Shinobi Gaiden
A Fanfic
By
Scrye9548
Author's Note: Sup, everyone. Felt like writing a Naruto/D.O.A./ Ninja Gaiden crossover after rereading Thayerblue1's "Naruto: Dragon's Maw." It's a terrific story; you should read it if you haven't already. (Thayerblue1's story was a response to a challenge by Patriot-112, so shout out to him as well for inspiring "Dragon Maw '').
This story will take place during the events of the "Ninja Gaiden" series as well as the "Dead or Alive" series, just with our lovable blond ninja and a few additions thrown into the mix.
Like "Dragon Maw," this story will have a harem, and I already have the girls in mind for it. So, while I would appreciate any suggestions for girls because it shows your investment in the story, know that I probably won't use them.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this fic.
Disclaimer: I make no claims to any of the characters, plots, or settings from "Naruto," "Ninja Gaiden," "Dead or Alive," or any other copyrighted series used within. Those works belong exclusively to their rights holders. This work is solely for entertainment purposes.
Chapter One
Leaf Village, the Land of Fire
Hyuuga Hinata knelt next to the clone of Katsuyu, listening to the small slug transmitting the conversation between her crush, Uzumaki Naruto, and the leader of Akatsuki, Nagato. She felt her heart run the gamut of emotions from worry for her beloved's safety, sadness for Nagato's tale, and swelling affection and hope at Naruto's determined declaration;
"In that case, I'll break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I'll find it! I'm not giving up!"
Hinata felt a prideful smile bloom as she pictured Naruto's sparkling blue eyes staring unflinchingly into Nagato's, his sapphire orbs brimming with a burning determination that never failed to inspire those who saw it, especially her. There was just something about Uzumaki Naruto that made you believe in him, and it was that something that made Hinata fall in love with him. That and his spiky, shaggy blond hair that she longed to run her fingers through as she pulled herself to his lean, chiseled body and planted the most resounding kiss imaginable on his lips as she ground against his giant, throbbing…
"That idiot," Haruno Sakura sighed fondly from Hinata's left, breaking the Hyuuga heiress out of her pleasant daydream and back to reality.
Hinata watched out of the corner of her eyes, her pale orbs narrowing in suspicion as she observed Sakura listening to Naruto's words with a small smile and a light blush. "Does she—" Hinata quickly stamped down on the thought, not allowing it to fully form for fear of breaking down and crying at the prospect of her only rival for Naruto's affections deciding to compete. Because Hinata knew full well that her crush had feelings for his pink-haired teammate and that if Sakura genuinely returned his feelings, the Hyuuga heiress would be left holding the bag.
"This bitch doesn't deserve him," a voice that sounded eerily similar to hers spat from her left shoulder. "She spent years belittling and beating our Naru-kun, and now that he's powerful, she suddenly wants to jump on his dick?"
Blushing at the coarse language, Hinata looked toward the source and was shocked to find a miniature version of herself with devil horns and a tail, wearing a risque outfit similar to Mitarashi Anko's outfit.
"That may be so," another voice that sounded like Hinata's own stated from her right shoulder. "But what matters in this situation are Naruto-kun's feelings. Plus, Sakura-san's our friend."
Hinata turned to her right and surprisingly found another miniature version of herself, only this one had angel wings and a halo and was wearing a flowing, white sundress.
Devil-Hinata tsked as she crossed her arms under her bountiful bosom. "I don't care if Sakura's our friend! I want Naruto, and we wouldn't have this problem if we stopped being a goody-two-shoes doormat who waited for a by-your-leave to take what we wanted!"
"Do you not remember what happened earlier?" Angel-Hinata asked as she waved her arm toward the center of the crater. "We stood up to the leader of Akatsuki and confessed our love to our beloved Naruto-kun. We showed him that we love him."
Devil-Hinata scoffed, dismissing the argument with a wave of her hand. "Big whoop. We stood up for him and said we loved him after years of knowing him and barely interacting with him outside missions." Devil-Hinata became subdued as she asked, "Why would he love us?"
Angel-Hinata and the real Hinata seemed to wilt at that question. Why would Naruto love her? Outside a few moments during the Chunin Exams and the mission for the bikōchū beetle, Hinata had not spoken to her crush for more than a simple greeting. Well, 'simple' from Naruto's end and a stilted, stuttering mumbled greeting from Hinata's.
Now, Hinata could make the excuse that they were too busy to meet up; she was a clan heiress who spent much of her time studying the shinobi laws for if and when she took over for her father. At the same time, Naruto was a successful shinobi-which Hinata knew about from her time assisting Tsunade in exchange for tuition in medical techniques.
The Hyuuga heiress lost count of how many scrolls came in from the lands of Waves, Wind, Spring, Vegetables, and Demons requesting Naruto for a mission. Though, strangely, Hinata recalled Tsunade always looking irritated after reading the messages from Spring, Vegetables, and Demons. The busty, blond Hokage's honey-brown eyes would narrow as a thick vein would pulsate on her forehead as she muttered darkly and penned a short and sharp response.
Suffice it to say Naruto's popularity and Hinata's duties would have been perfectly justifiable excuses for not interacting with one another. But the Hyuuga heiress knew the reason was hollow, given that she could always find the time to hang out with her teammates or spend time with her sister but never her crush. And she knew the reason why.
"Fear," Angel-Hinata sadly said, voicing the answer. "We were afraid of being rejected, so we contented ourselves with watching him from afar, clinging to our fantasies because we feared what reality could bring." Angel-Hinata then brightened, "But that's in the past. Naruto-kun knows about our feelings now."
"He does," Hinata acknowledged with a small smile. "But what do I do now?" Hinata asked, finding herself at a crossroads.
"Well, the way I see it, we've got three options," Devil-Hinata interjected as she held up her pointer finger. "First option is to find Naru-kun, tackle him to the ground, and ride him till we're raw, claiming him for ourselves because what man in his right mind would pass on this?" Devil-Hinata finished by gesturing to her beautiful, bodacious body.
Angel-Hinata and Hinata blushed scarlet at the first option, though an outside observer could tell they weren't entirely opposed to the idea, given their rubbing thighs.
Devil-Hinata raised her middle finger toward Sakura and scowled. "The second option is to ask Naru-kun out, and he rejects us for pinky over there."
Hinata and her angel frowned at option two but acknowledged it was possible.
"Option three," Devil-Hinata raised her ring finger with a smirk. "We share."
"But we can't do that! It's immoral!" Angel-Hinata protested with a blush as the real Hinata realized where her Devil was going as she remembered her legal studies.
"Not according to the C.R.A. ~" Devil-Hinata sang. "Any male who's the last clan member or the bearer of a new bloodline limit can petition or be drafted into the program to propagate said bloodline, i.e., Naruto, the last Uzumaki, can have a harem!"
"But we couldn't—I—" Angel-Hinata sputtered as she imagined herself, Naruto, and numerous other women committing sinfully sexual acts.
Devil-Hinata shrugged, causing her chest to bounce. "Don't care. I want Naru-kun by hook or by crook. If I have to share him, so be it." Devil-Hinata then looked at the real Hinata, "So, choose."
While Hinata had her existential crisis, Sakura thought about the people Naruto changed through his words and actions. People like Momochi Zabuza and Sabaku no Gaara, two violent human beings who reveled in bloodshed, but after interacting with her blond teammate, they changed, recognizing their humanity and the value of others. "Naruto has an empathy to him that allows him to see the best in people, even when they can't see it or refuse to see it in themselves," Sakura admiringly thought.
"And it doesn't hurt that he's grown out of his 'runt' phase. You remember his muscles after his checkup? You could iron clothes off those abs! Cha!" Inner-Sakura lustfully exclaimed, causing outer Sakura's eyes to widen.
"I thought you disappeared," Sakura frantically thought as she began to gnaw on her lower lip.
"I did when you stopped denying your actual feelings and thoughts," Inner-Sakura explained.
"But I never…." Sakura protested mentally before trailing off, recognizing that she had been suppressing her opinions when she was younger. "But if you're here now, that means I like Naruto?"
"Yup!" Inner-Sakura answered with a pop. "Or at least you find him attractive from a physical and emotional perspective," Inner-Sakura clinically clarified.
"Explain," Sakura demanded. "How can I like Naruto when I still love Sasuke-kun?"
Inner-Sakura sighed. "Sakura, you know there's a difference between love and attraction, correct?"
"Of course I do," Sakura answered. "It's one of the first topics Tsunade-shishou, and I discussed when I became her apprentice."
"And what causes attraction?" Inner-Sakura asked.
"Well, there are a multiplicity of factors that cause attraction, but they can be generalized under the categories of proximity, past experiences, and biology," Sakura responded as if answering a pop quiz.
"Good," Inner-Sakura nodded. "And can you give any biological factors as to why Naruto is unattractive?"
At first, Sakura wanted to reflexively respond, "Because he's not Sasuke-kun," but thought better of it because she felt like her Inner-being was trying to tell her something. So, she took a moment to think of Naruto's physical characteristics; his bright, blond hair, sparkling blue eyes, infectious grin, symmetrical, handsome face, and solid body, and concluded there was nothing wrong with Naruto, biologically. Quite the contrary, there was a lot right with him. It was at that thought that Sakura felt her blush deepen.
"So you acknowledge that there's nothing wrong with him physically," Inner-Sakura triumphantly said. "What about past experiences? What has Naruto done for you to find him unattractive?"
Sakura felt more confident on this subject as she recalled Naruto from their academy days. "He's obnoxiously loud, a slob with a messy apartment, a pervert with his sexy jutsu, and annoying with how he pesters me for dates."
"I noticed that you used evidence from your academy days, but what about now?" Inner-Sakura asked, nudging her other half.
"He…" Sakura felt herself come short as she compared the past Naruto to the present Naruto, finding that while Naruto could be loud, on occasion, it'd be more honest to call him energetic. While his apartment was a mess during his trip-she would know because she cleaned it up for him-but after his return, the apartment was neat. As for his Sexy Jutsu, Sakura hadn't seen him use it for a while. And, viewing the technique pragmatically, she had to concede its effectiveness, given she was a kunoichi and knew how distracting sex appeal could be. Finally, she couldn't recall the last time Naruto had asked her out on a date, and it was that realization that made her bite her lip harder as a wave of sadness crashed against her heart.
"That's two for two," Inner-Sakura softly commented. "As for proximity, you see Naruto almost every day, so it would make sense for you to eventually view him in a romantic light, given that you find him physically attractive and he's not morally repulsive. But let me ask you something; where's Sasuke right now?"
Sakura unconsciously tightened her fists as, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the wreckage that was her home. "He's…not here."
"What's he doing?"
"I don't know. Something to do with avenging his clan," Sakura bit out as she stamped down on a surge of righteous anger.
"So he abandoned the village. Abandoned you," Inner-Sakura stated.
"…Yes," Sakura admitted after a moment with a frown. But a small part of her, the part that was still a little girl in the academy, doodling little hearts in the corner of her notebook with her and Sasuke's names, was begging her not to. While the kunoichi in her, the one who had trained for hour after back-breaking hour for years under Senju Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, roared in vindication.
"And where's Naruto right now?" Inner-Sakura asked.
Sakura's fist unclenched as her frown faded and slowly morphed into a smile. "Here," she warmly thought.
"And what is he doing?" Inner-Sakura cajoled.
"Protecting the village and us," Sakura thought as a gentle warmth lit in her chest.
Inner-Sakura smiled as she felt a shift in Sakura's feelings or, more precisely, an acknowledgment of feelings. Her other half just needed one more push. "Do you remember what Tsunade-shishou said was the difference between love and attraction?"
"Sacrifice; if you can't give of yourself for someone else's sake, you can't claim to love somebody," Sakura mentally recited her mentor's words. She then glanced at Hinata, the girl willing to give her life to save Naruto, even if he never returned her feelings. Hinata's actions reminded her of Naruto, the blond boy, now a man, who would repeatedly put his body and life on the line to protect his friends, comrades, and village, all without a second thought.
"Because Naruto loves Konoha and us," Inner-Sakura explained fondly. "And Sasuke-"
"-Doesn't," Sakura interrupted her conscience. "If he loved us-Team Seven, Konoha-if he loved me, then Sasuke would have given up on his quest for vengeance and stayed. But he didn't. He didn't because he loves being an avenger; he sacrificed his body to Orochimaru for power to achieve those ends. While Naruto—" Sakura glanced at the miniature clone of Katsuyu, listening to Naruto wrap up his conversation with Nagato. She recalled only a short while ago, the blond impaled in the center of Konoha's crater only a short while ago, during his fight with Nagato's paths. The image panged and warmed the pinkette's heart because it reinforced for her what type of man Naruto was, "—Naruto's a protector; all the sacrifices he has made is to protect the village."
"Do you think Sasuke deserves love?" Inner-Sakura asked as she observed through Sakura's eyes, green streaks of light racing across the sky and entering the numerous corpses that littered Konoha's crater.
"Yes," Sakura answered as she observed a nearby man with brown hair slowly rise from the ground, only to be bowled over by a bawling young woman with long, black hair. The young woman pulled the man into a desperate kiss dripping with relief and love. Sakura smiled as the scene gave her a fantastic idea. "But he doesn't deserve it from me," she thought with finality, feeling a weight lift off her chest as the world seemed to brighten at her realization.
"And who does?" Inner-Sakura cheekily asked.
Sakura rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Do you even have to ask?"
"I don't suppose I do," Inner-Sakura said before she sadly stated, "Hinata's gonna be devastated."
Sakura bit her lip as she glanced at Hinata, who seemed to be thinking deeply about something. The girl was a beautiful person inside and out with a heart of gold who, while appearing meek, could be as fierce as a lioness when protecting her loved ones. Hinata had loved Naruto for years, noticing his worth long before anyone else except, perhaps, the late Third Hokage. She was too good a person to have her heart broken. But, sadly, this appeared to be the case. For it wasn't like they could share, right? Because polygamy was…
Sakura felt her thoughts suddenly halt like a stopped record. "The C.R.A.," Sakura whispered as she recalled one of the clan laws she had researched for Tsunade recently, not noticing Hinata stiffen and stare at her with hopeful eyes. "We can share with the C.R.A."
Inner-Sakura's eyes widened. "Can we do that? Would we do that?"
"It'll be a sacrifice," Sakura mentally acknowledged as she glanced at Hinata and sent her a reassuring smile, receiving a small one in return. "But it's one I'm willing to make so that we're all happy."
"But what if Naruto doesn't want a harem?" Inner-Sakura asked.
Sakura mentally snorted. "On the off chance he doesn't, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it."
"Naruto-san is returning," the small Katsuyu clone announced, breaking Sakura out of her ruminations.
"No time like the present," Sakura eagerly thought as she got to her feet and offered Hinata a hand. "Would you like to go greet him?"
"Together?" Hinata asked, searchingly gazing into Sakura's jade orbs.
Sakura nodded. "Together."
Hinata smiled as she firmly grasped Sakura's hand and allowed the pink-haired kunoichi to help her up.
Sakura excitedly grinned, then turned her attention towards Katsuyu. "Katsuyu-sama, can you tell us which direction Naruto-kun is in?"
The slug summon nodded. "I can indeed, Sakura-sama. My clone with Naruto-san is a few miles directly southwest of here."
Sakura thanked the slug, followed by Hinata before the two kunoichis shot off toward their shared love. Neither knew this would be the last time they would ever see Konoha.
Forests of Konohagaukre, Land of Fire
Naruto trudged his way from Jiraiya's shrine, leaving a copy of his sensei's first book and a bouquet of origami roses-courtesy of Konan-at the handmade grave. Despite the exhaustion that burdened his steps, the blond's soul felt light as he dragged himself through the forest.
"I did it, Pervy-sage. I saved the village, and I avenged you, and all without killing Nagato," Naruto happily thought as he slowly climbed over a large tree root. Naruto didn't care much for killing, though he would do it when necessary, like on some missions he took with Jiraiya during their training trip. It was during one of those missions that Naruto experienced his first kill.
The teacher and student were tasked with dealing with bandits harassing a small village in the southern part of Fire Country. The two shinobi arrived at the village as it was being attacked and quickly entered the fray. During the fracas, Naruto saw a bandit about to slash a woman to death with a katana. Instinctively, Naruto threw the kunai in hand and watched it pierce the back of the bandit's skull. Naruto swallowed the bile rising in his throat as he dodged an ax swing from a nearby bandit and subdued him with an uppercut to the chin. Then he lost himself in the battle as he neutralized the rest of the bandits alongside his teacher.
Hours later, Naruto would find himself puking his guts out in the forest as he recalled what he did to that man while Jiraiya rubbed his back and spoke soothingly. "It was him or her, Naruto. He chose to kill her while you chose to protect her."
"But—but doesn't that make me a bad person?" Naruto hiccuped.
"Did you enjoy it?" Jiraiya softly asked.
"No!" Naruto forcefully yelled.
"Then you aren't a bad person. If you had enjoyed it or started to enjoy it, then we would have an issue," Jiraiya said before explaining, "Sometimes in life, especially in our profession, we have to kill. Though you should always remember that while killing someone is always an option, it's not always the best option." Jiraiya then placed his clenched fist in front of his student's eyes. "Remember, a closed hand has one use while an open palm has many," Jiraiya finished by opening his hand, reaching out, and tousling the blond's hair.
Naruto was shaken out of memory lane by his foot catching a root and tripping him. "This is gonna suck," the Uzumaki heir blandly thought as he closed his eyes and waited for a sudden meeting between his face and the hard ground, not seeing a set of blurs rapidly approaching him.
Suddenly, the blond felt a pair of slender arms wrap around him as his face fell into some incredibly soft cushions that smelled of vanilla. The soothing sensations didn't end there as he felt a warmth beginning at the center of his back and soon spreading over his shoulders, easing away aches and pains he wasn't even aware of. The blond released a sigh tinged with equal parts relief and exhaustion as he burrowed his head into the pillow's soft embrace. They were the most comfortable things he had ever rested his head on, even if encased in a mesh. Naruto's brow then furrowed as he confusingly mumbled into the pillows, "Mesh?" He reluctantly began to extract himself from his resting place, only to be stopped and gently returned.
"We've got you, Naruto-kun," the familiar voice of Hinata whispered into his ear as he felt delicate fingers thread through his hair and lightly scratch his scalp. "Rest while Sakura-san finishes tending you."
"Hinata-chan, Sakura-chan, you came?" Naruto asked, sounding confused.
"Of course we did," Sakura answered as she slid her glowing green hands from Naruto's back to his front, resting them on the blond's chest as she molded herself to his back. "Now, enjoy your nap on Hinata's 'pillows," she teasingly murmured into the Uzumaki's ears.
"Sakura-san!" Hinata embarrassingly squeaked, her face turning crimson.
Sakura rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, you know you love having him there," Sakura smirked as her healing jutsu picked up spikes in Naruto's heart rate and testosterone levels. "And I know Naruto loves it too."
Naruto groaned into Hinata's chest, though whether it was from his growing embarrassment or his growing arousal was a matter up for debate. Deciding discretion was the larger part of valor, he chose to remain silent and bask in the feelings of the two kunoichi's soft bodies. Sadly, their moment of peace was not meant to last.
"Isn't this precious?" a deep voice laced with menace asked from above the trio of Konoha shinobi.
Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata quickly reacted by leaping away from their previous position; Hinata activated her Byakugan while Sakura readied her fists. Naruto got into a fighting stance, ignoring his protesting muscles and joints as he did so.
Hinata quickly located the source of the voice and pointed him out. "One o'clock; three meters high, twenty meters away, hiding in foliage; 5' 10, black hair, wearing an orange mask with a single eyehole, Akatsuki robes, and he has a sharingan," Hinata finished her impromptu scouting report with a snarl.
The man dropped from his perch, landed on the ground, and clapped mockingly. "Very impressive, Hyuuga. Your eyes see much, but can they see why I'm here?"
"You're not getting him," Hinata declared as she took her gentle fist stance.
"Yeah, over our dead bodies," Sakura seconded as she readied Tsunade's strength technique.
"That can easily be arranged," the masked man threatened as he placed his hands behind his back. "But I'm a merciful man; I'll give you one chance; jinchūriki, surrender yourself to me, and I promise not to harm these girls."
Naruto growled. "How 'bout you-"
"-Naruto-san!" the voice of Katsuyu's clone hissed from beneath his collar. "You're in no condition to fight. You must flee. I suggest reverse-summoning. Throw me at him as a distraction."
"Fine," Naruto said with a stiff nod, eliciting shrieks from the two kunoichis.
"Naruto-kun/Naruto!" the lavender and pink hair girls shouted respectively. "We're not-"
"-Grab on to me!" Naruto roared as he reached into his shirt, pulled out the tiny white and blue slug, and hurled it at the masked man.
Without thinking twice, the girls latched on to their crush as he rapidly went through the hand seals for a reverse summoning.
"Really? A slug? What do you-" the masked man began to mock, only to widen his eyes as the slug spat a massive glob of bubbling yellow acid at him. "Shit," the masked man thought as his sharingan spun rapidly and transformed into a tri-bladed black shuriken. "Kamui (Authority of the Gods)," the masked man thought as he felt his body pulled into his Kamui dimension. He repressed a sigh of relief as he saw the acid pass harmlessly through his 'body.' As his body returned to the physical world, the masked man saw through his sharingan's slowed perspective that Naruto was finishing his hand seals.
"Oh, no, you don't," the masked man growled as he used another Kamui (Authority of the Gods), but this time on the Konoha shinobi. The masked man nervously watched as the small black hole which heralded the opening of his Kamui dimension opened above the blond and his companions. He watched his jutsu begin to suck in the three just as the blond finished his last hand seal.
"Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Reverse Summoning Technique)" the blonde roared as he flared his chakra and activated his technique. He then clutched Hinata and Sakura to his chest as he felt like he was being sucked through a straw as the world around him spun, and colors flashed. The last thing he remembered hearing was a loud pop, then a whimper before his world turned dark.
Hayabusa Sacred Wilderness, Mount Fuji, Japan
Hayabusa Jô was a disciplined man who always sought improvement, whether from the men under his command, his son, or himself. To that end, he regularly traveled to the sacred wilderness to train within its thick forests, from practicing his ninpo techniques and sharpening his swordplay to meditating for hours to hone his mind and strengthen his spirit. Sometimes he would make the trips alone; at other times, he would not.
"Jô-sama, I have returned," Genjiro announced as he approached his meditating leader, holding a brace of fish strung together with some wire in his left hand. Genjiro was unsurprised to find that his leader had not moved a single inch from his spot kneeling near their firepit, the flickering flames dancing off the middle-aged man's white shozoku, highlighting his stern features and muscular build.
"I could tell; the smell gave you away," Jô said as he opened his eyes and watched his companion prepare his catch for supper. "Any troubles?" the Hayabusa clan head asked his longest-serving jonin; the man was a few years older than Jô and was beginning to show his age through his graying hair, though his skills had yet to rust.
"None," Genjiro answered as he knelt and began scaling the fish with his kunai, sending brown and gray scales flying with every stroke of the black blade—a few bouncing off his black shozoku.
"That's good. What-" Whatever Jô was about to say was cut off by the shrill cry of a falcon.
Alert, Jô, and Genjiro sprung to their feet with weapons at the ready as they tried to locate the source of the sound. They quickly found the source of the sound; a peregrine falcon perched on a branch some twenty feet above them. The bird cocked its head as it watched the two ninjas with its brown eyes, apparently focused on the Hayabusa clan head. The bird then clacked its beak before it began preening itself.
"A falcon? Is it one of ours?" Genjiro asked, slightly relaxing. Though he still kept his kunai ready as he scanned their surroundings.
Jô shook his head as he observed the bird. "No. It bears no messenger tube; it must be a wild one," Jô concluded, though he sounded unsure as he, too, scanned their surroundings with his senses and found nothing.
"Well, it's not getting our supper," Genjiro jokingly said.
Jô resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I-"
A powerful shockwave shook the forest, coupled with a cacophonous sonic boom that rang the two ninja's ears and threw them to the ground. The forest was silent in the wake of the sound before it became a flurry of activity; birds fled to the sky, and other animals retreated from their nests: all the while, the two Hayabusa ninjas staggered to their feet.
"What the hell was that?!" Genjiro shouted over the ringing of his ears as he walked over to his leader and checked him for injuries.
Jô waved off Genjiro's concerns as he took stock of their surroundings; the camp was covered in loose leaves from the surrounding trees while their tents had collapsed. Though what set the Hayabusa clan head on edge was that the peregrine falcon was still perched on the branch above them, staring directly at him. The falcon chirped before looking to its left and returning its attention to Jô. It did this action a few times before it left its branch, flew to another a few feet away, and started the process again.
"I think it wants us to follow it," Jô said. As if to confirm that was the case, the falcon released a shrill cry before flying to another nearby branch.
"Are we really going to follow a bird, Jô-sama?" Genjirio asked, sounding skeptical.
"The peregrine falcon is one of our clan's sacred animals. I don't believe it will lead us astray," Jô firmly said as he walked over to his companion and gave him a reassuring clap on his shoulder and a grin. "Plus, it wouldn't be the first time we've done something strange. Just stay alert."
Genjiro sighed before banking their fire. "That goes without saying; on you, Jô-sama."
Jô nodded before looking up and addressing the falcon. "Lead the way."
The falcon released a cry before it took wing and flew deeper into the forest, trailed closely by the two veteran shinobi who weaved in and out of trees with the ease of ghosts. They silently followed the falcon for a few minutes before finding some toppled trees, their trunks splintered and shattered with thick, dirt-caked roots exposed to the air.
"What caused this? A ninpo? A weapon? It looks like a typhoon went through here," Genjiro said aloud as he and Jô effortlessly leaped onto one such tree in pursuit of their avian guide.
"Hard to tell. Suffice it to say, whatever caused it is powerful," Jô stated before jumping to the ground and landing noiselessly.
Genjiro silently agreed as he followed his leader.
A few more minutes passed, the broken trees around them thinning as the sun began to dip below the horizon, when the men noticed that they were approaching a large crater. Before either man could comment, the falcon uttered a piercing cry and swooped down. The two shinobi watched the bird of prey dive as it descended and alighted itself upon a broken tree hanging over the crater's edge.
The men cautiously approached the crater, tightening their grips on their katanas as they peered over the edge and were shocked by what they found. At the crater's center were three people wearing tattered clothes.
"By the gods!" Genjirio gasped. "They caused this?"
Jô's eyes narrowed. "Unclear. Maybe there are some clues on the bodies?" Jô didn't wait for a response as he leaped over the crater's edge and slid down to the prone forms, soon followed by Genjiro.
The Hayabusa duo slowly approached the trio, getting a closer look at them. The three people appeared to be teenagers, all bearing unique hair colors for this region-blonde, navy and pink- all having visible bruises and cuts and, surprisingly, all breathing.
"They're alive?!" Genjiro exclaimed, not bothering to contain his surprise. "How could anyone survive this?" Genjiro asked as he gestured to the surrounding devastation.
Jô ignored the comment as he looked up towards the peregrine falcon and observed that it was shifting its focus back and forth from him to the three teens. It was as if the falcon was urging him to take the three youths with him. Placing his faith in his family's sacred animal, Jô told Genjiro in a tone that would brook no argument, "We'll find out when they wake up. I'll carry the girls while you carry the boy."
Genjiro nodded before saying, "As you command." The Jonin then followed his master's orders.
Seeing its task complete, the falcon left its perch and flew away, disappearing into the darkening sky with a piercing cry as if heralding a change.