The God of Wind:
Hey everyone, it's finally time for the climax of the arc, as the Leaf force invades Takeru's mansion. Hope you enjoy.
The Humming Mist Arc:
Chapter 15: Assault on the Mansion
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The forest was creepy. Silent, yet every little sound seemed to carry through the thick fog. Sakura was constantly on edge, knowing they were close to where her teammates were being held. She waited for Anko and Turtle to return with impatience. They'd been gone for over a half hour. Finally, Wolf's partner perked up, raising his snout to the air and sniffing. Anko, Wolf, and Turtle slunk into the clearing like ghosts.
The Purple-haired woman wore a perturbed look, one that made Sakura's stomach churn with anxiety.
"We've got a problem." Anko forewent any preamble, she was deadly serious. Kakashi looked at her sharply in a silent order to continue. "It's the place we're looking for, but the guards bare the crest of the Minamoto Family."
Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose, while Wolf let out a curse. Sakura looked at the older ninjas and kunoichi, there was a tension in their demeanors now.
"What's the Minamoto Family?"
"They're the family of the Daimyo of the Land of Fog." Kakashi explained distractedly. He kept his attention on Anko. "Is it the Daimyo's mansion?"
Anko shook her head, and said, "No, it's just the regular crest." Some of the tension bled away from Kakashi.
"Well, that's some good news but it still poses a problem. We have to weigh our options, it's a bit risky if the person behind this is a member of the family."
Wolf nodded. "Agreed, if we're not careful, this could be a political disaster for the village. We can't just attack and rescue them without thinking it through."
The other adults agreed and began to discuss the need for caution. Sakura was growing concerned. Would they decide that they needed to retreat? A lump formed in her throat. "We aren't just giving up, right?"
Anko scoffed and dismissed her concerns. "As if, we just gotta run through the logistics more."
With her concerns set at ease, Sakura stood back, while her senior shinobi discussed the ins and outs of performing the extraction without implicating the village. The overall consensus seemed to be that they'd alter their physical appearances, not just transform, and any trace of their connection to the leaf needed to be concealed. That meant no Anbu armor, no headbands, and even Wolf's partner wasn't allowed to go in. Then Bird motioned to Sakura.
"The girl should stay with Harumaru, it will be dangerous."
"What, but I want to help rescue Sasuke and Naruto!" She protested.
She looked to Kakashi for support, but he seemed to be considering it. "He is right, Sakura. This is going to be dangerous. From this moment onwards, this is an unsanctioned mission. There won't be backup, and the village will disavow us if we get caught." Sakura swallowed heavily but nodded all the same. She wasn't about to back out now. Her sensei regarded her carefully but seemed satisfied with what he saw. "Very well, let's get to work. Remember, nondescript clothing, and no traces of where we're from. Anko, help Sakura."
At Kakashi's direction, the oddball jonin led Sakura away from the men into the forest, where everything was cast in emerald light and a bubbling stream drifted by slowly. Here, they could get ready in peace. Anko placed a hand on her hip and brandished a kunai.
"Alright, first things first, I've only got a small bottle of brown dye that won't be enough for you, so the long hair's gotta go."
Sakura balked at the suggestion. She'd spent years growing her hair, carefully maintaining it until it was long, thick as could be, and soft as silk. Her hand came up, unconsciously running through the long pink locks. If she didn't do this, she couldn't participate. Was her resolve really so weak? 'No, I won't be a burden anymore!' It was agony, but Sakura stilled her resolve and nodded to Anko. "Okay."
Anko smirked, as though Sakura had passed some hidden test. The quirky woman walked around Sakura and took her hair in a surprisingly gentle grip.
"Don't worry, I'm pretty handy with a kunai."
The lascivious chuckle the older kunoichi gave, made Sakura think there was a double meaning there. But, true to her word, Anko was good with the knife. With quick, precise slices, long threads of silky pink hair fell to the ground. The impromptu haircut didn't take longer than ten minutes, and the fallen clumps of hair were deftly picked up and sealed away by Anko.
Sakura regarded her new haircut in the reflection of the stream. It looked surprisingly cute, a medium length bob she could still tie up. After dunking her head in the icy stream to remove any stray locks, she was ready for the next step.
"Alright, take off the dress, the dye will ruin it."
She shyly followed Anko's orders and removed her red dress. She'd be wearing other clothes, anyways. Though thankfully she was wearing a sports bra underneath and her shorts underneath. With Anko's help, Sakura's hair was quickly dyed a rich brown, with any of the excess wiped away and left to disappear into the slowly drifting stream in fading brown swirls amidst the blue-green water. Unlike Sakura, Anko had no shame in discarding her trench coat and skirt to reveal her mesh body suit and the decidedly not conservative underwear under her skirt, leaning over the stream as she used a bottle of black die to obscure her violet locks.
While the jonin was busy with her hair, Sakura carefully changed into a long-sleeved black tank-top and matching mini-skirt, with her hair tied up in a short ponytail. Anko nodded in approval as she approached, wearing a surprisingly modest black compression shirt and dark leggings, her hair left unbound and falling to her shoulders like an onyx waterfall.
"Well, let's get back to the others."
Sakura nodded and they made the short walk back to where the men had remained. They had already changed, with the Anbu and Kakashi donning long-sleeved black shirts and matching pants. They hadn't made too many changes to their hair or looks, save for a bit of makeup on the Inuzuka to hide his tattoos.
The most drastic change was Kakashi, who had died his hair brown and slicked it back. His headband was replaced with a torn cloth, and for once, he was without a mask. Sakura felt her cheeks flush at the sight of his handsome, chiseled face. It was much more delicate than she expected. The formerly silver-haired jonin looked to Wolf.
"Let's get to business. If you could, draw out what you saw with the area scanning jutsu?"
Wolf nodded and, after he unsealed a piece of paper and pencil, began to draw a render of a multi-level floor map. The Anbu was no artist, but the map was clear enough. There were three levels. Two were nearly identical, a central building with four wings branching off and jutting out. The third was the most interesting. A large rectangle, with two sections portioned into smaller rectangles, and a few other rooms. All surrounding a round space.
"This is the prison level from what I can tell. There are a lot of people down there. It's partially under the East side of the mansion." Wolf pointed to the third level.
Kakashi studied the map carefully. He pointed to where Wolf had marked a staircase between the prison and one of the wings of the mansion. "This seems like the best entry point. We'll split into teams of three. One will focus on holding the attention of any guards, the other will move in to extract Naruto and Sasuke, is that understood?" Kakashi met all of their eyes, lingering on her the longest. Once everyone had acknowledged his words, he continued. "Good. Turtle, Wolf, Bird, you three will be the team handling the guards. Anko, Sakura, and I will be the extraction team. Move out."
With their orders given, they crept towards the mansion stealthily. Sakura was self-concious about where she placed her feet, copying the lithe movements of Anko as best she could. She didn't want to mess this up! The entire experience was slightly surreal for her. It felt like everything was moving too fast. She could hardly breathe, let alone process the fact they were about to invade an enemy base.
They snuck through the forest, until they came upon a well-maintained road. Down a smaller road, lined with wisteria, they could see the bright red mansion sticking out in the white haze. Kakashi glanced at Wolf. "Good luck."
Together, the three Anbu shot off. They were nothing but dark blurs, darting between trees as they closed on the mansion. Kakashi waited several moments.
"Alright, let's get going as well."
Sakura followed after the older shinobi and kunoichi. They wound towards the mansion, the opposite way the Anbu had. Sakura listened carefully. She was convinced any second now a guard would stumble upon them.
BOOM!
A loud explosion crashed through the air. Sakura stifled a scream, as birds rose into the air with startled cries. Kakashi and Anko didn't spare a glance at the explosion. Instead, they pressed forward. "The attack's begun, this is our chance." Kakashi ordered.
They stole across the ground like shadows. Whenever a part of the garden was in their path, Kakashi cut through it with a lightning-shrouded kunai. Time was of the essence here; they could afford to leave traces. The distraction had worked well, they'd almost reached the mansion with no sign of guards. Sakura's pulse quickened. As they rounded the corner to the South-East wing, one appeared out of nowhere. He was a portly man, sprinting towards the attack from the Anbu. The man barely had a chance to widen his eyes.
Anko struck, fast as a viper. She sliced the man's throat. His crimson blood sprayed across the ground.
The man was left to bleed out. Sakura could still hear his dying gurgles as they raced towards the mansion even faster. A window-lined hallway was directly in their path. Kakashi pried open the window, breaking the lock. It eased open on well-oiled hinges, allowing them to slip into the mansion. Sakura hauled herself over the window ledge, she silently marveled at the ornate decorations lining the hall. Her sensei paid them no mind, instead glancing at Wolf's map. He gestured to a finely carved pair of double doors with golden handles.
"The stairs down are a room away, we'll cut through this big one to get to the hallway."
Sakura spared the opulent decorations a glance. There wasn't much time to admire them. She followed as Kakashi led them forward, into a magnificent hall, with a soaring vaulted ceiling, and wide-open marble floor. She imagined it would be used for balls and other social functions.
Suddenly, Kakashi froze halfway across the floor. He stared at the double doors opposite them, already spread open.
"I suppose it was too much to ask we'd get through without any problems."
She stared at her sensei. Had he gone mad? But it wasn't just him. Anko tensed, holding her kunai up defensively. Just as she made to ask what was wrong, a bone-chilling laugh echoed across the hall, along with a slow, mocking clap. A lanky giant stepped out from the doorway, flanked by a stocky man of average height.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Kakashi."
'So much for disguising ourselves.' So, this was Itojiro? He wasn't what Sakura had expected. She'd imagined a grizzled warrior, muscular and imposing. Instead, she was met with a tall spider of a man, his lips covered in bloody face paint to form a mad smile, it reminded her a bit of an antagonist she'd seen in a horror film she'd watched with her parents. His partner was no less intimidating, with spiky black hair held up by a pair of worn black-lensed goggles, and a nasty burns scar on his right arm, there was a mean look to his face.
Kakashi lifted the eyepatch off of his Sharingan. Sakura couldn't help but be worried. For her sensei to use it so readily … he was worried about this fight. More importantly, their cover had already been blown.
Without turning, Anko began to give her orders. "Sakura, retreat to a safe distance. Only long-distance support." She kept her eyes locked on the stocky man, who fingered the hilt of his odd sword excitedly. Sakura hesitantly obeyed. She backed up quickly and took shelter in the hall. As if by some unspoken signal, the jonin sprang to action.
Itojiro threw his needle sword at Kakashi like a lance. But it was a bluff. As Kakashi dodged, the face-painted man lifted an arm over his head while holding the other in front his chest, both hands formed half ram seals.
A cloud of mist billowed outwards; it engulfed the room in a white haze that was impossible to see through.
She strained to see amidst the thickening fog, but it was pointless. Within the white abyss, the sound of metal clashing rang forth, along with an odd tinkling sound, like a spoon falling on the ground.
BOOM!
Sakura jumped as a harsh explosion crashed through the haze, followed by an orange flash of fire that ate away at the mist. Seconds later, another, much brighter flash went off. It was a tremendous ball of fire that devoured the mist greedily. Once it was done, only a thin film hung in the air.
She blinked in surprise. In only a matter of seconds, the ballroom had been transformed. Part of the floor had been scorched and blown apart. Elsewhere, a web of wires stretched diagonally from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, all around. Itojiro' blade had seemingly pierced the ceiling and floor as if they were cloth, creating a deadly net. The masked man himself balanced on one of the wires gracefully, he glared down at Anko, who exhaled whisps of smoke.
"Tch, fine, ruin my fun."
Without speaking, Itojiro and his partner moved swiftly. Itojiro tossed his sword toward Anko. As it passed by, Ryuuji dragged his sword across the wire, a layer of seals got deposited on the wire. They smoked and burned as they drew close to Anko. She dodged out of the way, but the tags exploded. The ballroom floor was blasted apart, shards of marble flew through the air.
Sakura watched helplessly as one of the shards buried itself into Anko's left thigh. Her gut twisted as Anko landed awkwardly and her leg collapsed underneath her.
Ryuuji rushed to take advantage, his sword raised and ready to blast her apart. She had to act! Sakura quickly formed hand seals. Her hasty genjutsu ensnared him in an illusion of being tied to a stake while starving. The mist shinobi stopped and shook his head as he stared blankly at the spot where Anko crouched. After a few seconds his gaze sharpened and his sword swung down, but it had been just enough time. Anko leapt clear of the blast.
Unfortunately, her actions drew Itojiro's attention. "I'd nearly forgotten about you. Perhaps I should kill you and send you to join the other baby Leaf ninja?" He wore a sadistic smile as he spoke.
"You're lying, they're alive!"
Her denial only seemed to amuse him all the more. Though his attention was soon taken by Kakashi trying to strike him down with a lightning blade. Itojiro leapt from his perch to avoid the residual electricity. Midair, he jerked his hand and recalled his blade.
The mist shinobi landed lightly; his arm lanced forward. His sword soared through the air, straight for Kakashi's chest. Her sensei dodged to the side. Itojiro's gave a savage grin. "You weren't the target, copy ninja!"
Kakashi stiffened, as Itojiro twitched his fingers. The path of the blade changed, suddenly it was headed for her! Her sensei tried to move, but it was moving too fast. Sakura flinched as the silver streak approached. She felt the cold bite of icy metal wrapping her from head to toe.
Sakura opened her eyes and looked at the metallic thread that wrapped around her from shoulder to knee, inch gaps leaving her body visible, but also exponentially more dangerous. One move, and she would be shredded to pieces. Itojiro wore a sickening grin as he clutched Nuibari in his hands once more. He eyed Kakashi and Anko nastily.
"Stay where you are, or I'll turn your little genin into steaks for the dogs." He threatened.
Kakashi stood frozen, his eyes darting between her and Itojiro, judging whether he could make it in time. Anko, meanwhile, let out a howl of pain as she found herself blasted back by the black-haired man amidst the distraction.
Was this it, was she going to die? Sakura felt an odd heat fill her, as she felt the wire dig into her arm and unleash a trickle of blood. Tears flooded her eyes. This was the exact situation Kakashi had warned them of. And she was the one captured. 'What am I thinking, of course I was!' In the end, she was weak. Sakura had the drive to be better, but what good was that when you were so weak. All she had been was a liability, and it sickened her that her sensei and Anko might die because of her.
BOOM!
The entire room shook as a terrible explosion of wind tore through the far side of the room. Dust and smoke billowed out. Sakura was blown backwards and landed hard on her side. Thankfully, Itojiro had let the wire go slack in his surprise, so she wasn't cut to ribbons. A heavy, evil feeling washed over her. It was oppressive and choking. Sakura saw Kakashi and Anko staring into the slowly clearing smoke. A gaping hole had been blown in the floor of the connected hall, taking a portion of the wall with it.
The two jonin shared a glance. "Is that what I think it is?" Anko asked wearily as she struggled to her feet. Kakashi nodded sharply.
"The Nine-Tails Chakra. So much for being dead."
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Well, Kakashi, Anko, and Sakura find themselves in a tight spot. But perhaps reinforcements are on the way? You'll have to wait for the next chapter.
Once again, thanks to all my patrons for supporting my work. Chapter 16 of this story and Chapter 51 of Uchiha Chronicles are already up on pa treon.
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Until Next Time,
RinneTaicho, Signing Off!