A/N Happy New Year

Shadow of the Empire - chapter 4/What we believe in.

-/\/-

While Naruto was left to deal with whoever was coming, Kakashi made his way to the base. It was… monumental. It was not unlike seeing Konoha emerge from the thick forest for the first time. A building that was hidden only by its distance from all other signs of civilization.

His Sharingan blazes in the darkness as he dashes from one cover to another. His shadow merged with shades cast by nature as he approached. When he arrived at the barren strip of land that separated the building from any trees (a good defense from unexpected intrusions), it took him a blink to get to the wall. Scaling the rocky wall, he reached one of the middle levels where he could see some semblance of movement. To an untrained eye, the whole place appeared dead. Kakashi could spot some spots of dancing fire from under closed doors.

The lock on the window unlocked without so much as a whisper. The frame made no sound as he opened it and his clothes didn't so much as touch the window when he slipped in.

Flames flickered under the doors just a bit.

There was a sound of someone crumpling paper and Kakashi realized that he was detected. Without a second thought, he dashed inside. He kicked down the door and leaped inside with two kunai shining in his hands.

Time seemed to freeze as his Sharingan scanned everything in the room. There was a woman in a dark-gray suit standing over a hastily-made pyre in the middle, burning stack after stack of documents. The room was filled with books and odd trinkets. Behind the woman, there was an open safe in the wall; next to which laid a portrait that would've hidden it before. A stray flicker of fire reflected off of the woman's metal arm.

No words were spoken as Kakashi dashed across the room. Najenda moved her prosthesis to block, but he didn't even stop as he moved under and behind her. She caught his wrist when the blade was less than an inch from her jugular, but the second was already coming at her kidney. She kicked that kunai back. Metal echoed against her metal sole.

Najenda tried to punch the shinobi, but he only jumped back while throwing several shurikens with deadly precision. All of them were intercepted by the metal arm, but it momentarily blinded her to his moves. He dashed forward to once more engage her in melee, but this time, she was more prepared and tried to regain the initiative. A move that was impossible against the Sharingan.

They appeared to be locked in a stalemate. Kakashi couldn't afford to use any ninjutsu else he risked damaging the documents he hoped to retrieve but in pure Taijutsu, they were evenly matched. It was reminiscent of fighting Gai. The longer the fight lasted, the more he was strained from using his Sharingan.

Psychological combat it was.

"You realize that you sent that subordinate to their death?" He spoke for the first time since their encounter started.

"You underestimate Night Raid." She smirked as she once more deflected a kunai. Her arm was durable enough to cause his weapons to chip or even break.

"No. That's a simple fact. You lack firepower that could even scratch him."

The pile of documents that was on fire had long since stopped burning and the flames died. They were standing in almost complete darkness now.

"Him." The smirk vanished from her face.

"Yes. When it comes to combat, Naruto is considered S-Ranked. There are maybe two dozen people alive currently that could match him."

"Prime Minister must've paid you handsomely to actually get someone like that. Tell me, how much is the blood of the millions worth these days?"

If it was Naruto in his place, perhaps he would pause. Perhaps those words could've hurt. But Kakashi was a retired ANBU captain. His list of sins was already too long to recount. He was a shinobi of the leaf.

"My home." He threw a shuriken and blitzed through the hand seals faster than the human eye could follow. At the same time, Najenda sent her mechanical arm flying, revealing it to be on a cable.

Lightning condensed around Kakashi's palm as the sound of a thousand chirping birds echoed across the empty base.

He dashed forward at a speed that couldn't possibly be human. Najenda tried to leap to the side, but he could already see that it would be for nothing. Then, his Sharingan caught the trap in the corner of his eye. The arm, which he thought had harmlessly passed him, was loosely wrapped around his leg and tightening. He would trip before he reached her.

With a swipe, the wire attached to the hand was cut and he was free, though the Jutsu fizzled and Najenda was able to try and make her escape to the doors.

He didn't waste time as he chased after her. She led him through several corridors. There seemed to be no pattern. No goal.

"Your village wasn't threatened by the Empire." She tried once more. "You had no reason to involve yourself in this fight other than pure greed."

Kakashi didn't answer with words. Instead, several kunai were sent sailing at her.

"You know how the Empire acts. And yet you still fight for them. You still kill for them."

"We're shinobi," Kakashi answered as he went through several hand seals. To him, that answer was enough.

"You're monsters." Najenda scoffed and dropped something.

Kakashi's eyes widened for just a moment before he tried to shut them closed. The flash of white blinded him, interrupting the Jutsu he was preparing and causing a spike of pain to go through his head. Sharingan and sudden bright lights don't mix well. He blindly lashed at her, but it was only a grazing hit and she dodged back.

He was about to chase after her when he heard the very characteristic ticking of a bomb.

"Oh, crap." Kakashi let the curse slip as he lunged through the nearest window, the flames propelling him even further away. He landed with a roll that softened his fall. He winced as pain shot through his skull, reminding him to cover his Sharingan before the exhaustion ate him.

Above, a screech of air manta told him that Najenda was already out of his reach. "She's escaping!" Kakashi shouted as soon as he spotted Naruto.

The older shinobi watched as his student prepared his original technique. A shimmer in the air told him there was something going on.

The realization dawned on him. He pulled a kunai and threw it at the wires, but he was already too late. A minimal correction to the course of the Rasenshuriken made it crash somewhere into the forest. The impact zone would probably become a pond in the future.

The assassins' leader escaped.

Naruto dropped out of sage mode and looked at Kakashi, who sighed. This mission wasn't a total failure. They would still kill one of them. Or rather, Naruto would kill one.

Come on Naruto, we've talked about this. Kakashi steeled his gaze and stared at Naruto. Trust me, it'll be for the best in the end.

He watched Naruto approach the assassin. The shinobi proudly saw his student kill the enemy with a swift, decisive strike. He smiled and walked to Naruto, who was currently on the verge of tears. Scratch that, a single tear was going down his cheek.

He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, making the teen stiffen.

"I know that it might not seem that way, but you did the right thing." The teacher began. "That man was an assassin and an enemy. There was no choice but to kill him."

"He was defeated…"

"Yes. We could've taken him in and brought him to the capital." Kakashi nodded solemnly.

"Then why didn't we?! Why kill him in cold blood?! He was not a risk." Naruto cried out.

"It was mercy." Kakashi sighed heavily. "If we were to, as you suggest, bring him to the capital, he would be tortured for any information he might have on the other members of the Night Raid and either die during the interrogation or be executed in front of the masses as a warning."

"But… but…" The teen was trying to find words, but his teacher didn't give him time to collect his thoughts.

"Naruto, this is how things are done. If you are captured by the enemy, a quick death is the best you can hope for. Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force specializes in extracting information from enemy shinobi through any means necessary. In our business, information is more precious than life."

"Then why kill him?"

"Because I'm under no illusion that he would break. The torture would ultimately be pointless and needlessly cruel. And I already swiped some documents off their leader." He pulled a stack of papers from inside his vest and waved it as proof.

"I… I'm confused, sensei. I understand that you're saying that I did the right thing, but… I still feel terrible. Maybe he could've been convinced… maybe…"

"Naruto, look at me." Kakashi made Naruto turn around and all but forced him to look him in the eye. "Remember that these people are not innocent bystanders. They are not civilians. Every member of the Night Raid is a trained assassin responsible for countless deaths. By killing that man, you've saved dozens." He smiled. "I'm proud of you. You're a true shinobi."

Those words echoed hollow to Naruto, but he accepted them. Despite his doubts, Kakashi's reassurance finally brought some comfort. He wasn't a monster. He was a shinobi of the hidden leaf.

-/\/-

The shinobi walked back to the throne room as the first rays of sun sneaked through the high windows. The Emperor and his council were already assembled. Many seemed giddy.

"Your Majesty." Kakashi greeted as he and Naruto bowed.

"What news do you have for us, Master Shinobi?" Makoto spoke with all the pompous air that only a monarch can exude without appearing like a moron.

"Jonin Uzumaki and I tracked Night Raid to their base near the capital. It appears that most of the assassins were dispatched on missions earlier and we've only encountered two members. Lubbock of Night Raid is dead, killed in battle by Jonin Uzumaki." The older shinobi pulled a scroll from his vest and unrolled it.

"And the other assassin? You said there were two of them." Honest spoke up while munching on another piece of meat.

"Alas, she was able to escape after detonating most of the base. I was forced to abandon the chase when she managed to get on an air manta."

"Then you have failed yet again, Master Kakashi…" Honest almost made it sound as if he was genuinely saddened and not a step away from dancing a victory jig.

"I wouldn't say that exactly." Two quick hand seals later, Kakashi unsealed Lubbock's body for all the ministers to see. "Night Raid lost one of their own and they can't return to their main base of operations. Their further actions in the capital will be hindered significantly."

"Pah! They have safehouses all over the city." Prime Minister tried to get something out of it.

"Maybe so, but they will be nowhere near as equipped as their main home. And there is also this." Saying that, he tossed an item to General Budo, who caught it and looked it over.

"A Teigu."

"Infinite Uses: Cross Tail" Kakashi smirked behind the mask. "I believe that's the second Teigu Konoha has reclaimed since arriving in the Empire?"

"Well… ah…" Prime Minister struggled to find a counterargument that could put the Shinobi in a bad light, but he came blank and waited too long.

"Indeed! We are grateful for the service provided, Master Kakashi." The Emperor beamed.

Kakashi was preparing to leave when Honest spoke up again. "Now there is only the matter of the body. I reckon we could string him up by the entrance to the city. By his legs. And carve his insides to use them as bindings. Maybe even have some acid slowly drip on him." With each word, Naruto felt more like vomiting. That… was not okay.

"Great idea, Prime Minister. That will show those dastardly assassins that they should fear us."

"He's already dead!" Naruto shouted, making everyone in the throne room stare at him. He reached the boiling point. "Why do you want to ruin even his body?" He glared at the Prime Minister with enough venom that the man paled and lost his appetite.

"That man was the enemy of the Empire," Makoto spoke without care for the situation.

"But he's dead. What's the point of humiliating him like that?"

Even if they fought on opposite sides, Naruto couldn't help but empathize with Lubbock and the other Night Raid members. He understood their reasons for fighting. Just like he came to understand Haku. In another timeline, they might've been his friends.

"To show others that the Empire is strong. To show what will happen to all who oppose our glorious ruler." Honest gathered enough courage to try and fight back.

"But you're only proving them right. Proving that they have a reason to fight you."

"How…"

"Naruto did not mean it like that." Kakashi interceeded before Honest could go on a rant. "My student merely alluded to one of the main recruitment points of the Revolutionary Army being the lack of respect the Empire shows its," victims, "opponents." In for a Yen, in for a Ryo. Kakashi thought. "They do not see such cruelty as a discouragement. Instead, every executed rebel is another martyr for them to use in their propaganda."

"Truly?" Emperor was genuinely surprised by such news. Was his justice so harsh?

"Yeah. Maybe tone down on the ugly stuff." Naruto suggested. "Show them the Empire is not all evil and only hurting people."

"But what about justice?" Makoto looked at his advisors, who did their best not to get involved.

"He's dead. That's all the justice needed." Kakashi shrugged. "After all, it's not like he can care what happens with his body after death."

"They make a valid point, your Majesty." Budo joined in. "There is no honor in desecrating the body of a dead soldier beyond needless cruelty. The enemy will find no fear in such act, only resolve."

"Very well then. The assassin's remains shall be burned and disposed of." The emperor announced.

Before Honest could say anything, Kakashi did a series of hand seals and sent a continuous wave of fire at the body. He kept it up until nothing but ash remained. Makoto clapped, amazed by the show.

The Prime Minister could only glare at the shinobi. Naruto in particular was the recipient of Honest's worst evil eye. The man wished that the blond swapped places with the corpse in the torrent of flames.

Afterward, the Shinobi left the throne room before Honest could try something else. As they put some distance from the room, Kakashi suddenly pushed Naruto at the wall and pressed his forearm to the blond's throat, limiting the airflow.

"I told you to stop provoking Honest. I specifically ordered you." He let go of the teen and for a moment just stood there, looking at his student.

"I tried. But… This was just so wrong. He was just spewing all those cruel things and then the emperor was eager to do it. He's just a kid…"

Kakashi sighed. "Let's just focus on finishing this mission as soon as possible." Else the darkness that permeates the empire will consume you too.

"Masters Shinobi, a moment." Budo marched into the corridor just as the pair prepared to leave.

"Yes, General?" Kakashi made no threatening motions while he moved his left hand slightly closer to the kunai pouch.

"What do you plan to do now? The Night Raid won't return to their base so the trail has gone cold."

"We've got one last trail to follow before we're back to square one." Kakashi did not elaborate. "We shall be leaving the capital once we finish resupplying."

"I am afraid you will have to split up. The old Prime Minister, Chouri, plans to return to the capital to rejoin the royal council. One of you must protect him while he journeys here, or else someone might attempt an assassination. He was supposed to arrive already, but I convinced him to wait for a shinobi to protect him in case Night Raid attempts to interfere."

"You fear they will try to eliminate him?" Naruto asked.

"Not necessarily. Having the previous prime minister would add legitimacy to the Revolutionary Army's cause. They might attempt to use him as a figurehead to justify their coup. I abhor such an idea."

"Fine. Naruto will protect him while I follow the lead we have." Kakashi didn't need to wait for Budo to try and coerce them. It was in Shinobi's best interest to stay on the General's good side.

"That is acceptable," Budo spoke no more as he marched away.

-/\/-

Naruto focused on the balloon in his hand. His focus was solely on the toy as the snowy landscape passed by. Opposite him sat an elder man with an impressive mustache and a golden diadem, as well as a girl with blonde hair. She held a rather massive polearm.

"Master Naruto? What are you doing exactly?" After a long period of slightly uncomfortable silence, the girl decided to speak up.

"Oh. Kakashi-sensei told me that I should try to master making the Rasengan without any Shadow Clones, so I went back through the steps. The first two I have no problems with but the third one is still hard. Every time I think I have it I-" He was interrupted as the balloon popped. "This happens. I even managed to get it down to just two hands, but it's still not always successful and sometimes fizzles out before it connects."

"Fascinating. May we see it?"

"Sure." Naruto brought his hands together and started to concentrate on an imaginary point on his palm. "Rotation… power… Containment." An orb of blue energy formed in his palm.

"Amazing!" The girl and her father clapped in applause as they watched the show. "Incredible! I had no idea anyone could do something so incredible without a Teigu."

"My sensei taught me that. It's the Jutsu created by the fourth Hokage himself!" Naruto bragged.

"Truly incredible." Chouri nodded. "But how can you even do that, Master Shinobi? I always thought magic was but a myth, a science long lost to eons passed."

"I'm just using Chakra. Uh… You call it Life Force I think." He shrugged at them. Technical know-how was never his forte.

"T-that's your life force?" Chouri blanched. Even the best imperial generals of legends were maybe able to burn their Life Force to give themselves temporary power at the cost of crippling injuries after decades of hard training. And here a man no older than his daughter was casually creating a visible orb of Life Force. Truly they came to live in interesting times…

Naruto removed his other hand and tried to keep the Rasengan stable with just one hand, but the chakra started to fizzle away until the last wisps dissolved into the air.

"Man, I was almost sure I had it this time."

"You'll surely get it soon. After all, you're already amazing!" Spear beamed. "I feel safer just by being in your proximity. With such strength, nothing can hope to hurt us."

"I wish…" Naruto muttered, low enough that they didn't hear. He brought his fist together and fell into Sage Mode. He relaxed, letting out his senses blanket everything in several kilometers radius. He could sense every guard here, every miner in the nearby mountain, everyone in the oncoming village, and all the animals in the woods. As he immersed himself in the senses, he idly looked at the village. Something pulled his focus there. His instincts told him that there was something off. Like looking at a good forgery. One that is close enough to a real thing that nothing stands out, but you just know there is something not right.

The carriage neared the village and he sensed two people approach the procession to greet them. Then, it finally hit him. The people in the village were mostly just pretending to go about their lives. The people on the market square seemed to constantly stay at the same stand and the ones in the houses never walked far away from the windows. It was as if they were waiting for something. For them.

"It's a trap." His eyes snapped open. "Chouri-san, Spear-san, stay in the carriage. Spear-san, I trust you to be the last line of defense." He vanished in a puff of smoke, revealing to have been a shadow clone this whole time.

Spear gripped her polearm tighter. There were sounds of fighting outside. A spray of blood hit the window, darkening the insides of the carriage.

Someone approached the doors. She braced, ready to lash out at whoever was outside.

The doors were ripped off, letting more light inside. A tall woman with blonde hair and a pair of cat-like ears carelessly tossed them away.

"Hiya." She waved her bloodied hand. "Look, there is an assassin or few after ya' and we're kinda in hurry, so if you could just come with us we would appreciate it."

Spear let out a wordless scream and was about to slice at the attacker when a Toad of Unusual Size dropkicked her square in the face. Chouri and his daughter were now presented with a sight of a giant orange toad with blue markings, dressed in samurai armor and wearing a necklace with the symbol for 'loyalty' engraved on it. It also had two swords attached to the back of its belt.

"Sorry for being slightly late. I was keeping my eye on our rear." Naruto waved from his position on top of the toad, which was already the same height as an average human. "Man, these assassins don't know when to quit." He looked away from his charges and at his enemies. They were accompanied by a group of soldiers dressed in green coats and silver masks/helmets. Each one of them had a black cross with a blue outline on a red background somewhere on their uniform.

"We knew Honest would send someone, but we didn't expect to face one of his pet killers." Leone taunted. "Did he give you a big bone and pointed at his enemy again?"

"No way!" Naruto protested, gathering a bit more nature energy. "I'm here to protect Chouri-san and Spear-san from the likes of you."

"He'll be much safer with us." The other assassin, a girl in a purple dress carrying giant pair of scissors, spoke up.

"I'm not giving them to you. Nope. I'm not letting you assassinate him on my watch."

"But we're not assassinating anyone today. We're here to protect Chouri."

For a moment, Naruto hoped that what they said was true. Maybe they truly wanted to actually protect someone this time. It might've been a chance to avoid bloodshed. But he quickly shook his head. It didn't matter. He had to kill Night Raid one way or another if he was to protect Konoha. He promised that he would see the mission over.

"I'm sorry." Naruto jumped off Gamachu and made a cross seal. Several puffs of smoke surrounded him. When they died down, he was standing in the middle of a small army of clones. "But I made a promise."

The clones charged at the Revolutionaries, who opened fire. To their terror (and slight awe), most of the clones were able to avoid the first salve without breaking a sweat. The second, much less organized assault was similarly ineffective. That's when Leone and Sheele leaped into the fight. They tore through the clones like hot kunai through leaves, tearing them all apart. Naruto decided to also go forward and Gamachu followed him.

"The Lion is mine, Naruto-Sama." The toad declared before leaping at Leone. The shinobi followed his summon while aiming at Sheele. A quick Rasengan forced the woman to twist mid-slash to use her scissors as a shield. Naruto spun around and tried to kick her, but the assassin was agile enough to deflect the blow by opening her scissors. It seemed that the fight wouldn't end in just a few blows this time.

-/\/-

Kakashi toyed with his drink as he overlooked the gala happening below. He had to abandon his shinobi attire in favor of a black three-piece suit. His headband was similarly swapped for a generic black eyepatch. He kept the mask on but wore a black one to match his other clothes. All in all, he looked pretty sleek if he could say so himself.

"I don't remember seeing you at any of these parties before, good sir." A girl with white hair and large green eyes approached him. She wore a curve-hugging dress that complemented said eyes. One that Kakashi rather appreciated. For aesthetic value, obviously. It had nothing to do with cleavage going almost to the navel. "What brings you to the cruise."

She seems stiff. Is she afraid I'm some vagabond? Kakashi took a second glance at her before mentally shaking his head. No, she wasn't afraid. More nonplused than anything else. "Ah. Forgive me. I was stationed in the north until recently. My… ah, Fredric," despite not knowing anyone under that name, Kakashi said it with barely-veiled disdain, "refused to allow his daughter to marry anyone but an experienced soldier."

The girl seemed interested and Kakashi was glad that his mask was hiding the slight smirk. Nothing better to cement his cover identity than a gossip-hungry noble.

"That is that the reason for the… unusual facewear?" Kakashi almost chuckled at the veiled insult. Still, he had to play the role he prepared for himself. And so, he started to speak in higher tones.

"Savages! Those… those… filthy… sleazy… savages. First, they took my eye," he pointed at the jagged scar that stood out from under the eyepatch, "then they scarred my beautiful face. I refuse to show those disgusting scars."

"Scars can be a source of pride for true fighters." She paused, then added, "or so I've heard."

In the back of Kakashi's mind, something registered as strange about this discussion. The girl was far too detached to come from nobility, despite clearly portraying herself as such. He infiltrated enough social gatherings to pick up on certain clues and the girl acted too strange.

His fingers twitched lightly, shifting the kunai in his sleeve just a bit closer to his hand.

"It would appear that the concert is now starting." She pointed at the stage, where a blond kid with a clarinet was setting himself up. Kakashi only spared one glance, but when he turned back she already vanished in the crowd moving to get to the best places. He muttered a curse and similarly melded with the crowd.

He was halfway on the stairs leading down when the first tunes reached his ears. The crowd paused, listening with rapt attention as the performer began his song. Kakashi had to admit that the kid had some talent. But the song was just so dull. So… basic. Still, he lightly swayed to the tunes. He saw one of the older nobles sway and fall down. Probably had too much to drink.

Then another.

And another.

People were falling to the ground, unconscious. Kakashi realized that his body was also feeling heavy.

"Genjutsu!" He hissed. He tried to flare his chakra and break it, but it bought him a second at best before the music once more ensnared his senses. His legs gave under him and he almost fell down. At the last second, Kakashi grabbed the railing.

The boy kept playing. He even sent the Shinobi an amused stare, as if daring him to keep resisting.

Out of options and feeling his brain getting cloudier with each second, he flicked the kunai from his sleeve into his hand and stabbed it right in his thigh. The pain instantly purged the genjutsu.

Something exploded outside.

-/\/-

Naruto ducked under the swipe of the scissors and aimed to deliver an uppercut to his opponent. While his fist sailed past the girl, Toad Kata didn't need direct contact to deal damage. Sheele sailed through the air and crashed into the road.

The rebels saw an opening and opened fire, but Naruto simply stood there. His Sage Mode was able to tank their bullets without even a scratch.

"W-what sort of monster is that?" One of the soldiers cried out.

"He's no human, that's for sure."

"Not a monster. Shinobi." Naruto spoke as he rushed forward. A kunai flashed in his hand as he sliced through the rifles of the nearest soldiers, causing sparks to fly. He twisted in the air, delivering a punch and a kick to two next soldiers. The remaining rebels looked at their weapons and quickly considered their options. They could try to run, or they could die fighting the beast in front of them.

"Rise now!" One of the braver soldiers called out.

"Stand and fight!" The others responded and charged at Naruto.

The blond shinobi steeled his gaze and prepared to face the soldiers head-on, but a distant cry caught his attention. It was coming from the carriage. A sage clone popped in its hiding place on the tree and a new stream of Nature chakra flooded Naruto. "Odama Rasengan!" The orb of destructive chakra was slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave in all directions. The earth split under his attack and the soldiers were all either sent away flying or got trapped in the aftermath. Naruto didn't bother. He was already rushing toward Chouri and Spear.

Leone was currently struggling to pull the stubborn girl out of the carriage while Spear frantically did her best to fend the assassin off.

"Stop stalling and let's go!" The blonde tried to reason with the girl. "That assassin is-"

She was interrupted when, for the second time that day, she was kicked away from the carriage. This time by Naruto who was now standing in front of the doors with a kunai ready.

"You're not killing Chouri-san or Spear-san on my watch." He growled. "Oi, Gamachu!"

He spared a glance at his toad battle companion, only to see him locked in a dodging match with Sheele. And losing slowly. "I am sorry, Naruto-sama. I failed. You may punish me after the fight is done, at your pleasure." He disappeared in a burst of smoke.

"Ero-gama!" The blond shinobi grunted. Obviously, his battle toad would be a pervert that liked to talk about punishment. That was just how his life worked.

"What? Afraid we'll steal your kill?" Leone taunted. "We'll save Chouri from you, Monster."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm a shinobi of the Konohagakure no Sato. I'm no more monster than you are." He created a clone and sent it into the carriage to both start gathering more nature energy and serve as the last line of defense.

"Yeah, I'm not buying it. You're working for Honest, which means you must be an idiot or a sicko who enjoys watching people suffer." Lenore snarled with a mocking smirk on her face.

"Hey! Not true! Kakashi-sensei and I work for the Emperor. Syura was just the one who paid Konoha in his name."

"You've killed Lubbock. And maimed Mein. And now you're trying to kill Chouri." The blonde flexed her claws, trying to intimidate Naruto.

"Kill? I'm here to protect Chouri-san from you and your pals." He vaguely motioned toward where the soldiers were slowly getting their comrades from under the rubble. However, he made sure to keep his eyes on the assassins at all times.

"Chouri, sir, you mustn't trust him!" Sheele pleaded. "You have no idea what sort of monster he is."

"Naruto is no monster!" Spear shouted before her father could speak. "He's one of the nicest guys I've met so far. You are the ones that are trying to kidnap us!"

"We're trying to save your ass, a little gratitude would be nice," Leone grunted.

"The Prime Minister won't let any threats to his power stand. Sir, even if you were to survive the journey to the capital, you'll be killed within a week. Honest is a heartless monster who stops at nothing to sate his sick wants." The violet-haired assassin tried to persuade them.

"Yeah. Come with us and Join the Revolutionary army. We need people like you and your daughter." Leone interjected. "Sheele's right. As long as Honest lives, there's no hope for change."

Naruto prepared to protest (and fight if needed), but this time Chouri finally spoke. "You might be right. Honest was always greedy beyond measure and hid deep darkness in his heart. My homeland, our homeland, is withering as long as he is advising young Makoto." He looked at the soldiers who were encircling the carriage. "But I refuse to believe that there is no hope. If I run, if I abandon the Emperor to the cruel manipulation of Honest, it would mean that there is truly no salvation for our Empire. I refuse to believe that. I served for decades as prime Minister under the previous Emperor and I will not run now. I might die in the capital, but I will know that I did everything in my power to try and save our homeland."

"If you really wished for change, you would've joined us!" One of the soldiers shouted, nervously gripping his gun when Naruto's gaze fell on him.

"No. You do not fight to save the Empire. You fight to avenge your pain. And that leaves you blind to everything that is not before you. If you truly wished to protect our home, you would not be here, trying to kidnap us for your own goals. No. If I joined you, I would only be a figurehead, used to justify your cause." Chouri shook his head.

"Come on! You'd really rather die than go with us?" Sheele tried once more. "Think of your daughter."

"I am. I want her to live in the Empire where she can be happy, not one consumed by neverending civil war. Because unless you are willing to kill everyone who supports Makoto's rule, you shall never have true peace. And if you are, then are you better than Honest?"

"Don't worry, Chouri-san, Spear-chan. I promised to protect you and I'm going to make sure nothing happens to you. It's a promise and I never go back on my word."

"Naruto. Thank you." Spear smiled.

"Enough!" The soldier shouted. "We have our orders!" They were clearly preparing for the charge. Naruto scowled. He probably could defeat them all, but he couldn't see a way to keep Chouri and Spear safe at the same time. Not in this situation.

He bit his thumb and went through the required hand seals. Sage chakra rushed through him as he pushed as much as he could. Image of the toad he tried to summon clear before his eyes. "Kuchiose no Jutsu!" He called as he slammed the palm into the ground.

The soldiers and the assassins took a step back as the carriage was hidden behind a giant cloud of smoke, reaching several stories tall.

"They're escaping!" Leone rushed into the smoke, only to smack head-first into something big and meaty.

"Oh. I am sorry." A booming voice came from the smoke. Something moved inside, causing it to disperse. Now the rebels were standing in front of a giant toad, armed with a plate shield and a sasumata. "I am, after all, rather clumsy."

"Ken-san!" Naruto called from the toad's head. Chouri and Spear were next to him. "Those people are assassins."

"Naruto-Sama." The toad nodded. "Should I squash them?"

The shinobi paused for a second, trying to weigh the options. "Do it." The toad once more prepared to attack, but Naruto had to grab his charges. He forgot that they couldn't just stick to the toad's head with chakra. That… complicated things. "Oops?" He offered them a sheepish smile.

Gamaken twirled his staff before smashing it into the ground. The assassins managed to leap away in time, but roughly half of the soldiers were caught in the attack. Red splattered everywhere.

Naruto turned his head away. He had to hold back the urge to puke. This… this wasn't a fight anymore. This wasn't even an execution. This was a massacre. A low horizontal swing caught even more of the soldiers in. Naruto's sage-enhanced senses picked on the gruesome sound of bones cracking and organs squashing. He wished he could release the sage mode, not wanting to experience it anymore. But the danger was not yet gone. His last clone popped when he summoned Gamaken, leaving him with about five minutes of sage mode left.

The third swing ensured that there were no more soldiers alive. But the assassins were now running up the sasumata. Gamaken tried to shake them off, but he was not fast enough and they already got to his back, where Naruto was.

On instinct, Naruto pushed Chouri behind him. Leone tried to still grab him, but she overextended and Naruto delivered a spin kick to her head. Yet again. It seemed like there was some pattern.

This time though, it left him exposed to Sheele, who swung her scissors at him. Without thinking, he raised his arm to stop the attack. Time seemed to almost slow down for Naruto as he watched the blades of the scissors touch his skin. There was a prickling sensation and then he saw thin lines of blood form. Despite still being in sage mode, the scissors appeared to actually cut through his skin.

"Leave us alone!" Spear charged with her weapon at the assassin. The top of her polearm almost vibrated with chakra she unconsciously pushed into the weapon. The attack was surprising enough that Sheele had to scramble to put up any defenses, thus withdrawing from her attack. The scissors tanked the hit, but now the Shinobi was no longer at risk of losing a limb.

Regaining his senses, Naruto powered up another Rasengan and slammed it into the Assassin's weapon. The Teigu withstood the power, but the impact force sent Sheele flying away and off the toad.

"Master Naruto! Are you all right?" Chouri worriedly looked at the shinobi's bleeding arm.

"Luckily not yet." The teen couldn't stop himself from joking. He waved his arm as proof. "Get us out of here, Ken-san!" The sage called.

"Now you can no longer complain that our journey was delayed until Master Naruto arrived. Right, father?" Spear half-joked.

"The journey so far sure is… entertaining." Chouri agreed with a chuckle.

-/\/-

The music stopped the instant the explosion went off. The player stopped paying Kakashi any mind and he rushed outside. Kakashi followed him, feeling the kunai wound with every step. I might not have thought this through properly… he thought when he stepped on a particularly uneven floorboard and received a sharp pulse of pain for his efforts. He popped a soldier pill and continued on.

As he exited the ballroom, he watched as the girl he had talked with just minutes ago just finished slashing a blond giant of a man who was holding two axes. Her dress was now torn slightly below the belt and she had a katana of respectable size. One that Kakashi recognized from his lecture on Teigu. One-Cut Killer: Murasame. Currently in possession of Night Raid member Akame. The white hair must be a disguise.

To the side, he spotted an ongoing fight between an armored man and a guy in some sort of military uniform. Kakashi noted that this was the same style that the blond giant and the musician were wearing. The armored man was also a member of the Night Raid, Bulat the Hundred Men slayer, wearing the Demon Armor: Incursio.

It seemed that the battles paused as he entered the field.

"You." Akame seemed to recognize him. Kakashi gave her his patented eye smile.

"So I guess neither of us was really a true noble, eh?" He joked while simultaneously preparing a kunai behind his back.

"Oh? Not a friend of theirs?" The older of the two remaining uniformed men asked.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi, Jonin of Konohagakure no Sato in the employment of His Majesty, Emperor Makoto. I'm hunting the Night Raid. And if my instincts are correct, so are you. Military Intelligence?" He risked a guess. Usually, these styles of uniforms were used by some sort of ANBU equivalent. Ibiki was especially fond of black long coats.

"We're the personal guards under General Esdeath. She has ordered us to hunt down and eliminate Night Raid." Liver noticed the wound on Kakashi's leg. "We're sorry for the misunderstanding."

"Faulty intelligence." Kakashi dismissed. He couldn't exactly afford to antagonize tentative allies. There would be time for that after the fight was over. Or I will be dead and it won't be a problem. He moved his eyepatch to unveil his Sharingan.

"Liver! How could you have fallen so far?" Bulat regained his composure. "Working as an attack dog for someone as evil as Esdeath. And now you're allying yourself with that foreign scum."

"I am a faithful servant of my mistress. She is a goddess among men. Suihodan!" (Water Barrage) dozens of water bullets rose from the nearby barrels and shot at Bulat, who was forced to deflect.

Kakashi almost found himself just watching the battle. It was… novel experience. The chakra Liver was throwing seemed unlike any Jutsu Kakashi had seen before. It was barely even chakra manipulation. He briefly wondered how the power of the Teigu would work against some Suiton ninjutsu.

He twisted around and sent a barrage of Shuriken, forcing Akame to leap away. She was inches away from cutting down Nyau before the boy would've realized.

"Impressive speed, but nothing escapes the Sharingan's sight." Kakashi pulled more kunai from the hiding place.

She didn't speak. Instead, Akame once more tried to dash forward, only to almost get cut by the second volley.

"They say attempting the same thing over and over again is a sign of madness." The shinobi taunted. The assassin stayed silent and charged again. This time, she deflected the shuriken with her sword. The Murasame was about to cut through Nyau when a rain of small sparkles hit the blade. The sword attracted them, but they traveled down and onto Akame's hand.

"Raiton: Sanda" (Lightning Release: Thunder) Kakashi kept his hands thrust forward, letting the steady stream of chakra escape him and attack the assassin. Akame tried to push forward, but she felt the muscles in her arm spasm under the onslaught.

She backed off, throwing a bunch of sand from her pocket into Kakashi's eyes to break his concentration.

Bulat finally lost his armor, though it seemed that both he and Liver were near the end of their capacity.

"Bulat. It doesn't have to be like this." Liver begged. "Join me. Join us. General Esdeath can make all your crimes simply vanish. You'll once more be a free man, able to truly help your country."

"No. I would not be free. I would become an attack dog ordered to kill anyone who opposes the regime. Besides, Honest would never just let my past actions go away."

"Prime Minister will not say anything if you have Esdeath's protection. After I was imprisoned, I awaited my execution when she came. She said that it would be a waste of my skills to die just like that and that I was joining her. I… in a moment of weakness, I was ready to refuse. I gave up hope by that time. But she saved me." Liver's smile, at first gentle, without warning turned into a twisted grin. "Now all those spineless bureaucrats in the capital fear me. They will lick my shoes if I order them. All just to avoid my wrath and to remain on General Esdeath's good side. They are at my complete mercy!"

"Liver… what happened to you?"

"I've been set free." The older man pulled an injector from his pocket. "Let's end it like gentlemen." Saying that he drew his sword.

"You are wounded." Bulat protested, but he dutifully also pulled a sword.

"Bulat," Akame spoke from her position. Throughout this entire exchange, she tried to find a strategy against Kakashi but she was coming blank. He seemed to always have some magic to counter what she tried and without more knowledge about his skills, any attack was risky. Muscles in her arm still ached from the electric current he blasted her with.

"This is something that must be done Akame. Liver is too dangerous to be left alive."

For a moment, the girl hesitated. Then, she pulled something from her pocket and tossed it to the man. Kakashi's Sharingan eye followed the item. To his shock, it was a soldier pill. He threw a kunai to knock it out of the air, but Akame managed to cut it before it reached the target.

Bulat caught the pill and swallowed it. Instantly, he straightened up. All weariness vanished from his face and the grip on the sword hardened.

"Incursio!" The sword vanished as he was enveloped by white and silver armor once more.

They somehow have access to soldier pills. But did someone steal part of our supplies… or did they perhaps also establish contact with Jomon.

"I see…" Liver sighed. "Very well then. It would appear that my fate has been sealed." He jabbed the injector into his neck. Tremors shook him as the content of the vial spread all over his body. "Ah. Now we might be equal."

Akame rushed forward and took a swing at Liver, only for him to duck under and deliver a strong kick to her stomach, sending her stumbling back. Bulat was about to rush to her aid when a giant fist slammed in front of him, breaking the deck into splinter.

Nyau stood there, smiling. "Do you like my trump card? The advent of Fierce God."

"Stay out of this Nyau. Focus on the woman. Bulat is my responsibility." Liver ordered.

"Are you not forgetting about me?" Kakashi idly mused while he went through several hand seals. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu" (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullets Jutsu). From the nearest barrel, a dragon head rose and started firing blasts of water at the two Night Raid assassins. Bulat used his polearm to deflect them while Akame danced between them as she tried to close in on the shinobi.

Nyau swiped at her, but it barely slowed her down as she dodged. But that put her in Liver's range. The man brought his sword down, and while he only scratched her, the impact of his sword crashing through the deck and the planks caving in made her lose her footing.

Kakashi took the opportunity to jump back, but he winced as the wound in his leg yet again decided to remind him that he had to stab himself to break the genjutsu. And it hurt!

"You are injured," Akame noted. It didn't stop her from charging at him with her sword ready for a strike.

"Thanks for noticing. I was afraid you forgot." He snipped while he ducked under her swing.

She took a step back and stabbed the blade back, right through Nyau's stomach as the man tried to sneak up on her.

Black seal script spread over his body and in seconds, he collapsed dead.

At the same time, Bulat's attack left a deep gash across Liver's chest, spraying blood everywhere.

"I… expected it to end like this. I only… hoped to weaken you more before… this." The former general raised his right hand. The gem on Black Marlin shone for a second before changing color. While before it was deep blue, the color of ocean waters, now became crimson. "See my trump card: Blade of Blood!" The blood from his wounds, as well as what already fell, rose into the air and turned into dozens of extremely thin, extremely narrow blades. Bulat didn't catch on to what was happening before he was bombarded with uncountable small projectiles. His armor was able to withstand the attacks, but the impact wasn't exactly pleasant.

In the end, the Hundred Man Slayer stood unaffected.

"And so… my sacrifice will be in vain… Master Kakashi, alas, I must leave them to you. I will die knowing that… I served my mistress." Liver's eyes started to close.

"Try to hold on just a little longer," Kakashi ordered. "Kirigakure no Jutsu" (Hiding in Mist Technique) His declaration was the only warning as the deck was cloaked in thick mist.

Akame and Bulat moved closer together and covered each other's backs. Their senses betrayed them as the harder they tried to pick something in the mist, the more useless signals they got. It seemed that the guests were now waking up. There were rats scouring just under the deck.

Steps to the left! Nothing

Someone running to the right! There is nothing there.

Birds cry!

Rats!

Steps!

Rats!

The deck under Bulat broke as several dogs leaped out and bit into his armor. The chirping of the birds intensified nearly a hundredfold.

Blue light flashed in the mist and the next thing the assassins knew, There was a lightning-covered hand sticking through Bulat's chest, going right through his heart. The electricity burned at the blood spluttering out.

Incursio retracted into the sword form, leaving the man standing in shock. The dogs let him go. Kakashi also pulled his hand out, leaving a hole through which Akame saw the shinobi's face. The Sharingan was spinning and seemed to pierce into the deepest parts of her soul.

She panicked. She rushed over to Bulat and caught his falling body.

"Tell Bro, that now… it's his turn to be the hero." With that, Bulat the Hundred Men slayer was no more.

Akame hauled him over her shoulder and grabbed Incursio through a piece of cloth.

"..." She stared at Kakashi for just one more moment before she leaped away, disappearing into the mist.

-/\/-

OMAKE

Naruto and Kakashi stood at a fork a bit outside the capital. This was where they had to separate.

"Good Luck Naruto. And for the love of all that is important, do not start any more problems with the people that hired us while I'm gone."

"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. I'll do my best."

"That's what I'm worried about," Kakashi grumbled.

"Did you say something?"

"Ah, nothing important. Well, on your merry way you go."

"You too, sensei." They were about to separate when Naruto idly shouted "And may the Log be with you."

Kakashi paused his walk and sighed. He turned and looked at his student with a heavy gaze. "Naruto, how many times did we explain it to you? There is no such thing as 'holy log'."

"Then how do you explain that whenever you need to use a substitution, there is a log ready right where you need it?"

"Coincidence."

"But it always looks exactly the same! I'm telling you! It's the holy log, the patron of shinobi!"

"There is no such thing as a holy log." Kakashi persisted.

"Then how do you explain that the log always looks exactly the same?"

"The animators are lazy."