Chapter Eight : The Alliance Stands Strong - You want me to do what?!

The world is becoming such a frightful place. Today was as frightening as it could be. I had to make it back to the Hidden Leaf after delivering an ultimatum to the commander leading Amegakure's army, barely escaping with my life. The rendezvous was in a neutral zone and yet, they managed to break their deal with us. It was the first mission that I've ever had with my sister. Lord Hokage's reasoning with why I had to go with her and her squad was to test my ability to be possibly put into the ANBU. I, for once, was shocked. It was a basic mission after all, not as if I'd be tasked with having to assassinate anyone. The only thing I had to do was a doppleganger disguise. Shikamaru had advised my dad against letting me or Najin go to the rendezvous, but in the end, even the leader of the Nara Clan was overruled. I haven't really mastered the jutsu needed, so this mission is already very risky.

"You want me to do what?!" I was shocked to hear the words out of my father's own mouth.

"I want you to go with your sister and the ANBU squad to deliver an important message to the commander of Amegakure's army. Is there a problem?" Naruto asked me.

"Oh, of course not. But sis, you can't be up for this?"

"Oh hell no, I'm not wanting this at all. I even tried arguing with him, but he threatened to put me on desk duty for six months if I didn't comply," Najin said.

"I'll put you both on desk duty if you don't follow this. I'm not only your father, you know. I'm also the Hokage," he said with a smirk on his face.

I thought for a moment, maybe he would think against using us in this mission. But it turned out to not be the case. That was yesterday.

"Kumera! Hurry it up already! We need to make double time to get to the rendezvous point!" Najin screaming at me was proving that this mission was going to be a pain in the neck.

"I'm hurrying up. Do you want me to fail or not?!" I spouted back. I was trying to figure out a good disguise. I even had to put my hair in a different style than my normal version.

When I looked in the mirror, I was very proud of what I had come up with. "Good, now they won't be able to tell who I am, with or without a mask." I still had to work on the voice. The intelligence the village had received prior to this mission being coordinated was that the Hidden Rain had recorded our voices during the encounters we've had with them. Supposedly there was a high chance they would know in advance that Najin and myself would be a part of the squad meeting up with their commander, but in truth we were the only ones available for this. Since the arrival of the Hidden Sand three days ago, a majority of the ninja in the village were needed to provide assistance to the armies here.

"Do re mi fa so," I said looking in the mirror. Each time I spoke, I changed the pitch in which my tone was spoken. It took a few times before I found one that sounded natural. Najin soon came and pounded on my bedroom door. "Hurry up in there!"

I sighed and walked to the door, opening it, making her fall into my room. "What's your problem, Najin?"

She rubbed her head and stood up, "We just have to meet up with Naname's squad. And they meet very soon."

"Ever since you talked to Naname the other day, you've been mean, sister," I said trying to talk to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, questioning me. Her eyes showed anger and yet confusion to me. I had a way about me that could understand what was going on deep within a person.

"I mean, you are just not being yourself. You're acting like you are not my sister. That's all."

She stood back and fixed her hair, doing the tiger seal to transform into her disguise. "Well, of course I'm not your sister now." She was showing me her fake smile, which I could see through any day.

"You know what I mean, Najin." I continued into the kitchen. Every day Mom was seeming to get bigger.

"I want you girls to be safe, please," Hinata pleaded with us.

"Of course mom. We'll be fine. You just worry about not having the baby before we get back," I said rubbing her swollen belly.

She smiled and blushed, "Oh I won't! He's not even due for a few more months still."

I laughed, "Well, he's wanting to say 'Hello World' right now, with the way he's kicking."

Najin was still acting secluded, which was making our mother mad. And Mom never get's mad.

"Najin, you protect your little sister, you understand me?" There was something about mom's tone that made Najin straighten up, if even for a moment. "Yes ma'am."

We continued out to meet Naname's squad at the ANBU headquarters. I had never been in there myself and it was very exciting. "Do not speak unless spoken to, Kumera," Najin said to me.

I saluted her with my usual attitude, to which she just rolled her eyes. There were so many ninja here and they were all wearing they're masks. I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by Naname appearing behind us. "Yes you will be given a mask of your own, no choice." Najin turned around and hugged her friend. I could sense that even the hug was one of fake happiness. "We're here. We should be going, correct? Who else is going with us?" Najin's questions were returned with a smile hidden behind the mask. I had secretly activated my byakugan so I could tell what her friend's face looked like. Concern. Confusion. Pride. Oh boy, Naname was sure full of emotion today. I couldn't tell whether or not if it was because of being with my sister again on a mission or afraid the mission would fail because of me.

A male ninja showed up and showed me to the mask room. "I know you were told by Naname that you wouldn't have a choice - well part of that is true. We have to have a mask to fit your disguised face as well as testing your ability to hold the doppelganger."

I nodded, listening to how I was supposed to hold the disguise for more than 5 hours. Long enough to go to the rendezvous and back so we're not recognized by any spies along the route. "Do you have any questions for me before I test your chakra control?" the male ninja asked me.

I shook my head no before he started the jutsu to test my control. I felt a tingling in my body from the chakra levels being changed constantly to check on the stability of my disguise. After it was all over, he handed me a mask, "Here. Your own mask. Remember, it's just on loan, so don't let it get destroyed." I took it from him and put it on, before looking in the mirror next to the door to check it out. A wolf style gold mask - special for sure.

He led me back out to see my sister. She was shocked to see the mask, before she looked at her own. "Wow, that's even better than mine," she admitted.

"Oh don't worry, Najin. You'll be receiving a newer one after this mission, per my order," Naname said. Najin gritted her teeth at the notion and that's when I realized what the hell she was so mad about. I smirked. "So Naname is now Najin's boss, heh heh," I thought to myself. I got the worst glare of my life from my sister. She must have heard me grunt from my smirk.

Soon enough we were on our way. Half way to the rendezvous point, I could sense spies hiding out. They must be evaluating to see who we were. I was trying to conceal my massive amount of chakra, which was causing a strain on my body. "Keep calm," Najin said to me. I nodded and we continued about our way. We made it to the rendezvous and were met by a Hidden Rain ANBU, tailed by ten or so other ninja.

"I am Commander Jenju Ookuza. Do you have the message from the Alliance Military?" He held his hand out while Naname handed him the scroll. He opened it up and cackled. "Look at this, Menoza. They think this will make us stop our progression. Tell your leaders that there is no deal and we will take Konohagakure by the end of the week!" He turned around, but stopped in his tracks. "That chakra. No it couldn't be." He continued on his way but now before stopping to whisper into one of his ninja's ears.

It was at that moment that we were attacked. "Squad Formation! Delta Niner!" Naname shouted orders and everyone jumped into defensive action. I didn't know what Delta Niner was and had to follow my sister's moves for once. I did the hand signs for my new jutsu, but she stopped me, "If they find out who you are, we're done for!"

"They already know who we are!" I shouted back. I had to let down my doppelganger jutsu to activate my byakugan so my jutsu would be stronger.

"It is the Uzumaki girl!" the commander shouted. "Capture her alive!" He pulled out his own sword and it split into numerous blades. "Ninja Art: Serrated Air Jutsu!" The blades darted at us and we had to dodge.

"Run Kumera! We'll catch up!" Naname shouted at me.

"No! I'm here to fight!" I did the hand signs and bottled up a majority of my chakra, building it. "Scorch Style: Burning Sky Barrage!" I sent forth a flaming wind storm towards the enemies, making them run in the opposite direction. Even though they had evaded the jutsu, some of them had gotten caught up in it, their skin burning. Najin was shocked and grabbed my arm to stop the jutsu, making me run with her. The rest of our squad ran in retreat, making double time back to the Hidden Leaf. "Where in the hell did you learn that, Kumera?!" My sister was truly confused by my jutsu.

"I made it up. It's my own one of a kind. Why?" I was confused at why she was shocked.

Naname caught up with us, taking lead, "It's because Style has been thought lost for decades. You just made yourself a more valuble target." I was shocked hearing this as we continued on our way.

We made it back and went straight to Lord Hokage. Naname knelt down before him as we appeared in his office, "It was an ambush. No deal reached, Lord Hokage."

"As I thought. Tell your fellow commanding officers in the ANBU, prepare for war," he said in response.

Naname nodded and left. I was about to do the same before my sister held me there. "She knows Scorch Style," Najin explained.

His eyes went wide. "What?"

"Scorch Style! How in the hell does she know that?!"

I was trying to get out of my sister's grip, "Just...let me explain! I found a scroll on how to combine fire and wind nature chakras and that's what came of it. What's the big problem?"

He shook his head, "There isn't a problem, Kumera. It's just now we have an even higher priorty to protect you both. That's what this is for."

I looked away, feeling as if I had caused an issue for the ninja in the alliance. "May I be excused, Lord Hokage?"

"Yes," Naruto said.

I ran out heading home. Hinata looked at me when I walked in, "Back so soon? Why do I smell smoke on your clothes?"

I didn't even answer her. I never ignore my mother, but this time I was. I went into my room and shut the door hard. I fell on the bed, pissed about what had happened. "It's all because of me. Why do they want me so bad? Is the Kyuubi that much of a valuble target? Or is it that I'm the daughter of the Hokage?"

The Alliance was notified of what had occurred and told to be ready to head out the next day. All the ninja from the Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Sand counted kunai and shuriken, gathered summoning scrolls to seal ninja tools away for transportation.

"So she's a Scorch Style user, like Pakura of the Hidden Sand was?" Gaara said speaking to Naruto.

"Yes, apparently. She mixed her wind chakra with fire nature," Naruto said with his head in his hands.

"I see. We can't keep her pinned up. Her jutsu could help us out the-"

"I know, Gaara. But I cannot risk losing her. Hinata would kill me if I said to put her out in the field. She is only 13," Naruto said, really not wanting to listen to reason.

"Well, you didn't listen when we tried protecting you during the Fourth Great Ninja War either, and we won," the Kazekage spoke. "What will happen if we don't have her for this one?"

"It's not for discussion right now, Gaara," Naruto said showing him out of his office.

"The Alliance will stand strong if they know who they're fighting for. You should tell them, Lord Hokage," Gaara said walking away.

Naruto threw the scroll with his message in it against the window, not sure of what to do.