Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at the map. The situation was far from ideal, and they needed to take drastic action.
"So...," Danzo interrupted his thoughts.
"I divided the remaining reserves into two parts. One is to stop the Mist, the other — the Cloud."
"We're in a bad position," Koharu commented, to which Hiruzen nodded.
"We have no reserves, in Konoha, there are only a few ANBU squads and genin, including those who graduated from the Academy just a few weeks ago," Sarutobi reported.
"The Sand has already begun an offensive on the Stone, and battles are raging in the Land of Rain. Of course, Suna is not as strong as Iwa, but they can at least relieve some pressure on the western front," Danzo added.
"I didn't want it to come to this, but it seems we have to...," Hiruzen lowered his head.
"What are you talking about?" Homura asked.
"I'm going to mobilize the genin for an operation," he said firmly. "We don't have the strength. Mizukage is somewhere on the front lines. The Cloud can start pressing at any moment. I'm to blame for all of this. I waited too long..."
"Tell us more," Danzo said.
"A genin squad will infiltrate the rear and blow up the bridges through which the food supplies are coming," he pointed to the targets on the map.
"And then?" Koharu asked.
"Then, with a swift push, we'll begin our offensive from the north, breaking the Waterfall forces and encircling the Stone forces. If we act quickly and cohesively, we can pull this off, relieve the front, and send a strong part of our army to the eastern fronts."
"Not bad, Hiruzen," Danzo said. "But where will you find the strength for the offensive? We're depleted, genin won't handle this, and..."
"I want your people to do it," Danzo looked at him in incomprehension. "Root ANBU will be the main force in the offensive against Waterfall, and then it will allow us to encircle the Stone forces."
"You want to break one army after another?" Hokage nodded. "Hm..." Shimura clearly did not expect such a turn of events. He might have thought that Hiruzen was playing a game. But he had proposed the Third Truce himself, for the benefit of the village, and most likely, he wanted to use it for a purpose. Besides, it could benefit Root as well. So far, Shimura saw only advantages. He smiled. "Let it be so." Sarutobi nodded, although he already knew that this would bring many problems, but there was no other choice. "And who do you suggest for this mission?"
"The risk is high, but I'm betting on the younger generation: Uchiha Sasuke, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Kiba Inuzuka, Aburame Shino, as well as Rock Lee and Neji Hyuga."
"And who will be the leader?" Homura asked.
"The genius of their generation — Uzumaki Naruto."
"Is this...?" Danzo asked.
"He's already a Chunin and has been through many battles."
"Is this reasonable? Why not send someone from ANBU?" Koharu suggested.
"They are needed here," Danzo said. "We need experienced shinobi in the village. I agree with Hiruzen's plan."
"Then so do I," Homura agreed.
"But I don't," Koharu objected. "Most are in favor, so it's decided."
Naruto sat in his room, bandaging his hand. ANBU had visited him an hour ago with a message from the Hokage. Uzumaki had been asking to be discharged from the hospital faster and then sent on a mission. A week had passed, and the Hokage had only summoned him now. He didn't know what to expect, but he was eager to get to the front lines as soon as possible. Recent events had awakened a strong desire in him to fight and spill the blood of enemies. He didn't know why this sudden urge had come over him, but he wanted to act on it.
After quickly getting ready, he headed to the Hokage's residence. The streets were empty. Everyone was either staying indoors or at the cemeteries. Every day, Konoha received many bodies. The hospital was overflowing with wounded. Naruto walked alone, with only the wind as his companion.
Entering the residence, he headed straight for the Hokage's office. Outside the door, he paused for a moment, then knocked.
"Enter!" came the voice from inside. Naruto walked in. The Hokage was studying a map and smoking his pipe.
"You called for me?"
"Yes," the Hokage finally shifted his attention away from the map and looked at Uzumaki. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm getting better. Ribs are a bit sore, and my hand throbs a bit, but it's bearable."
"That's good. I should have given you more time to recover, but... You know the situation," Hiruzen exhaled another puff of smoke.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Naruto asked directly.
"Sabotage," the Hokage replied briefly.
"Can you give me more details?"
"Infiltrate enemy territory and destroy the bridges through which their food supplies pass."
"I won't be doing this alone, will I?"
"No," the Hokage opened a drawer and took out several folders, placing them on the desk.
"May I?" The Hokage nodded. Naruto approached and picked up the first folder. "But these are..."
"Our resources are limited, so we're involving genin," the Hokage calmly explained. "We had to accelerate their training."
"But they... They don't know anything about war, what to do. And what if we encounter strong shinobi? Then we..."
"Why not use ANBU for this mission?" Naruto interrupted.
"All capable shinobi are needed in the village and for the offensive. The fate of the village depends on the success of this mission. I don't want to pressure you, but I think you understand where I'm going with this."
"But with them..." Naruto continued to object.
"I didn't want to do this," Hiruzen sighed. "Everything is too complicated. People make mistakes, and I miscalculated, but now we have to make it right."
"Darn it," Naruto placed the folder back on the table. "What's my role in all of this?" Naruto asked this question to confirm his suspicions.
"Commander. You've been through a lot and seen just as much. I've heard about you from other shinobi. You have everything it takes to become a strong shinobi. You have leadership qualities. And most importantly, I see that you live for the village and give yourself to it completely. Now a heavy burden has fallen on your shoulders, but you must handle it," the Hokage concluded his speech.
"I'll do my best and do everything in my power," Naruto looked at the map. "Now, let's talk about the objectives..."
"I'm ready!" Lee shouted, jumping in place. "This is my chance to show how worthy I am of being a shinobi."
"Lee, we're not going for a walk," Neji reassured him. "It's a war out there."
"We were chosen by the Hokage because he sees our strength!" Lee raised his hand triumphantly.
"Most likely there are no other shinobi available for this mission, and they just pulled us out of the closet," Sasuke remarked.
"That's probably true," Shikamaru agreed, holding his head in his hands. "There are no shinobi left in the village. Just the wounded, those retired from service, maybe a few ANBU, genin, and the Hokage."
"Yeah," Choji reached for a bag of chips. "I'm under a lot of stress."
"Who's our commander?" Shino asked.
"They just told me to come here, that we have a mission in the war, and so on," Inuzuka said, sitting squat and petting his dog.
"Me too," Choji agreed.
"He'll probably explain everything to us," Neji understood.
All the genin stood by the main gate for about twenty minutes. They were waiting for the mission commander, who was nowhere to be seen. Soon, someone in Konoha chunin uniform with a backpack on their shoulders appeared on the horizon. The genin stared at him and only then recognized their old classmate.
"Good morning, everyone!" Naruto greeted them as he approached. No one replied. They all just stared at him. Some snorted, some were surprised, and some didn't care. "Let's get to it!" Naruto removed his backpack and tossed it on the ground. Everyone gathered around the backpack. Sasuke opened it and saw a bunch of explosive scrolls.
"Explosive scrolls?" he exclaimed.
"That's right. That's our mission. We need to infiltrate enemy territory and sabotage the bridges so they can't access their food supplies," Naruto explained briefly.
"And then?" Hugo asked.
"Then we have to retreat quickly because the enemy will detect us, and a major offensive will begin," they all listened to him except one, Kiba, who continued to pet his dog. Naruto sighed. "Prepare the seals. Brace yourselves. We have a long journey ahead and many dangers," Naruto moved away from them and headed for the gate. He looked into the distance. Once again, he was heading out. He glanced at his bandaged hand and sighed. Genin behind him whispered to each other, and he knew what they were talking about. "Listen," he turned to them. "I know you're not thrilled that I'm the commander, but I'm not happy about going there with you either. Listen to me, it's going to be hell there. I don't know what will happen to you, but let me be blunt: someone might die there. The village is in a bad situation, and you're the ones left. The Hokage relies on you, so try to do this and not die. I'm in a bad mood too. The village is in a bad spot, and you're all that's left. The Hokage is relying on you, so try to do this and stay alive. I'm asking this of you, and I asked for it myself. We have to do this. The future of the village depends on us. If we fail this mission, we'll lose our last hope of winning. A lot is riding on us. Let everyone remember this: we have to complete this mission at any cost."
They moved through the forest to the north. As the Hokage had instructed, they needed to bypass the Waterfall's positions and then venture deeper into enemy territory. The path wasn't too far, but at their current pace, they would have to circumvent the enemy positions at night. Naruto took this as good news.
He was leading the way, with the others trailing behind. He had already analyzed each one of them here. Sasuke Uchiha and Neji Hyuga, descendants of great clans. They were well-trained and approached this mission with a sense of duty, balancing fear with understanding of what they were getting into. Rock Lee was enthusiastic, eager to prove himself, but he hadn't seen much yet. Shikamaru Nara was calm and somewhat indifferent, while Choji Akimichi was a bit nervous, constantly reaching for snacks to cope with stress. Shino Aburame was as composed as Sasuke and Neji, treating the mission with the same seriousness. Kiba Inuzuka seemed lost in thought most of the time, and Naruto understood why.
It was already noon, and the sun was slowly moving down from its zenith. It was time for a break. Naruto descended, and the others followed suit.
"Break!" he informed everyone. They all dropped to the ground, exhausted. Naruto approached a tree and sat down under it.
"Couldn't we have slowed down our pace a bit?" Sasuke asked.
"No, we're short on time, and I'd love to do that myself. The situation on the other fronts demands that we complete this mission quickly," Naruto replied.
"Darn it!" Uchiha exclaimed, leaning his head back.
"On one of my first missions, I felt the same way," Naruto said with a slight smile.
"What mission was that?" Neji asked.
"The last one before the war. It was with your brother," he turned to Sasuke.
"Itachi?" Sasuke confirmed.
"Yes," Naruto nodded. "They were ANBU at the time, and I had just become a Chunin. I nearly died."
"I'm going to become ANBU too!" Lee shouted.
"What do you know about being ANBU?" Neji retorted.
"Just wait and see. I'll prove myself in this war!" Lee's eyes sparkled with determination.
"You talk as if this war is just a regular D-rank mission," Kiba muttered as he walked away into the forest, his dog Akamaru following him.
"What's he doing?" Lee wondered.
"His mother died in the war," Shino explained, causing Choji to gulp heavily.
"I heard about that," Shikamaru confirmed.
"She died while covering the retreat," everyone turned to Naruto.
"How do you know?" Sasuke asked.
"I was on that mission," he stood up. "And it's partly my fault. Rockero and Tsume gave their lives to let me and the commander get away," mentioning his clan member made Sasuke clench his fists. "Stay here; I'll be back soon." Naruto headed in the direction Kiba had gone.
"He's not as simple as he seems," Nara commented, watching the commander's retreating figure.
"He's already a Chunin and the squad leader; that says a lot," Neji remarked.
"We'll see who he really is soon enough," Sasuke muttered. He was the only one in the group who hadn't fully accepted Naruto as their leader. It annoyed him that some kid, younger than him, was a Chunin and leading him.
Naruto pushed through the thick underbrush, searching for Kiba. Inuzuka sat under a huge tree, holding a fang that used to belong to his mother.
"What do you want?" he asked when he saw Naruto and immediately hid the fang.
"I wanted to talk. Is that okay?" Naruto sat down next to him.
"What's on your mind all the time?" Inuzuka asked, still petting his dog.
"You're still thinking about her," Naruto understood. "You know, she should've been me. I should've stayed and covered..."
"So why didn't you?" Inuzuka's tone turned angry.
"She was wounded and didn't want to burden us. She understood that the village was more important than her life. She was thinking about you, about your sister. She wanted you to live in Konoha in peace, so she did what she did."
"But all this..."
"If a shinobi goes to war, it's to protect their loved ones. Your mother protected your home. Now, it's your mission," Naruto stood up. "Finish what your mother started."
Naruto left Kiba alone. He was a bit surprised at himself for saying all that, but those words came from his heart. He was a Konoha shinobi, and he was protecting his village.
The squad moved towards their destination. It was getting dark. The team was almost at their destination. Flashes of fire were visible on the left. There was a battle going on. Naruto ordered them to pick up the pace. They continued their bypass. In theory, nothing should have hindered them. Maybe they would encounter a few squads from the Waterfall, but it was unlikely. According to the Hokage, the Waterfall was the weak link on the northwest front, and they could bypass all the enemy armies through their flank. However, he had taken too long to make that decision, and now they had to deal with the consequences.
Naruto couldn't shake the feeling of impending danger, especially since they were so close to the battlefield. Naruto gradually increased their pace, and the others adjusted to it. It seemed like they might collapse at any moment, but they continued to give it their all. Back then, Uzumaki didn't fear as much, perhaps because he was being led, but now he was in charge. Plus, this mission was too important for Konoha's future, and he was responsible for it.
Once they passed the enemy positions and were far behind the front lines, Naruto let out a sigh of relief and decided to take a break.
"Break!" he yelled and descended. The others followed him.
Everyone dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. Naruto remained standing, gazing into the distance. When everyone had caught their breath, he finally turned to address them.
"Now, listen to me," Naruto began. "We're behind enemy lines. I've told you that this mission is important, but let me add something. Forget everything else. Right now, it's just you and your comrades. You're not children; you're shinobi, and you're at war. Be prepared to shed blood, to watch your comrades die in your arms and beg you to end their suffering. The fairy tale is over; now comes the harsh reality."
"You explain it as if you understand and have been through hell," Sasuke sneered.
"You're right, I haven't been through hell, but I've been through something much worse than you. I've seen a lot, I've killed, I've witnessed comrades being torn apart when molten lava fell on them. I've seen a lot."
"I feel like I'm going to puke," Choji commented.
"How did you kill your first person?" Uchiha arrogantly asked.
"I just killed, the realization came much later. Now it's your turn. You'll have to do it," Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled out a map. "Now, let's talk about the mission," Naruto unfolded the map, and everyone gathered around him. Uzumaki took out a small flashlight and turned it on. "I'll keep this brief; we can't stay in one place for long. So, our targets are these four bridges," Naruto pointed. "They are the supply routes. As I mentioned, we need to blow them up."
"But won't that just delay them? They can rebuild the bridges or use alternative routes," Shikamaru pointed out.
"True," Naruto agreed. "But by the time they come up with a new method and new supplies, these bridges should already be destroyed. That's the plan."
"But how can you be so sure?" Neji inquired.
"We have information from intel. It says supplies come every two days: kunai, seals, water, food, medicine, and then they take back the wounded and the dead."
"This suggests they don't have a lot of reserves," Shikamaru realized.
"Exactly, that's why our army is going to attack the day after tomorrow," Naruto stated.
"Still, it seems foolish," Sasuke commented. "That they have so few supplies that they need to replenish them every two days..."
"Previously, it wasn't like this. But Kamui has pushed too far, and the distance has increased. Besides, their army is large, which also plays a role. This is their policy, and since they do it this way, let them. Now, back to the bridges. As I said, there are four, and we need to blow them all up, preferably simultaneously. So, the mission is to plant explosives; I'll handle the rest."
"Are we going to split into four teams of two?" Shikamaru guessed.
"No, we'll split into two teams of four. It's safer and more efficient. Two is too risky, and all together is too slow. Two teams of four are the optimal choice. One team will head to the northern bridge, the other to the southern one. Then, we'll move on to the central bridges and meet in between," Naruto pointed on the map.
"Not bad," Shikamaru scratched his head.
"Yeah. Now, the teams. Sasuke, Neji, Shino, and Lee, you'll be one team. The rest of us will be in the second team," everyone nodded. "Neji, you'll be the leader. Take this," Naruto handed him the map.
"What about you?" Choji asked.
"I have another one," he smiled slightly. "You'll go to the northern bridge, and we'll head to the southern one," everyone nodded. "That's settled then," Naruto turned off the flashlight. "Let's get moving, and remember, if you see the enemy, run as fast as you can. Don't engage in combat. There's no one weaker than a Chunin here."
The team led by Neji was heading towards their destination. Their target was the northern bridge, and they were almost there. It was still night, and if Naruto had calculated correctly, they would meet between the two bridges or near one of them by morning.
"We're almost there," Neji said.
"Yeah!" Lee exclaimed.
"Keep it down; we're on a mission," warned Hyuga.
"I see you're already feeling like a leader," Sasuke decided to tease him a bit.
"I'm following orders," Neji retorted.
"We're all following orders..."
"Don't you like that they chose me as the leader instead of you?"
"Pfft," Sasuke turned his head away.
"Let's not argue; let's focus on the mission," Shino intervened, and they all nodded.
They arrived at their destination and began to plant explosives on the bridge. While Shino and Neji guarded the bridge from opposite ends, Lee and Sasuke planted the explosives. It took about ten minutes, and when it was done, they moved south to the next bridge. Not a word was spoken; each one was focused.
Naruto's squad quickly reached their destination. Uzumaki ordered them to secure the perimeter while he and his clones planted explosives on the bridge. Shikamaru covered the right flank, Choji was in the center. Nara noticed his friend's restlessness.
"Are you nervous?" he asked Akimichi.
"A little," he sighed. "I wasn't prepared for this."
"It's okay; we'll handle it," Kiba chimed in. "It's our duty."
Meanwhile, Naruto had finished planting the explosives and returned to the group.
"How's the situation?" he asked.
"I don't sense anyone," Kiba replied.
"Excellent. Dawn is coming in a few hours; let's hurry."
They headed north. After such a journey, everyone wanted to sleep, but they had no choice; the mission had to be completed. Naruto was exhausted too. Their pace slowed, and it took them an hour to reach the next bridge. This time, the trio planted the explosives while Naruto stood guard. He took the opportunity to catch his breath, but unfortunately, the bridge was quickly mined, and they had to move on.
"Done!" Lee yelled, following Sasuke off the bridge.
"Good," Neji said. "Our part of the mission is complete. Now we need to meet up with the others. Move forward!"
The team set off. The sun had already touched the sky with its first rays. The forest began to come to life, slowly awakening from its slumber. The four of them moved quickly to the south to rendezvous with the other team when suddenly...
"Do you feel that?" Shino asked.
"What do you mean?" Lee inquired.
"Byakugan!" Neji stopped and activated his Byakugan, gazing into the distance. "Enemy!" he confirmed.
"Oh, they're about to witness the power of our youth!" Lee exclaimed.
"Quiet!" Hyuga covered his mouth. "We need to retreat."
"Why?" Sasuke and Lee both asked in unison.
"We've been ordered not to engage in combat. Remember Naruto's words..."
"He's just scared," Sasuke argued. "I think we can handle this. How many of them are there?"
"Two," Hyuga hissed.
"And there are four of us. We can handle it," Sasuke confidently stated. "I'll show this upstart..." Since the moment he learned that Uzumaki had left their class, passing the exams, anger and resentment had been boiling within him. He couldn't believe that some beggar had overtaken him so easily.
"We need to leave," Neji contested.
"It's too late," Shino said. Two shinobi with Stone Village headbands landed in front of them. One was a big, chubby guy, and the other was a short-haired brunette.
"So, this is who's been wandering around under our noses. I thought it would be someone more serious," the girl remarked.
"I'll deal with them in no time! Earth Style: Stone Fist!" the chubby guy clenched his fist, and chunks of earth quickly adhered to it. He rushed towards the genin. They froze, not knowing what to do, but suddenly, a shadow flashed in front of them, blocking the attack.
"I told you to run," Naruto hissed. The enemy retreated, and the rest of Naruto's team arrived.
"We haven't seen you in a while," the girl smiled.
"Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi," Naruto recognized his acquaintances. "I see you've also risen in rank."
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Listen to me," Uzumaki addressed the genin. "Run, get out of here. I'll hold them off."
"We won't leave you," Neji said, and Naruto gave him a stern look.
"They're too much for you, and you'll just get in the way. Leave now while you can."
The genin exchanged glances but didn't move from their positions. Their eyes showed confidence and readiness for battle, but the blond decided otherwise.
"Damn it, I gave you an order! Get out of here! You've completed the mission and should return home!"
"We can't leave you," Shikamaru said.
"They're brave," the girl smiled. "Naruto, let me help you. Lava Style!"
A small wave of lava quickly headed towards the team. The genin froze. Uzumaki formed hand seals and blew out a stream of air, causing the lava to solidify right in front of him. Akatsuchi was caught off guard and swung his fist again, but Naruto moved to the side, and the blow hit the ground, creating a crater.
"That's what I was talking about!" Naruto shouted. "They're not weak shinobi! You can't compete with them!"
"Damn," Neji muttered. "Let's go!" He dashed away, followed by the others. None of them wanted to leave Naruto, but he gave them an order. Sasuke and Inuzuka were the last to leave, with Sasuke casting a hateful glance at Naruto before running. Then Inuzuka followed suit, casting one last look at Naruto's back. Naruto looked at him and nodded. Inuzuka nodded back and ran away. Uzumaki drew a kunai, preparing for the possibility that Kurotsuchi or Akatsuchi would chase after the genin. However, Kurotsuchi merely watched them.
"Are you sure they'll make it without you?" she asked.
"I'm sure of them," he said seriously.
"That's good. Then tell me, what were you doing here?" she asked.
"That's none of your business," at that moment, Naruto bent down, avoiding Akatsuchi's fist and swiftly slicing a kunai across his leg. The big guy jumped back to Kurotsuchi.
"That hurt," he said, looking at his leg.
"If you don't want to do it the easy way, we'll beat it out of you," Kurotsuchi said.
Kurotsuchi formed hand seals and released several stone bullets, some of which Naruto dodged, and others he deflected with kunai. Akatsuchi attacked him again, but this time he had two fists reinforced with earth. It was even more challenging. Naruto dodged every blow while discreetly pulling out another kunai. Suddenly, a few bullets hit him, knocking him back. His ribs were hurting, but he quickly got up. The big guy was running towards him again, but Naruto released a fireball. The big guy wouldn't have had time to dodge, but a wall of earth rose in front of him.
"Damn teamwork!"
Akatsuchi leaped over the wall and rushed towards the blond, but he released several fire projectiles. This time, the big guy couldn't dodge, but a dome-shaped shield grew around him, protecting him from the projectiles. This began to frustrate Uzumaki. Suddenly, the shield shattered into pieces, and a small golem emerged from it. Not expecting this, Naruto missed the first blow, and then the second. He was thrown backward and fell. Akatsuchi lunged at him and tried to crush Naruto, but the blond quickly rolled to the side, evading the blow. The golem immediately approached him and grabbed him, starting to squeeze, making it difficult for Naruto to breathe. Naruto charged his kunai with lightning and plunged it into the golem, but this discharge was too weak.
"Is this the end?" crossed Naruto's mind, but then another crazy idea emerged.
He placed his hands on the golem as best he could. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. He decided to use what he had learned during training. He released Wind Chakra and attempted to cut the golem like a leaf or a waterfall. He infused more Chakra, and a cracking sound followed. Naruto released even more, and the golem was quickly sliced into four parts. Uzumaki fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Akatsuchi leaped towards him and raised his fist, but Naruto managed to grab it. However, there was another golem, and Uzumaki shielded himself with the first golem. It looked as if Akatsuchi had struck himself. The stone shattered, and the big guy froze in bewilderment.
"Let's reminisce a bit," Naruto smiled, taking out five kunai and embedding them nearby. Before he realized he needed to leave, a lightning bolt struck his body, and Akatsuchi fell to his knees. Naruto crossed his fingers, summoning four clones. "Let's go!" The original rushed in and struck under the chin. Then two clones pressed their feet into the chest. Then again, one under the chin, lifting the big guy a bit, and two blows to the stomach. Akatsuchi shot up to the maximum height. The original was above him and, performing a somersault in the air, delivered a kick to the stomach. Akatsuchi fell, creating a crater with his body, and then all the Narutos together kicked him, creating a crater underneath him. The job was done, and Uzumaki jumped away.
Naruto looked around but couldn't find Kurotsuchi anywhere. Suddenly, his instincts told him to run, and he moved aside. Kurotsuchi emerged from the underground. Naruto took out a scroll, unsealed two shurikens, and threw them at her. She couldn't dodge, so she erected a dome-shaped shield. The shuriken pierced the ground, and the dome collapsed.
"I see you almost forgot me," Naruto said.
"It's war, and unfortunately, we're enemies. Although I wanted it to be the opposite," she placed her hands on the ground, and four walls rose around Naruto. Kurotsuchi jumped on top. "Sorry for not writing!" In an instant, she spewed lava, and it rushed downward. There was no time to waste. Uzumaki created a Rasengan in his hand and punched through the nearest wall, then quickly escaped through the passage.
"Not bad," Kurotsuchi assessed his actions. She turned toward him and started releasing lava droplets. Naruto quickly dodged them, but a few drops hit him. It burned badly.
"Aah!" Naruto fell to his knees, clutching his shoulder.
"I'm sorry!" Kurotsuchi said, jumping down in front of him.
"You should apologize to me!" Naruto quickly blew out a stream of air directly at Kurotsuchi. She was thrown back and hit the wall. Then Naruto stood up and blew out fire, but the brunette erected a dome. "As you wish!" Naruto created two clones, and together they blew out a fireball. The heat that struck the dome was very powerful, and a crackling sound was heard. But as it turned out, Kurotsuchi wasn't there anymore. Something suddenly grabbed Naruto's legs and began pulling him down. The clones jumped and grabbed the original, preventing him from going underground. After a short struggle, Kurotsuchi surrendered and jumped out somewhere else, far from them.
"I wanted to fight you and got this," she smiled. "You've become much stronger and smarter."
"It's just that you're not attentive," Naruto grinned.
"What?" Kurotsuchi turned and saw that five kunai, which had been disabled, were now embedded around her.
"Electric Star!"
The genin raced through the trees like madmen. There was no sign of fatigue whatsoever. Neji was at the forefront, leading the group, with Kiba bringing up the rear. Suddenly, Inuzuka stopped and turned around. The others noticed and halted as well.
"Kiba, we need to keep going!" Neji shouted. "We've received orders."
"No," Inuzuka said. "I understand now," he added quietly. "If you want to leave, then go, but I have to go back." Akamaru on his head supported his owner. "Don't try to stop me." Kiba broke into a run back the way they came, and the rest followed suit. Neji and Sasuke flanked him from both sides.
"We're not stopping you," Sasuke grinned.
"I'm not thrilled about the orders either," Neji smiled as well.
"Well," a smile appeared on Kiba's face for the first time in a long while. "We'll assist our commander, the Suicide Squad."
"Let's see what he's capable of," Uchiha said seriously.
"What a pain..."
The genin raced through the trees like madmen. There was no sign of fatigue whatsoever. Neji was at the forefront, leading the group, with Kiba bringing up the rear. Suddenly, Inuzuka stopped and turned around. The others noticed and halted as well.
"Kiba, we need to keep going!" Neji shouted. "We've received orders."
"No," Inuzuka said. "I understand now," he added quietly. "If you want to leave, then go, but I have to go back." Akamaru on his head supported his owner. "Don't try to stop me." Kiba broke into a run back the way they came, and the rest followed suit. Neji and Sasuke flanked him from both sides.
"We're not stopping you," Sasuke grinned.
"I'm not thrilled about the orders either," Neji smiled as well.
"Well," a smile appeared on Kiba's face for the first time in a long while. "We'll assist our commander, the Suicide Squad."
"Let's see what he's capable of," Uchiha said seriously.
"What a pain..."
Naruto tightened the rope. Kurotsuchi was tied to a tree with a rope, both of them unconscious. Akatsuchi, most likely, had a concussion. Suddenly, Naruto noticed that Kurotsuchi was slowly regaining consciousness. He squatted in front of her. At first, she timidly opened one eye, then the other. Seeing Naruto, she began to squirm but realized she was bound.
"Why didn't you kill us?" she asked first.
"No need, you were just unconscious. It's wiser to take you with us, but... it'll be dangerous for us to carry genin," Naruto explained.
"Darn it! You should have killed us! We're enemies! Why didn't you do that?" she yelled.
"We were quite familiar back during the exams. We almost became friends, but fate scattered us in different directions. Even though we're enemies now, I won't kill you, in memory of the past."
"You don't understand what's happening right now..."
"I know where I am. But I want to remain human after all of this. I understand that there's a war going on, but I don't want to become a madman shedding blood after all this. I kill, yes. But you, my acquaintances, maybe even friends, and I don't want to kill you," he said seriously.
"You're more unpredictable than I thought..." Just then, in the distance, explosions were heard. The bridges had been blown up. "You...?"
Suddenly, several people landed near Naruto. They were genin.
"We came to help you," Kiba said joyfully.
"I've already handled it myself," Naruto said, pointing to the enemies.
"Wow, really?" Lee exclaimed.
"Hmm," Uchiha just said.
"We have guests," Shino remarked.
"Yes!" Neji confirmed.
"It seems like reinforcements are coming," Kurotsuchi smiled. "You better leave," Naruto nodded.
"You came here and brought danger with you, even though you could have just left," Naruto smiled. "You'll regret this," he said seriously. "Get ready. We're breaking through now!"