IMPORTANT NOTE

I have had multiple reviews and PM about why my grammar is not perfect so much that some wonder if I even speak English and why I do not use a BETA. So I would like to take a moment to explain. First, when I was younger I was found to have a problem with tracking in my eyes. My eyes would read the first line then skip down five or six lines in a paragraph. This makes learning very hard, so hard my teachers thought I was mentally disabled. Luckily, it was found and I got help but when I came back my teachers basically said screw you and learn it on your own, so I had to teach grammar to myself. Well I showed them and I not only graduated from college but I am now a network administrator for the company I work for. I hope this story explains why my grammar and spelling is far from perfect. In fact fanfiction has helped with my writing and grammar if you want to see bad grammar look at my first couple of stories.

Now as for why with all these problems do I not use a BETA well the answer is that I have had BETAs in the past almost 10 of them and all of them have screwed me in one way or another. My first one who is my best friend edited so much of my story out because as he said "It was all fluff." Others simply stopped editing my work or made we wait months for a chapter and changed nothing in it. I even had one take my story as his own and posting it on his profile. So like when a kid gets bitten by one dog may makes the kid afraid of Dogs, I don't trust BETAs anymore maybe I could but it would take a lot for me to do so.

Sorry for going on this speech but I was stick of dealing with message after message about this from people. Now enjoy this chapter. Wilkins75

Chapter 73 Pieces on the Board

The civilians of the land of Granite knew that they were at war but even so they had been no the less amazed when out of the darkness of the night the first groups of Leaf ninjas entered the farming village. The small defending force of four full time soldiers who spent most of their time doing police work was overrun within moments, luckily before they did they managed to get a message off to the main village at Nadeji. That alert was the reason why Naruto Namikaze was now standing over a map table in a command train car on his way toward a battlefield instead of on his honeymoon.

"They landed at some point during the night; we estimate from different reports that they are at least half a division strong maybe as much as a whole division." Stated Shino

"How come we didn't know they were coming?" inquired Naruto as he looked at his spy master

"In a way we did, we knew that a force was gathering in the land of Wind but we expected them to come down the railroad like they did before. The Leaf even cleared passage for their forces along with other ninja forces to begin coming down here in 90 days." Admitted Shino shamefully "Clearly this was a false play to get us to drop our guard; we had all eyes looking down the railroads and protecting the only easy landing spot by sea."

"Well they found a way around it," stated Sasuke as he put his hand on the map "They are only a day away from our village walls, we should send the Green Sea Dragon fleet up there and cut off their escape route, we then can bring down some forces from Black Snake pass. The Leaf will then find themselves caught in a pincer move with our two forces, we then can crush them."

"I disagree." countered Shikamaru as Sasuke glared at him. "If we send the green dragon fleet North to take on whatever passes for a navy in the Leaf then it will leave the port open to an attack from another navy force."

"What navy force?" inquired Sasuke

"If the Leaf can get down here without us knowing then another force coming from the same location could arrive." stated Shikamaru "We are sending everything we have to take on the Leaf forces here, without the green sea dragons a large force could take the harbor and then take Nadeji."

"We have Tenten's weapon." Countered Sasuke

"And they have seen it three times already, we have to assume that they have developed a countermeasure to protect themselves from it." stated Shikamaru "I agree with you about sending forces from Black Snake pass and trapping them in a Pincer move but we don't have to destroy their ships yet."

"Then they could escape." Countered Sasuke

"Yes, and that may be a good thing." said Naruto as Sasuke glared him.

"Dead last I know it's the Leaf and that you still hold feelings for that village but…." started Sasuke

"A man who has no way to runaway will fight harder because they know that they will die." explained Naruto as he looked into Sasuke eyes. "By giving them a route to run away from the battlefield means that they will be less likely to stand and fight."

Sasuke actually smiled at the statement, he was starting to understand Naruto's orders.

"Besides they climbed up using ropes correct?" inquired Naruto

"So it would seem," confirmed Shino

"Then they will take them time to get back onto their ships when they do retreat." said Naruto before turning to Shikamaru "How long would it take to get half a division of people back onto ships?"

"Hours at least." confirmed Shikamaru

"How many hours?" inquired Naruto as Shikamaru ran the numbers through his head, double-checking the map to see what the beach looked like.

"Given the fact that the rocks at far off shore, they had to use small boats to transfer people to the beach so they would have to use it get back." explained Shikamaru. "Also add to that the fact that they can use chakra to climb up or down the cliff side and simply jumping would mean death for most ninjas. I would have to say between four and five hours to get everyone off the cliff and onto the ships."

"And all while under our attack." explained Naruto as he placed his hand under his chin and studied the map another moment. "Yes, some may escape but not a lot."

"I suppose." confirmed Sasuke as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What do we know about their attack plan?" inquired Naruto

"They seem to have broken their forces into three main forces," explained Shino as he guided his hand over the map placing markers on the map to show their location. "Their smallest force seems to be guarding their landing site while the two larger forces are heading straight toward us, likely they will head for Nadeji."

"Which of the two larger forces is the largest?" inquired Shikamaru

"This one." stated Shino as he pointed to the force in the lead.

"Very smart Dad." said Shikamaru as he looked at the map.

"What is it?" inquired Naruto

"This is my father's attack plan. The smaller force is a blocking force against our main force coming from Nadeji. The main force behind it will then get to the main road and shot up North and take the Wall at back snake pass from the rear," explained Shikamaru "If they get the wall then the door will be open for a larger force heading down from the North."

"Alright you have seen this before what do you recommend?" inquired Naruto

"We need to split our own forces up, a smaller force needs to rush ahead and reinforce Neji at the wall." explained Shikamaru, Naruto nodded his head Neji had been at the wedding only a day earlier but had left early to retake command at the wall. "Neji also needs to turn the weapons around to fire down into the valley if needed. All the supplies located behind the wall needs to be brought in incase a siege takes place. Also and most importantly Neji can't send any forces to help us."

"Do it." ordered Naruto as Shikamaru left the train car heading toward a communication center to send the orders to Neji. "Shino beside my sister-in-law who else is in command?"

"Shikamaru's dad." confirmed Shino as Naruto closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Ino was back at Nadeji along with Kakashi looking to defense of the city. Sakura was in the rear with the medical core but Hinata was standing across the table from him. She had stayed quiet the whole time just watching and listening to the conversation.

"Where is my?" inquired Hinata

"In the command of the smaller force heading our way." explained Shino "If Shikamaru is right then we will be in battle against her in less than a day."

"Good." confirmed Hinata as she stormed out of the room.

"I almost pity Hanabi." admitted Naruto to Shino "All three of my wives want to strangle them with their bare hands for messing up our honeymoon."

"I can understand," confirmed Shino "But you don't want to kill them?"

"I do, but I don't want to explain to my children why I killed their Aunt," explained Naruto "But if I have to I will kill them so that Hinata-chan doesn't have to. Thing is I know she will ask to be placed in the vanguard and what does it say about me if I wouldn't send my own wife out to fight when she wants to but I am willing to send others."

"That is the burden of leadership, you have to make that call not me," explained Shino as Naruto nodded his head.

"What about your family I am sure that some of your clan is among our enemy?" asked Naruto

"I am my own clan at the moment, but maybe that will change after this is all over," explained Shino

Hours later, a large group of Leaf ninjas had entered a small farming village, which had been surrounded by a small wall to help protect the village and the train station. Taking the village had cost the Leaf almost a dozen ninja from arrow fire from the top of the wall. Among the group of ninjas to enter the village in the second group was Rock Lee and his team.

When they entered they found some of their fellow ninjas going through the houses, some were pulling out the villagers from their hiding spots while a small number where pulling out whatever valuables they could find.

Lee shock his head as a young chunin ran out of a house carrying as much of a fine china dinning wear set as she could carry.

"Something wrong old man?" snapped the Chunin as Lee raised an eyebrow at the old man comment. He never said anything as the chunin ran off and his team moved into the village.

"Well we are behind their defenses now," stated Chiasa Inuzuka as she rubbed her ninja's hound head.

"We are not behind their defenses," countered Jun Nara as they followed the line of ninjas toward the center of the small village.

"We are behind their wall," reported Marai Sarutobi

"No we are actually between their defenses." Corrected Jun "They still have the wall plus whatever defenses they have at their city."

"You just have to be literal don't you." said Chiasa as they noticed an older woman sitting in a chair by a broken door. The woman seamed to look at least in her eighties if not nineties and had the look of a woman who had seen countless horrors in her day. Marai moved forward and stood in front of the woman.

"Are you ok? Sorry about the door but we need to check for demons." inquired Marai "We are here to help you, we are going to free you from the demon oppressors."

The old woman turned and looked at the much younger Marai with half blind eyes.

"You don't have to be afraid you're free now and we are going to remove the demons from the world." reassured Marai as she repeated what she and the other younger ninjas almost since the demons had left the village. She had expected woman to put her hand on top of her own hand, which was resting on top of the woman's own frail hand.

Just as she expected the elderly woman raised her hand but instead of putting her hand on top of hers the old woman slapped her with all the strength she had. It was not much of a hit weaker than a mother's blow on a child's hand as it reached for a cookie but it carried much more emotional wait. Then the woman spat in Marai's face before turning to look at the remains of her home.

"You are not welcome here, leave now if you have any value for your life." said the old woman

"But aren't we freeing you?" inquired Marai slightly stunned.

"You are a foolish little girl, when the Onikage comes he and our forces will make you pay for your invasion of our land." Explained the older woman moments before she was hit across the back of the head by a blow from an ANBU.

"What the hell was that for?" snapped Marai as the ANBU moved and picked up the old woman from where she had fallen. Blood was pouring from the back of her head from the blow as the ninja threw her over his back like a sack of potatoes.

"She hit you, a ninja of the Leaf so she has shown to be a supporter of the demons," explained the ANBU as he headed toward the center of the village.

"Lee sensei, we aren't the invaders are we?" inquired Marai still stunned by what she had just seen.

"Look around Marai; we aren't the liberators that is for sure." explained Lee as he and his team followed the ANBU into the small square, it was rather simple just a brick square with business all around and a simple fountain. When they entered, they found the defenders of the farming village with their backs to the wall of a shop. The dozen defenders where mostly in their mid-twenties or early thirties and they didn't look that threatening, they looked more like police officers then ninjas, they even had handcuffs hanging on their belts. They actually stood proudly before the leaf ANBU who had their swords out. The old woman was brought toward one of the five groups of civilians, which almost filled the square.

"This has to be half the population of the whole village," stated Marai as she looked at the fifty or so families which called this village home.

"Now listen up!" yelled a voice as Lady Hokage Hanabi Hyuuga walked into the square "You are now under the command of the ninjas from the village hidden in the Leaves, all of you have shown that you can't be trusted. You have rose up against us in multiple ways, such as fighting our ninjas and generally standing in our way."

The people just looked at him with defiance in their eyes.

"As such you will be made to pay for your crimes, most of you will live but we will not allow those who dare betray humanity by siding with the demons," stated Hanabi as she looked toward the ANBU who were stationed in front of the defenders. "Draw swords and end them."

"Sir, that isn't right." said Lee as he got a death glare from the Hokage. "We should be trying to win their minds not killing them. What will the people back home think of their Hokage ordering the death of these men?"

"I understand your point which is why we are only killing those who dare fight against us, the soldiers not the civilians," countered Hanabi as she turned back toward the ninjas.

"Kill them, kill the demon supporters." ordered Hanabi as the ANBU looked at each other for a moment in hesitation before moving forward with swords raised. Seconds later arrows appeared in the throats of all the ANBU. The Aldhard arrow went straight through the light armor around the neck, spraying the ninja's blood on the people they were going to kill.

"Run!" yelled a voice as the villagers turn and ran along with the small group of local defenders. Only a hand a single did not run, instead she stood in the center of the road leading away from the village. She was dressed in a long white coat, with silver highlights around the front and sleeves. She had a tight belt around her middle with a modified Hyuuga clan seal and a Namikaze clan seal. Her long raven hair flowed behind her and her pale eyes were locked on the Hokage.

"Hinata." said Lee stunned to see her standing there.

"Hello, Hanabi." said Hinata as she stood there without any fear on her face.

"Hello demon." stated Hanabi as the ninjas around them drew their weapons, Hinata actually laughed a bit. Hanabi was dressed in full combat gear, she did not have the ninja vest most had instead she had adopted hardened chest armor with lots of pockets located around her hips and legs. Arm guards and leg guards provided some protection without limiting her flexibility.

"Sister, there are demons here but believe me you are the real demons here not us." stated Hinata

"You were a fool to come alone sister." said Hanabi

"Who said she came alone?" inquired another voice as a woman with long pink hair walked forward. She wore a sleeveless long red combat dress that was tight around her top before losing up. She had a long belt with a large bag at the end and on her leg was a ninja gear pouch. Like Hinata, she wore a belt with the Namikaze clan seal and the Haruno clan seal beside her. She had her ninja headband in her hair.

"Sakura?" inquired Lee wondering why both Sakura and Hinata where here but there was no sign of Naruto or even Sasuke.

Sakura did not appear alone as multiple other people appeared around Hinata and Sakura. Most where dressed in ANBU gear or had armor on, they different weapons out. Some of non-ninjas had longbows and crossbows loaded and raised, while others had swords, spears and other weapons. There where ninjas standing on the rooftop and even a few fully armored knights which came riding down the road.

Flashback

"Naruto-kun I am going with Hinata-chan." ordered Sakura as she and Hinata stood side by side in front of Naruto.

"Sakura you're a doctor you don't have to be on the front lines." explained Naruto

"I know but I want to be," explained Sakura

"Naruto-kun, you and Sasuke and most of their forces are needed to take down the main force, let us take care of my sister." explained Hinata as Naruto looked down at the map, they had a plan to move around Hanabi's force to attack the main force. Since their force was smaller he would need both himself and Sasuke, he had planned to put Shikamaru in command of the smaller force. They would attack Hanabi's force with a smaller force to make them think it was the main force. This would allow their main force to strike the main force from the Leaf unseen until it was too late.

"Alright, but be careful." said Naruto

End Flashback

"Hanabi by the time this is over you and your entire force will be one of three things, dead, captured or running for your lives," stated Hinata.

"I think not sister, I never lost a match to you and nothing has changed," stated Hanabi as she looked at her sister.

"Things have changed a lot sister and you interrupted our honeymoon and that tends to make someone very upset." stated Hinata as she opened a scroll and unsealed a two long swords which had hooks, the blade had inlaid image which showed multiple foxes dancing up and down its length. By the handles was the same symbol on her headband.

"Twin Hook Swords." whispered Lee as he remembered seeing the weapon before at some of the weapon show that Tenten had dragged him and Neji to, it was very deadly and took a lot of skill to use. He had never seen any ninja use them and he had never seen Hinata use it. All around him, every ninja was reaching for the weapon but no one had yet launched an attack.

"So you have learned a few things sister?" inquired Hanabi as she pulled out a kunai of her own which looked at least to Lee like a weak counterpart to Hinata's weapon. Sakura was not standing still as she pulled out some strange items from her pack. They appeared to be brass knuckles of some kind, only these covered the whole top and bottom of her wrist almost half way to her elbow. Like Hinata's Sakura's arm covers had foxes inlayed into the metal.

"A few things sister," answered Hinata as she spun the twin hook swords around with ease. "But I know that you have started a fight that you can't possibly win."

Well I hope you liked this chapter, until next time please keep reading. Thanks Wilkins75.