Naruto: Uchiha no Densetsu

Chapter 13: Looming Crisis

Later at night

It had been almost ten hours since their fight with the Explosion Corps and the members of team Ro Han had run continuously to make their way towards Konoha. Currently, all the members were resting in a secluded area, few miles outside of a small town called Tanzaku Gai. To get away from the area of their previous battle, all the members had rushed at top of their speed, thus exhausting themselves in the process. It was just past midnight and the sky was clear, giving off a magical view of the millions of stars that were visible to the naked eye.

Yugao and Mikasa were soundly asleep in the sleeping bag which they generally carried with themselves during missions which took longer than a day. Despite being Anbu and being regarded as the elites of their village, they too tend to get tired. And after the close battle they had with the Iwagakure shinobi, which luckily everyone had survived, they all deemed it necessary to rest for a few hours. And then proceed towards Konoha at the stroke of first light in the morning. Since they were deep within the Fire Nation and somewhat close to the village, they could rest easy knowing that there wouldn't be another enemy attack. While Shisui stayed close to the girls and kept watch, Naruto and Itachi were a few hundred meters away, to the group's north. Naruto had made a few Kage Bunshins and scattered them all around to be on the look out for anything suspicious.

They two currently rested atop the branch of a tall tree, from where one could get a panoramic view of the surrounding. The wind too was cool and crisp, like a refreshing drink of cool water after hours in the desert, making it an ideal night for one to just sit outside nonchalantly. Naruto and Itachi had been sitting silently for quite a while, simply observing the surrounding around them. Slightly glancing towards Itachi from time to time, Naruto had noticed that his health was not well. The strain caused in his eyes due to the use of Mangekyo Sharingan was evidently clear earlier. His father had mentioned that, one who awakens the mangekyo sharingan normally starts to lose sight in their eyes with frequent use. Naruto was aware that his own case, however, was different because of his extremely high regenerative powers, strong life force and potent chakra that made sure the light in his eyes would never fade away.

"You shouldn't use those eyes too much, Itachi." Commented Naruto, to break the silence.

"I know… I think I'm already beginning to lose my eyesight slowly." Itachi stated frankly. Ever since he awakened his mangekyo sharingan, he had used it in training a couple of times and the strain he felt in his eyes was unbelievable. And with every time he used those eyes, he felt his vision getting blurrier.

"You did read the stone tablet in the Naka shrine, right?" Naruto asked curiously, even though he had an inkling that Itachi already did. Even though Naruto himself never read the script on the stone tablet, his father had informed him about everything related to it.

"I did, and I'm aware about the eternal mangekyo sharingan. But, that is not something I wish for right now. The possibility does seem appealing, but I wouldn't want my brother to go through such pain just to augment my own visual prowess…" confessed Itachi.

"You're wrong Itachi. Sasuke isn't weak and he certainly is not a naïve kid anymore." Naruto replied rather irritatingly. At times Itachi was too pacifist in his way thinking. He saw Itachi giving him a questioning look and found himself slightly amused at the current scenario. Normally, it would be Itachi explaining him things, not the other way around.

"You need to stop treating Sasuke as if he's a mere child. You must stop sheltering him from the truths and practicalities of the shinobi world. I believe, Sasuke will one day become a great and important shinobi for Konohagakure no Sato. He has already seen his clan get massacred and he knows what pain is. Don't put the entire burden on yourself." Naruto stated wisely. Meanwhile, Itachi listened to each word carefully and understood Naruto's perspective. Hearing those words made him wonder, maybe if he was honest with his little brother from the beginning, Sasuke may have made his father see things differently. Maybe if he hadn't tried to shoulder all the responsibilities alone, his clan may still be alive.

"I suppose you're right. Sheltering him from the darkness that resides in this shinobi world will only cause him more trouble." Itachi admitted.

A small smile formed on Naruto's face upon sensing the feelings that were flowing through Itachi's mind. He hated seeing someone precious to him in agony and honestly, it hurt him too. He had promised himself that he would create a world where everyone he loved could live happily. But, if couldn't even look after those close to him, how could he ever hope of achieving such a world. Feeling a little tired, Naruto yawned lazily as he remembered, he barely got any sleep himself in the past couple of days.

"Let me heal you for the time being. I think, I'm feeling a little tired from all the running and fighting in the past two days. I think I too will sleep in a while." Naruto said. Coming out of his thoughts, Itachi nodded and moved closer to his kohai. Placing his right palm on Itachi's forehead, Naruto closed his eyes and shortly, green colored chakra enveloped his hand which began flowing through Itachi. Instantly, Itachi felt his chakra reserves being replenished along with the stinging pain at the back of his head diminish. A smile momentarily framed his face as he felt himself being rejuvenated.

"You should sleep too, you know? Even you haven't gotten much rest." Naruto suggested.

"I appreciate for what you did, Naruto. But, I believe I'm okay. It will be morning shortly and we need to get to Konoha as soon as possible. Hokage-sama needs to know that Iwagakure have already breached through the borders of Land of Birds and attacked Konoha shinobi on the orders of Tsuchikage. If we are not well prepared, Konoha might very well be attacked by Iwagakure soon enough." Itachi stated gravely. Naruto nodded, as realization dawned on him regarding what Itachi truly meant. He has heard rumors of the Tsuchikage often using mercenaries instead of his own shinobi for questionable missions more than often. So, he wouldn't put it past someone of Ohnoki's stature to already have help from someone within the Fire Nation. Also, with Danzo and Orochimaru on the loose, it certainly wasn't any safer for Konoha. Despite not having met the Tsuchikage himself, Naruto did not have a good impression about him.

Soon enough, the two again became silent and the only sound audible was the soft breeze fluttering around, gently caressing everything it touched with fingers that had been a comfort to so many over their long, lonely years.

"How long are you planning to be there, Shisui?" Naruto called out. Both Naruto and Itachi were now staring to their far left, where Shisui came into view as he stepped towards them.

"I guess, I'm not surprised that you guys already knew about my presence there." Shisui said casually.

"You should know by now, that I can sense you from miles away." Naruto laughed with a sheepish grin. Shisui and Itachi simply shook their heads as Naruto boasted about his sensing ability. The boy was undoubtedly too good for his age.

"Yeah, yeah whatever…" scoffed Shisui as he folded his arms over his chest.

"How are your eyes holding up? You were in pretty bad shape last time you used your Mangekyo." Naruto asked worriedly.

"It's not so bad. I think I'm getting used to them." Shisui said as he stretched his arms lightly. Despite having said that, his body did in fact felt a little sore. But, it was nothing he couldn't handle. He was more worried about Itachi though. Shisui knew about the sickness his friend had but was promised not to disclose it to anyone else.

"That's good to know! Anyway, I think, I'm heading to sleep now. Wake me up in the morning when we'll leave. I don't want to end up oversleeping. I really hate it when that happens!" whined Naruto uncharacteristically. Both the other Uchihas were mildly surprised on seeing the sudden change in his attitude. Nonetheless, they were glad to see that despite the situation at hand, Naruto still hadn't lost his innocence to some extent. Happiness and innocence are truly ephemeral essence in the life of a shinobi. Soon after bidding his two brother-like figures goodnight, Naruto proceeded to jump off the tree and make his way back towards Yugao and Mikasa.

"He surely has grown from that time, hasn't he?" questioned Shisui with a nostalgic tone. It was astonishing to see the shinobi, Naruto turned out to be. However, deep within him he had a feeling about a lingering darkness that resided within Naruto. He often noticed how Naruto questioned the methods of shinobi and the foundation on which this shinobi world was built upon. Shaking the cobwebs off his mind, he composed himself, realizing that he was overthinking.

"He indeed has. He surpassed us both a long time ago." Itachi answered with a hint of pride evident in his voice.

Iwagakure no Sato, Tsuchi no Kuni

Iwagakure no Sato or the Village Hidden in the Stones is one of the great five shinobi villages situated in Tsuchi no Kuni. As the village of one of the Great Five Shinobi villages, Iwagakure has a kage as its leader known as the Tsuchikage, of which there have been three since the village's foundation. Iwagakure was founded by the first Tsuchikage after the end of the Warring States Period. Shortly, after the formation of their village, Konoha's Shodaime Hokage sold the Yonbi (Four Tails) and Gobi (Five Tails) to Iwagakure as a sign of friendship and to ensure the balance of power amongst their new villages. Despite this bid for peace, Madara Uchiha made efforts, unbeknownst to the Hokage, to make Iwagakure subservient to Konoha, which eventually broke down any talks of peace between the two villages.

Even during times of temporary peace, Iwagakure and it's Tsuchikage worked behind the scenes against it's fellow villages. Such as by often using mercenaries to carry out missions, the village could not be directly involved in or that it lacked resources for. Like many other villages, Iwagakure eventually began sealing it's tailed beasts into jinchuriki. Since the Nidaime Tsuchikage's era, they actively took part in acquiring other tailed beasts.

The Sandaime Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Ohnoki renowned as Ryotenbin no Ohnoki (Ohnoki of Both Scales), is the sole wielder of Kekkei Tota- Jinton, currently. He was the student of Nidaime Tsuchikage, Muu, who too was proficient in utilizing the Jinton ninjutsu. Ohnoki is a very short, old man with a triangular beard and a mustache that has angular corners, a big red nose and thick eyebrows. The top of his head completely bald, although, he has long white hair on the lower half of his head which is styled in traditional chonmage haircut, the back of which is tied with a yellow ribbon in a topknot. Ohnoki wears a green and yellow coat with a red color. Underneath he wears traditional Iwagakure outfit consistent of a light green version of Iwagakure's flak jacket and mesh armor. He, however, both sleeves of his shirt, but kept the single lapel on his right side. Along with this, he wears standard black shinobi sandals.

Currently Ohnoki was seated in a chair along with three more people in a small dimly lit room under the Tsuchikage residence. In room merely comprised of a roundtable with the symbol of Iwagakure carved in the middle of it and a large map of the Elemental Nations. Around the table were also four chairs along with lanterns placed on each corner of the room. The other two occupants of the room were the two most notorious criminals of Konohagakure no Sato. He mainly used this room when he had to deal with someone which primarily entailed his village's security. The silence that reigned in the room kept every occupant on edge. The powerful presence that three figures radiated could easily be felt by the Iwa Anbu who guarded room outside.

Frankly, Ohnoki cursed himself for having to align himself with these two. But, seeing how they had similar goals, it wouldn't hurt him have extra help. Especially if it meant he could destroy that man's family. He despised that bastard more than anything. The day he had learned that the Yondaime Hokage was related to Madara Uchiha, he had never felt such a cold shrill run through his body. Anyone related to that man had to be a monster. To this day he hadn't forgotten the humiliating defeat he had faced at the hands of Madara Uchiha before the First Shinobi War and Minato Namikaze during the Third Shinobi War. However, he was baffled when he was told about the feats that the Yondaime's child was capable of. He certainly couldn't let him grow any stronger. As Tsuchikage, it was duty to protect the village and eliminate any threats, no matter the price.

"I hope you'll be able to mobilize your shinobi for the storm that will be coming soon, Tsuchikage-dono. It will be a pity, if you aren't able to get some results even with added help." Orochimaru stated calmly with his devious snake like smile, ever so present on his face.

Ohnoki grunted at the audacity of the Snake Sannin and replied, "Do not look down upon my shinobi, Orochimaru. Have you perfected the kinjutsu that you promised?"

"Perfecting a kinjutsu of that level, takes a copious amount of time…" Orochimaru started. Ohnoki narrowed his eyes dangerously at the Snake Sannin, clearly conveying the message to choose his next words wisely.

"…but, I have mastered the technique to some extent. By the time, we are ready to launch a full-scale attack on Konoha, I will have refined every aspect of the technique. You must hand it to the Nidaime Hokage for inventing such a jutsu." Orochimaru ended with a snide remark. The Sannin made a few hand seals and suddenly four coffins rose from the ground. Three of the coffins opened and the figures within them slowly came out and now everyone could sense the sudden change in pressure within the room.

"They're…" Ohnoki stuttered with widened eyes upon seeing the people in the coffins.

'So, he finally managed to learn that technique.' Danzo thought, shocked. But not a speck of emotion was visible on the man's face. Having spent the past so many years working in the darkness, he still believed his actions were for the greater good of Konoha. His philosophy entailed that for Konoha to one day rule over the Elemental Nations, it had to be destroyed first and then rebuilt into the ideal village. He detested the naïve decisions that Hiruzen and Minato have made over the years which resulted in Konoha becoming so lax. The fact that the Uchiha Clan had planned a coup de 'tat without letting Minato get a hint of their treachery was a prime example. Konoha was indeed extremely fortunate to have avoided that civil war.

"Nidaime Tsuchikage, Nidaime Hokage and Sandaime Raikage." Kitsuchi said, bolting up from his seat with a dumbfounded expression. Unconsciously, he took a step back in fear as he laid his eyes upon the legendary shinobi. All three of these shinobi were considered among the best warriors during their time.

"I believe, we have kept our end of the deal…" Orochimaru stated as a matter of fact. He had devoted several years in mastering the kinjutsu and finally he was getting some results.

"And you're certain that you can control all of them?" Kitsuchi asked unsurely. The shinobi in front of him were monsters and to be able to control them was certainly not a joke.

"You hurt me with your doubts, Kitsuchi-san. Obviously, I can control them. Over the years, I have devoted majority of my time in learning every little aspect of this jutsu. Currently, they can probably use three-fourth of their full power but I'm certain by the time we attack Konoha, I will be able to control them at their full power." Said Orochimaru with a chuckle. Oh, how he would love to see Konoha shinobi crumble on seeing one of their greatest legends, fighting against them. Kitsuchi nodded, seeing as there was nothing he could do now except take the Snake Sannin for his word.

"Who's in the fourth coffin?" Ohnoki asked, firmly.

"We can't reveal everything to you now, Tsuchikage-dono. When the time is right, you'll find out yourself. And do not bother making any threats. With the cards that we have in our hand right now, it won't be good for either you or this village." Danzo stated seriously, intervening in between. Ohnoki glanced towards Danzo with a dangerous look on his face. He never liked being kept in the dark or threatened for that matter. But, seeing the bigger picture here, he calmed himself a bit.

"Watch what you speak, Danzo. This isn't Konoha that will let your transgressions go unpunished." Warned Ohnoki. Seeing that the situation was beginning to get a little out of hands, Kitsuchi cleared his throat to garner everyone's attention and pointed towards the map on the table.

"With Kusagakure already under our grasps, the Root shinobi and the Edo Tensei can easily move into Takigakure from the south west, while the Konoha and Takigakure shinobi will be encountering the Iwa shinobis, in the north east region of Takigakure no Sato. Again, this will be all for nothing if Takigakure does not seek Konoha for assistance." Kitsuchi explained briefly.

"They'll definitely ask for help. With the fear of losing their land as well as jinchuriki, they wouldn't hesitate to ask for help. In any case that they don't, my men will make sure that word of Takigakure under attack reaches to Konoha." Danzo said confidently.

"Very well then. We'll keep our end of the deal by keeping Naruto Namikaze busy, while you get hold of Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha." Ohnoki concluded.

Next Morning, Konohagakure No Sato

It was early in the morning and the sun had just risen, bathing the village in it's warm light. While majority of the village slept peacefully, not knowing of the looming danger advancing towards their home, Minato stood near the window, looking over at the village with a relatively haunted look on his face. The reason for that was the information he had received from Jiraiya about Iwagakure's gradual advances towards the Fire Nation.

"No matter the era, there is always war. This constant fighting between nations has only increased since the dawn of shinobi." Minato said tiredly. War was a certain possibility now, given the current predicament they were in. Based on the information he received from Jiraiya, Ohnoki's forces will most likely enter the Fire Nation through the borders of Kusagakure, Takigakure and Kiba no Kuni if they keep progressing the way they have. Iwagakure had already managed to take over Kusagakure and would soon move onto Takigakure and Kiba no Kuni. Given the past, he had an intuition that Orochimaru and Danzo may yet again align themselves with Ohnoki and assist Iwagakure by handing them the locations of various Konoha shinobi outposts on the border of Hi no Kuni. However, Minato was relieved slightly after he had discussed the urgent matter with Shikaku. Despite certain setbacks a few months ago, based on the shinobi they had at hand, it was feasible for Konoha to come out the victor if Iwagakure do attack. But, Minato had a strong feeling that the coming storm will be much more catastrophic that imagined.

"This is reality, Minato. No matter how hard you try to establish peace, there will always be people who'll try to wage wars. And with us shinobi, all we have known is war. You shouldn't burden yourself with everything. The village has been relatively peaceful the past few years under your leadership. You can't control everything that goes around in the Elemental Nations." Shikaku stated practically, on hearing his friend's words.

"That maybe… But, if we do end up fighting with Iwagakure, it will not be like the coup de 'tat which was narrowly prevented. Lots of shinobi will surely perish. And I'm not ready to send the academy students to war yet." Minato said with a pained expression. But the sad truth was if the situation demanded, he would have to do otherwise. The tension and the sadness were almost palpable in the air and Shikaku understood the burden of responsibilities that was on the Hokage's shoulder. They both grew up together and he knew Minato had very pacifistic notions about the shinobi world, contrary to popular beliefs.

"We'll get through this. Konoha always prevails, no matter who we are up against." Shikaku replied placing a comforting hand on Minato's shoulder. It wasn't any easier for him, but he had to be strong for the sake of his friend as well as Konoha.

"I'm sure. What matters most is the village and its people." Replied the Hokage. It was times like these, that Minato was often reminded of his father's words, "This shinobi system created by Hashirama will someday spiral down deep into darkness, such that not even a speck of light will reach it." At that point, he never really understood the meaning behind his words but looking back at them now, Minato understood what he meant. So long as there are shinobi, there will be wars. It was a bitter truth indeed.

The two were brought out of their thoughts on hearing a knock on the door.

"Come in." Minato said, having already sensed the chakra of those outside. As the door opened, Kakashi, Tsunade, Hayate, Genma, Asuma and Kurenai walked in. Seeing the look on everyone's faces, he understood all of them were confused as to why they were called so early in the morning. Tsunade being the impulsive woman she was, stepped ahead of the others and slammed her hand on the desk, rather authoritatively.

"What's the meaning of calling us so early, Minato?" Tsunade demanded furiously. She really hated getting up so early in the morning. While Kakashi's eyes were still glued to the orange book he read, the other jounins in the room openly gawked at the Sannin's renowned temper.

"Tsunade-sama, if you may allow the Hokage to explain." Shikaku stated with a rather hardened tone. The Slug Sannin gave Shikaku an extremely annoyed look but seeing the seriousness on Minato and Shikaku's faces, Tsunade realized it must be a matter of grave importance. The jounins were mildly surprised on hearing the tone but kept quiet. Shikaku had higher authority than anyone of them and it would be unhealthy for them to interrupt Tsunade of all people. None of them ever wished to behind one of her bone shattering punches. Minato moved behind his desk, seeing that now everyone was looking at him intently.

"About four hours ago, I received word from Jiraiya-sensei through one of his summons that the Tsuchikage is planning to gather large number of his shinobis in Kusagakure, Takigakure and Kiba no Kuni. They have already seized control over Kusagakure by overthrowing the village leader and taking control over their military. Shortly, they will be doing the same with the other two places. Ohnoki has deployed a platoon, consisting of about a hundred shinobi to Kusagakure to keep the resistance to a minimum. Although it's still not certain as to when they are planning to attack Takigakure and Kiba no Kuni. Based on their actions so far, it's definitive that the Tsuchikage plans to invade Hi no Kuni through the north east and eventually attack Konoha. Again, we are not sure as to when the attack might take place. As of now, Iwagakure hasn't done anything against Konoha to warrant our immediate attention. Nonetheless, we need to be prepared for war, if the situation comes down to it." Minato revealed, surprising Tsunade and the others who came with her.

"That damn, Ohnoki. He's always been a stubborn fool." Snarled Tsunade angrily. Kakashi's lone visible eye widened momentarily, as he closed his book. Kurenai, Asuma and Genma remained quiet, as all three of them were at a loss of words. Whereas, Hayate was slightly fearful on the prospect of fighting in yet another war. He had lost his family and countless friends in the previous shinobi war and the scars of those wounds ran deep within his heart, even to this day.

"Sensei, what about the Anbu team that you sent to the Land of Iron. They must have travelled through Ame no Kuni (Land of Rain), Tori no Kuni (Land of Birds), Kuma no Kuni (Land of Bears) and Yama no Kuni (Land of Mountains), all of which share borders with Tsuchi no Kuni. Have you received any news from them about this?" Kakashi asked in all seriousness, putting his book down. Based on what he heard, there was a good possibility about team Ro-Han encountering Iwagakure shinobi. And there were numerous possibilities of the mission going wrong due to the current situation.

"As of yet, I haven't received any word from them. They had parted with Jiraiya-sensei about three days ago. But, I believe, they will be here by today." Minato replied, understanding the underlying memorandum. Tsunade briefly glanced towards Minato. If Jiraiya was accompanying an Anbu team, then Naruto had to be there for sure. It had been quite some time, since she had seen the little boy. She hoped that he was okay.

'And judging by the look on Kakashi's face, he probably knew about it too… Of course, he would.' Tsunade thought mutely.

"So, what do you need of us, Hokage-sama?" Asuma asked straightforward. All of them were asked to come to the Hokage office today morning, the previous day. So, it couldn't have been for this reason solely.

"Right. Shikaku and I went through the academy students' files and have grouped them into teams based on their current strengths, compatibility and history. Even though they have about four more years to graduate from the academy, it's better if the students are grouped into teams early on. This would give them the opportunity to work on their teamwork while also further increasing their skills as a ninja." Minato explained, getting straight to the point. Picking up five files from the desk, he handed them out to the five jounins.

"Have you already decided which team will be given to us?" Kurenai questioned. She had been training Lord Hiashi's younger daughter, Hanabi, for the past couple of months and had seen how incredible Hinata was for someone her age. Also, being a Hyuga, she would make an excellent tracker in the future.

"No, not yet. That will be decided based on their performance in the graduation exam." Shikaku replied. Minato nodded, agreeing with his advisor and Jounin Commander. Before anyone else could voice their thoughts, a weasel masked Anbu suddenly appeared between them. Looking around himself, Itachi noticed the presence of several jounins along with Tsunade and Shikaku. Deciding to stay quiet until the others left, he walked to the side of the room and waited. Kakashi glanced towards the Team Ro Han's captain and wondered if all the other members were alright. He would have to visit the Anbu headquarters and the Namikaze compound after this.

"That will be all for now. Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, Genma and Hayate, you all may be leave for now. All the jounins and tokubetsu jounins will be shortly notified about the jounin meeting in a few days." Minato briefed. Soon enough, the jounins left the room leaving only Minato, Shikaku, Tsunade and Itachi in the Hokage's office.

"Did the mission go as planned?" Minato asked curtly.

"No, Hokage-sama. I assume, you have received some sort of news from Jiraiya-sama about Iwagakure?" Itachi asked. Knowing that the Toad Sannin had parted with them to gather intel on Iwagakure, he had guessed the Hokage would have some sort of news by now.

"I did. But, before that report what happened during the mission." Minato replied.

"The mission proceeded smoothly up until we collected the scrolls from Land of Iron. But, while we were returning to Konoha, we were ambushed by the Explosion Corps of Iwagakure in the Land of Birds…" Itachi started. The other three occupants of the room listened intently as the Ro-Han's taicho gave a detailed report of his team's battle with the Explosion Corps.

Author Notes- I know it's been long since I updated this story, but now the updates will be more frequent from now on. As you can see, the fight team Ro Han had with the Explosion Corps was merely a ruse set up by Akatsuki to get to Gari and Ohnoki had no clue about that. Nonetheless, the Tsuchikage is already planning to attack Konoha along with Orochimaru and Danzo. The attack on the village itself will no take place any time soon, but later, at a more appropriate time when the border patrol will be a little more lax. The battle which will inevitably take place in Takigakure will be a crucial point for Naruto in his life and one which will either change Naruto for the good or bad. Right now, his mind is riddled with question to which he has no answers. As his career in Anbu progress, there will be a part of him that too will delve deep into the darkness.

I still haven't decided if I should portray the civil war in the story and frankly I'm a little confused about that, but I will see if i should include that depending on the results of the battle at Takigakure. The next couple of chapters will focus a little more on the academy students and Naruto along with him trying to uncover the mysteries of his rinnegan and mangekyo sharingan. Once the battle at Takigakure comes to an end, I will be focusing more on Naruto and his friends at the academy as well as the relationship between Naruto and Hinata.

If you do come to like how the story is progressing or have anything you might like to add, do drop me a message. And please follow, favorite and review the story! It will help me immensely.

Until next time!