you destroyed those papers? You hear one sob story and then just came to the conclusion that war and genocide is gonna break out… What the hell are you, crazy!? Even if it were true this isn't something we could handle!"
"Even if it were true this isn't something we could handle!" Naruto repeated in a mock tone, "I thought that out of everyone here, you'd give a damn! You're supposed to have an Advanced Bloodline yourself! I'm starting to wonder if you really are an Uchiha!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Sasuke shouted… grabbing the front of Naruto's jacket… yet the blonde genin showed no expression. Kakashi then placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, pulling him back before he took things any further
"Naruto…" Kakashi spoke, "Even if what you're saying might be true, this matter is something far beyond us." This struck a nerve in Naruto…
"Dammit…! You three are considered geniuses, and yet you still don't get it! This isn't about some damn mission, this is about doing what's right! That city… no… this whole damned country… what it's doing is wrong! PERIOD! This is… this is exactly what Haku told me in our battle at the bridge!" As he remembered what Haku had told him… he was nearing tears… "Haku… he suffered horribly in his childhood… worse than me, worse than ANY of us ever did… all because he was born with his power! That's why his own father murdered his mother when he found out she had a bloodline! That's why he tried to kill him, his own son! And now… I'm hearing the EXACT same story… I… I just can't stand by and do nothing! That's why I did what I did!" Naruto clenched his fists. "I can't stand it… when I see injustice like this… when I see people being discriminated against… suffering for reasons they can't control…! Being blamed for things that aren't their fault…! That's why I also made a promise! To Haku's memory… that I would do everything in my power to make things right! And that's why…" Naruto raised his head and faced his team, his eyes burning with determination, "I'm going to stay here and stop the conflict!"
No one said anything. Everyone stood still, staring at Naruto… even a number of curious villagers were standing outside listening. Naruto's team stood shocked, looking at him like he was crazy. He was suggesting that he would take on an entire country… "Are you completely out of your mind!?" Sasuke exclaimed. "There's no way you can attempt to stop an entire war by yourself… it's suicide!"
"I know. And that's why I need you guys to help me…" Naruto reached out with his hand…
"BAKA!" Sakura shouted, slapping Naruto's hand aside. "You're already talking crazy, who knows what'll happen if we let you drag us any further into this! You better give up on these delusions of yours, because you're already in enough trouble as it is…!"
"Sakura… you are annoying!" Naruto growled… and Sakura's eyes opened in shock… remembering when someone else said the exact same phrase. The utter coldness in his voice and anger in his eyes struck Sakura enough to make her back away…
"Sakura is right, Naruto…" Kakashi stepped in, to Naruto's shock. "This is not something for us to handle. We are ninja, we only do the tasks assigned to us. It is not our place to meddle in the political affairs of another country." he closed his eye regretfully.
"So that's it, huh? They're not paying us, so we won't do it?" asked Naruto, "That's not what you said when we went against Gato's Company in the Wave!"
"We were dealing with a local crime boss and his hired thugs. On the grand scale, the situation is completely different. You're challenging one of the great military powers of the world." Kakashi spoke gravely. This was far out of their league…
"Fine then! If you're all so scared, stay out of it! I'll do it myself!" said Naruto
"WHAT!?" yelled his other teammates
"You heard me! Since you don't want to get involved, you should just run away!" This took the team by surprise, but Naruto wasn't finished. "Get lost! Go to Konoha, or hell for all I care! I don't give a damn if you consider me trash for breaking the shinobi rules… because you guys who won't even lift a finger when these atrocities are happening right in front of you are LOWER than trash!" At those words, Kakashi was definitely shocked… remembering the same expression and similar words once told to him by an old friend. With that, Naruto turned around and stomped off.
"Hold it, dobe." Sasuke said angrily, stepping into Naruto's way, "You're not going anywhere. You already made us look bad enough in front of a crowd, and you are not about to start causing trouble in another country."
"Just try and stop me." Naruto dared Sasuke as he stepped past him.
"With pleasure…!" as Naruto walked past him, Sasuke immediately swung his hand, about to deliver Naruto a swift chop to the back of the neck… "ARGH!" Sasuke exclaimed when his face collided with the back of Naruto's fist, who hadn't even bothered to look back. Sasuke stumbled back, in a daze…
"SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura screamed and quickly kneeled down beside him… Sasuke growled… he wasn't badly hurt. Sasuke had thought Naruto was just being a brainless moron, but Naruto had in fact baited him into running right into his fist!
"Burn this into your heads, because I'm only gonna say this one more time," Naruto gave them one last glare, "I'm not leaving till this country's problem is solved, even if I have to do it all myself!" Naruto put his hands together… and vanished in a burst of smoke.
Everyone stood still, no one said anything, and the silence remained for several minutes… until Kiba finally spoke up, "What the hell just happened?"
(Meanwhile… in the Mist Capital)
"Hmm… where are they?" a lone, middle-aged man stood waiting outside the southern gates of the Mist Capital. His arms were crossed and his face had an annoyed expression. He was wearing the Mist style flak vest, and a headband. He had been standing for hours, waiting for those emissaries from the Leaf Village who were supposed to arrive… What was keeping them? "Hmph, how does one of my standing be given such a menial assignment like this? This is a job for genin… You!" he suddenly turned and pointed at a guard on patrol, getting his attention.
"Sir!" he stood up straight and saluted
"Has there been any news of the squad of Leaf Ninja that are supposed to arrive at the capital?" he asked in an upset tone
"No sir, there has been no sign of the Leaf Emissaries" The guard replied
"Tch…! Get out of my sight" Kirishaku scowled, as the guard did as he was told. "Those damn Leaf Ninjas… no respect whatsoever…" he said to himself. "I don't like this idea of allying with them… our country is just a few steps away from becoming completely pure… yet siding with a village that has no qualms with employing freaks… those people can only hold us back!" Kirishaku glared at the six camps in the distance… why those freaks were still allowed to live was beyond him. "If things had gone my way, those camps wouldn't even be there. All we'd need is a trench large enough to fit the corpses and enough oil to burn away their remains!"
"I like the way you think, Lord Kirishaku." a new voice spoke, with an amused tone.
"Ah, so glad to see you again" Kirishaku turned to face the newcomer. "Seeing you here brings me great pleasure, it is so satisfying to know that such good, decent men still exist in this world…" Turning his head to the gates, strange mechanical lanterns of ornate design were emitting a soft blue light… "If any of those freaks come anywhere near us, these sensors will alert everyone. Such marvellous inventions they are… you have done us great service, far more than those idiots from the Leaf ever could!"
"I am truly honoured by your words, Lord Kirishaku…" Yashiro bowed his head… a wicked smile crossed his lips, "Honoured indeed…"
(Meanwhile, near Encampment 6)
Somewhere in the forest outside the camp, Naruto sat up on a tree branch. Gazing at the sky, he appeared to be deep in thought…
"Naruto." Ebi called, and Naruto looked down, spotting him standing down below.
"Huh? Ebi?" said Naruto, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to tell you that your team has already left," said Ebi. "They have no reason to stay anymore. With the papers gone, they won't even be able to set foot in the city without causing an incident… and the fact that they have an Advanced Bloodline among them definitely isn't gonna help. They'll be waiting for you back in the Leaf for you to 'come to your god damn senses'… her words, not mine… while they try to convince Leaf Central not to declare you a missing-nin." He tried to keep a straight face. "According to them… it's useless to try and change your mind."
"Damn right. They know me all too well." Naruto leaned back with a smirk. "Heh… would you look at that. I probably broke every rule in the book… no doubt about it, I'm in for a shit-load of trouble when I make it back home…" his smile then changed to a solemn expression, "(More like… IF I make it back…)"
"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Mizurei spoke up, and the two turned around to see him. "I don't get it. You're not from this country. You don't even have a Bloodline… So why do you care so much about what's going on?"
"I just can't stand the thought of anyone being unfairly discriminated against. That civil war ended generations long ago… there's no one alive today that even fought in it. The only reason they'd fear or hate Bloodlines is because they were taught to do so." Naruto's eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth unconsciously. Hating someone simply because you were taught by your elders was a particularly sore point with him…
"I guess it all has to do with Haku… heh, when I think about it, I didn't even know him that well, but I understood what he was going through." Naruto reminisced. "I feel like I owe him. If it weren't for him… I wouldn't have created my own way of the ninja…" everyone stood silent. "So Ebi… I guess you and Team 8 will be leaving too?"
"No." Hinata entered the scene. "We are not going anywhere, Naruto-kun."
"I have no intention of leaving. After seeing the noble cause you decided to fight for, I've decided to stay." Ebi smiled, feeling the utmost respect for the genin. "I've sent a request with your team to upgrade Team 8's mission from a C-rank tracking to an A-Rank bodyguard, so as long as I'm here, Team 8 stays… and until this matter is resolved, I'm not going anywhere. I'll see this through to the end."
"Like you said, Naruto-kun… we'll try our hardest on our missions!" Hinata smiled. She could not even begin to express the joy and thankfulness that she could accompany him on this mission. In her eyes… Naruto had just become the most heroic person she had ever seen. "You've taken on your own personal mission, and I will be here to help you!"
"You guys…" Naruto smiled, and hopped down from the tree. "Thank you" They all stood in a circle. Naruto, Hinata, Ebi and Mizurei, "This country is in pain… its people are divided by hatred." He closed his eyes, "It may be an impossible task, but we're likely the only hope this land has left…" he held out his hand, and each of them placed theirs on top of his. "We will stop this war. We will put an end to this hatred. And we will save the soul of this country." Everyone nodded. "I SWEAR ON IT! BY MY WAY OF THE NINJA!"
As Naruto and his companions return to the camp little did they realize the hardships that awaited them. As they seek to end the hatred that has spanned generations, they have yet to learn of the true face of the darkness that had set itself in this land. What are the MaShin doing in this country? Find out next time, on Naruto: Way of the Ninja!
(To Be Continued)