Chapter 21: Prowl
( Iron Country Border)
Mifune the Samurai general is currently looking at all the Samurai Captains, Commanders, in a meeting room as they discussing the amount of missing persons who have disappeared every night.
"The People of Iron Country are afraid of something Mifune-sama. Various people in the village has been kidnapped and never seen again. We are not just talking about the homeless but late night people, prostitutes too have been taken as well. Thugs and villagers who come home from their jobs." Spoke a middle aged Samurai Captain
"This has been going on for the past few nights. The people are scared and are demanding something to be done about it. Their friends, loved ones and possible family members kidnapped and no one knows who took them away." Commented another Samurai Captain as General Mifune sighed.
"We are going to double patrols around iron country. Also for the safety to not lose anymore villagers I'm going issue an 7:00 o clock curfew to prevent anymore losses. Meaning no one can't go outside during sundown. This mysterious killer or kidnapper would only appear at night yes? I I'm going to have platoons of samurai patrolling the streets. The village areas, everywhere. Including the borders. And if anyone spots something suspicious alert me immediately. We have no idea what we are dealing with, it could be an S-Rank rogue Shinobi for all we know that's doing this. " Mifune would say as everyone tensed about the mysterious killer as they had heard stories about him or her. That's doing all the kidnapping as everyone would agree on the curfew.
"We need a tracker. Someone who can track the mysterious killer down." Mifune would say looking at everyone in the room.
"I might know someone Sir. He was a former Konoha Shinobi from the Inuzuka Clan. His name is Hound." Says a Samurai with the rank of Lieutenant
"And is hound here in Iron Country?" Mifune asked seeing his soldier nod.
"Yes. Sir. He's a taking a break from bounty hunting, I hear he's good at tracking." The Samurai lieutenant says
"Bring him to me. If he is as good as you say he is then we need him immediately. " Mifune would say as the man nodded.
"Meeting dismissed I'm going to announce to the villagers about the curfew. I'm hoping to Kami that we stop this." Mifune would say with a sigh.
( Konoha, Namikaze Estate)
Naruto who was carrying Anko with Artemis in tow following him as they made it to the estate and ran into the living room. He would lay Anko down on the couch as Naruto would call for Nyra who appeared. Suddenly Haku, Tsunami and Inari also came in to see what the commotion was about.
"What seems to be the problem?" Nyra asked.
"She's been stabbed and poisoned. She's still breathing" Naruto says behind his mask as Nyra went to go grab her medical supplies since she is a Hunter Medic for Naruto's group.
Anko would lay there not able to move labored breathing. As Nyra began getting to work on healing Anko. As she would hold a booster shot and would point it to Anko's stab wound as she injects the needle and released the injection causing Anko to suddenly scream when she felt the shot. As the medicine would begin neutralizing the poison within Anko.
"Is the woman going to be alright?" asked Haku
"She should be fine. Never witnessed our medicine on a human before so this is the first time." Artemis would say
"I'm going to talk to the Sandaime. Inform me if Anko is okay." Naruto would say now cloaking himself and would leave.
( Hokage Tower)
Hiruzen Sarutobi would be sitting at his desk writing paperwork as usual it wasn't until he heard a window open as he turned and saw Naruto uncloak himself.
"Naruto? What's wrong?" The Old kage asked.
"One of your shinobi was attacked in the forest of death. Attacked by a pale skinned person with yellow eyes and long dark hair." Naruto told him as Hiruzen froze hoping he didn't hear what was said.
"Orochimaru? You saw Orochimaru? And who did he attacked?" The Sandaime asked as Naruto told him it was Anko and that she's now currently in his care being healed by his healer.
"I already have one of my hunters on pursuit of him." Naruto told him.
"I see... I will call in jiraiya immediately and sort this out. Thank you for bringing this to my attention Naruto." Hiruzen would say with a nod as Naruto also nodded and cloaked himself leaving the office leaving the old kage alone.
"What are you doing here Orochimaru? Just what are your intentions?" Hiruzen thought
( Back at the Namikaze estate)
Naruto returned as he looked at Nyra, Haku and Artemis. Suddenly Sabertooth returned.
"Any luck?" Naruto asked Sabertooth who shook his head.
"No, He escaped. His trail ended in a dead end he must have suspected that he was being followed," Sabertooth answered as Naruto let out an inhuman growl.
"I see. We will get him next time. How is she Nyra?" Naruto asked turning his gaze on her.
"She is fine. She is no longer poisoned, I've patched up her wound she's going to need a lot of rest." Nyra would answer.
"Good. I've already informed the Sandaime about the situation." Naruto would say behind his mask.
Later that night.
Anko would turn and shift as her eyes began to open.
"Where am I? Am I dead?" she thought raising her head. It was then she spotted Naruto who was unmasked.
"You are awake." Naruto says with her looking to him.
"What happened?" she asked
"You was poisoned. Luckily you survived the healing process. The poison been neutralized. My medic hunter Nyra saved your life." Naruto stated
"What about Orochimaru?" she asked.
"He got away.. I've already informed the hokage. I told him I have you in my care." Naruto says with her facing him with a smile that he saved her life.
"Why did you do it? Why you save me?" she asked facing him.
"It's the right thing to do isn't it? After all you saved my life too. So consider it even." Naruto replied
"Yeah… you are right." Anko would say.
"If you need anything call for Tsunami or Haku. I must go." Naruto would say getting up to leave as she watched him leave.
She feels indebted to him for saving her life.
( Iron Country )
It would around that same night, that Samurai's would be on patrols everywhere. The people had already been informed about the curfew. As it was a quiet night.
A selective group of Samurai were on patrol with a rogue Konoha nin that belonged to the Inuzuka clan. His name is Hound. He was brought to Mifune to be the tracker. Both he and his dog Steele are tracking the scent.
"So any luck?" asked a Samurai captain.
"We are getting there. This scent… though… it doesn't smell human." Hound would reply
"Not Human? Are you saying it's an animal that's doing all this kidnapping?" asked a Samurai
"I can't tell. We won't know until we get there. We are close." Hound would reply in a gruff voice as he and his dog continued to track the scent it wasn't until Hound's nose wrinkled in disgust.
"What is it?" says a Samurai officer.
"The smell of blood.. And death… and it's coming from that bunker." Hound says pointing to it. As his dog Steele whimpered.
"You think whatever it is we are dealing with is in there?" asked another Samurai.
"Could be. Let's check it out." the Captain says as he and 6 of his samurai along with Hound would go inside the Root base bunker.
Once they got inside their noses were hit with a disgusting stench of blood and death. They noticed the place looked dark. And the power seems to be out.
One of the Samurai brought out a torch and lit it. As they explored the dark bunker that was covered in black hive-like resin. Hound and his Dog Steele walked forward following the scent with the samurai behind him.
Once they got deeper into the bunker Hound was the first to look in disbelief and horror.
"Oh my kami…" Hound says in utter horror at the sight before him.
And what did he see. A pile of dead corpses human and animal alike. Half eaten. Mutilated.
The Samurai captain behind him also looked horrified.
"Holy kami…" the captain says in shock as his men also looked in horror. One of them turned green and threw up.
"What the hell did this?" Hound would say as his dog besides him got scared and whimpered loudly.
They heard a voice.
"Help me…. Help me….." says a Root nin that's covered in hive resin against the wall as they turned to him.
"A sign of life! What did this to you..?" asked the Captain.
Hound was silent. He didn't like this. And something told him that they are in someone or rather something's territory.
"We have to get outta here." Hound says that was until they heard hissing.
A Tail would be seen impaling a Samurai who screamed catching the others off guard.
Coming out of the shadows and darkness were 5 Izanami Shadow clones.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" Screamed a Samurai as the captain and his men pulled out their swords and fought the clones.
Hound and Steele would start running. As he was terrified.
As he ran he head the blood-curdling screams from the Samurai captain and his men who died.
Scared and terrified as he kept running, His Dog Steele was suddenly snatched by another Izanami clone.
"STEELE! NOO!!" Hound yelled seeing his dog and companion being ripped apart.
He saw the clone come towards him as he pulled out a kunai and tossed it at izanami who evaded it and lunged grabbing his leg and would drag him in the darkness for his screams to echo.
Hound was suddenly dropped on the feet of a hive resin made throne as he looked up horrified seeing the REAL Izanami sitting on her throne with her bulging pregnant belly showing.
Hound looked at her face closely. She looked familiar….
But that's not possible? She's supposed to be dead!
"Mi-Mikoto Uchiha!" Hound spoke in shock that this abomination before him is Mikoto!?
Izanami tilted her head to the side in confusion at that name.
"Who the hell is Mikoto Uchiha?" Izanami replied
"But.. you're- you're dead! You was slain by Itachi Uchiha!" Hound said in a shaken voice.
Izanami frowned... could this Mikoto Uchiha be her biological mother? Orochimaru never told her about her mother figure. Not that she was interested in wanting know. The only so called parental figures she did have in her creation was Orochimaru, Kabuto and Kimmimaro. Who would be her fathers. Since their blood was spliced together. Right now her instincts is her parental figure. Could this mean she's apart of this Uchiha clan?
"Tell me more... and maybe I will spare your life." Izanami would say coldly wanting to know everything on who this Mikoto Uchiha is along with the Uchiha clan..
It seems once she does take a visit to Konoha. She will have to disguise herself so no one wouldn't recognize her.
Hound told her everything and he didn't leave nothing out.
She showed no reaction about the fall of the Uchiha clan nor did she even care about this Uchiha Sasuke who is rumored to be the Sole surviving Uchiha with Itachi on the loose.
She didn't care about none of it. All it mattered to her was the birth of her future hive.
"Thank you, you've been helpful." Izanami says looking down at Hound.
Before he could say anything her long tail impaled him as he looked up to her with a terror stricken face.
"Did you honestly think I was going to let you go? I think not. So as a thank you for telling me about this I rewarded you with death." Izanami would say retracting her tail as she watched hound slump on the floor dead.
Soon just soon she will be giving birth soon and then she and her children will go to Konoha.
to be continued.
An: This chapter came into my head.
Next chapter will be timeskip.
redmen6blight: I like your reaction to Izanami. The fact she's a greater threat then Orochimaru. Maybe even a bigger threat than the Akatsuki. Plus Naruto and his crew aren't exactly aware of any serpent activity in the elemental nations and were not aware of Izanami who is basically a clone of Mikoto Uchiha with Orochimaru's smarts, crafty nature and intelligence. Not to mention part Xenomorph. I don't intend on killing her off. I'm building her up as the perfect villain and rival towards Naruto.
She's going to be ALOT more challenging than any typical Xenomorph Queen or predalien.
can't wait to write up Sasuke's reaction to Izanami,
Until next time.