Naruto: Uchiha no Densetsu

Chapter 16: The Fall of Takigakure (Part 1)

Takigakure no Sato

Shibuki, the current leader of Takigakure no Sato was sitting in his office with a grim look on his face. Despite the somewhat quiet period in the past two years, he was still worried about his home coming under an invasion by their neighboring village, Iwagakure no Sato. Kuma no Kuni, Tori no Kuni and Kusagakure had already been merged into the territory of Tsuchi no Kuni after their leaders were successfully taken down in an assassination by Iwagakure Anbu. The fact that the Tsuchikage did not even attempt to hide his involvement in those assassinations early on felt a little strange to him, alas, he had more gruesome matters to worry about.

Unlike the great five nations, the military strength of his village was not that commendable. He barely had a little over two thousand battle ready shinobi. And even among those, a third of them did not have experience in a real war. Although they possessed the Nanabi, their jinchuriki wasn't entirely proficient in utilizing the bijuu's chakra. Even so, the shinobi of his village would rather let Fu fight the enemy alone than fight alongside her. It saddened him greatly to see Fu get treated with such disdain because of the bijuu sealed in her. Even after so many years, none of the villagers had come to accept her as one of them. And he was ashamed that he couldn't do anything personally to make her life easier. At times, the damn politics within the village infuriated him, that it left him unable to help a mere child.

Right now, his only solace was his village's treaty with Konoha. It was their last resort, but it was an option on which he could depend upon. The Yondaime Hokage was a reputable man who was known for his kindness towards his allies and his ruthlessness towards his enemies.

"What a mess…" sighed Shibuki as he eyed all the documents on his desk once again.

"There isn't any point in overthinking about the matter Shibuki. Right now, all we can do is prepare our shinobi for is to come. Based on their actions, it is inevitable that the village may very well fall under invasion. You're the leader. You are the person, who must stay calm and strong at all times." came the strong voice of Senji, sitting on the other side of desk, going through some of the documents. He was the former village head of Takigakure and now an aid to Shibuki. He was an old man with a craggy face, and long white hair.

"I hear what you say, Senji-sama. But, I still can't help but worry…" Shibuki replied. Suddenly the door to his office busted open and in came a chunin with a horrified look on his face.

"Shibuki-sama! There are three shinobi outside who have forcefully broken through the waterfall and are currently heading inside the village. The shinobi guarding the waterfall were killed but managed to confirm that one of them is Orochimaru of the Sannin while the identity of the other two in unknown!" reported the chunin hastily. Both Shibuki and Senji had stupefied looks on their faces upon hearing the news. The waterfall provided a natural barrier to Takigakure and wasn't an easy one to breakthrough.

"Are you sure, it's just three shinobi?" Shibuki questioned as he got up from his seat.

"Hai, Shibuki-sama. It's just the three of them. Our border patrol is scouting around the village for more enemy but so far, it looks like just those three. Three more squads of jounin have gone to apprehend the three of them but we haven't gotten any reply from them yet." The chunin replied.

"Get back to your post and ask all the jounins to assemble near the entrance immediately. I will be out there in a few minutes." Stated Shibuki. Thereafter, the chunin quickly left to carry out the given orders.

Senji took in a deep breath to calm himself down. Knowing that something is going to happen is a lot different than actually going through that. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Orochimaru was among the most nefarious criminals of the Fire country and was a S-Rank ninja. While their village did not have any Kage level shinobi, Shibuki was the closest one to that title out of all the Takigakure ninjas.

"Shibuki, you go outside and handle the problem as best as you can. I will send out a distress letter to Konoha as soon as possible. And if the worst comes to pass, you do realize we'll be left with only two options." Senji said gravely. The tension was now clearly visible on the Takigakure leader's face. While he was nervous, he was willing to do anything to protect his own village. It was like Senji had said. He had to stay strong. His shinobi would be looking up to him for strength in this battle and he could not afford to let them down. His own father had sacrificed himself for Takigakure in the Third Shinobi War and now, he would have to muster up the same resolve.

"I appreciate it Senji-sama. Let's hope we can hold our own until help arrives." Shibuki replied before rushing out of the building.

A few minutes later, when Shibuki reached the entrance of the village, he came upon the ghastly image of bodies lying scattered across the ground. There were still a few shinobi who seemed to be alive but one look at them could say that they were barely hanging on to their lives. His body trembled slightly upon seeing several faces of his lifeless friends and he unconsciously clenched his fists in anger.

"You've finally come out to play, it seems Shibuki." He immediately whipped his head in the direction of that sickly voice and found Orochimaru standing with a twisted smile on his face. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the two other shinobi standing behind the Sannin but could not seem to place their names in his mind.

The one standing to Orochimaru's left was a fair skinned man with silver shaggy hair and dark colored eyes. He had three markings on his face, one under each eye and one on his chin. He wore a blue armor with a distinctive white fur collar over a simple black suit. On the right was a dark-skinned man with a large build and well-defined muscle. He had a full head of white hair that flowed into his back and a long beard. His face had pronounced cheek bones and tear troughs under his eyes, and a prominent crease across his forehead with a mole above his right eyebrow. However, the peculiar characteristic about these two shinobi were the darkened sclerae and the marred cracks across their whole body. His curiosity rose greatly when he noticed the Konoha symbol on the happuri worn by the silver haired man and the typical Kumogakure attire worn by the other.

His eyes widened in alarm and disbelief when he realized who exactly the two shinobi were. 'Nidaime Hokage and Sandaime Raikage. But, how is it possible. Both had perished during the previous Shinobi Wars…' However, that wasn't his main concern now. Despite having faith in his abilities as a shinobi, there was no way he could fight two kages and a Sannin all alone. It was simply impossible. Even with his trump card, he doubted it would make much difference. Alas, he would need to stand strong.

"What purpose do you have in attacking our village, Orochimaru?" Shibuki genuinely asked, bringing his focus back to the matter at hand. He had to buy some time for all his shinobi to gather aptly. While he was aware, he would not last much longer in a fight against these three, he could at least buy some time for help to arrive from Konoha by using more numbers. Moreover, the Nidaime Hokage and Sandaime Raikage gave him a morbid feeling. He could only conclude that Orochimaru had found a way to revive the two former kage using a kinjutsu. Despite not being a sensor, he could tell that the two had overwhelming power. And the way they stoically stood behind the snake Sannin as if waiting for his command, unnerved him greatly.

"You may say it's for a greater purpose. But, then again, that would be lying on my part. Just think of yourself as a sacrificial pawn. You're nothing but fodder, a means to an end." Orochimaru stated. Before Shibuki could even make a move, the silver haired shinobi rushed at him with terrifying speed.

Senji had already sent a distress message towards Konohagakure no Sato and hoped it would reach the village within two hours. Despite being in his old age and weakened considerably, he was still strong enough to fight his own battles given the situations. He was about to head out to help Shibuki when a jounin from the border patrol entered the office hastily.

"Senji-sama, our border patrol has sensed a lot of chakra signatures heading towards us from the north-west. However, among them there are two enormous chakra signatures which resemble the Nanabi, most likely two jinchuriki. I believe these shinobi are from Iwagakure." Stated the jounin urgently. A look of panic formed on Senji's face on hearing the news. He weakly placed his hand on the desk for support as a bit of sweat began forming on his face. The situation was beginning to get worse by the minute.

"Go look for Fu immediately. Based on the current situation, we will need all the help we can get." Senji replied firmly, after a few seconds of quick thinking. The jounin nodded in response and left the room promptly. There were only a handful of people in the village who cared about Fu's welfare. Having known the previous jinchurikis for the Nanabi, Senji could sympathize with the enormous burden that was on Fu's shoulder. Yet, to this day he couldn't persuade his villagers to see otherwise. At the least, he always made sure that she received proper ninja training and essential necessities to live a simple life.

Iwagakure no Sato held the four tails and the five tails. Moreover, their jinchuriki had complete control over the bijuu. Roshi and Han, the jinchuriki of four and five tails respectively were feared within the Elemental Nation for their part in the second as well as third shinobi war and were regarded as S-Rank shinobi in the bingo book. And right now, it pained him to throw Fu in a battle against them. He could only hope for a miracle at this point. Because, there was none in the village who could fend off all the enemies adequately.

Konohagakure no Sato

Naruto currently stood in the middle of a clearing surrounded by tall hills. This ground was a little to the west of Konoha and was also regarded as a special ground among the entire Anbu unit of the village. This was the place where the Nidaime Hokage had initiated the group of special shinobi intended only for black ops missions. His idea behind their formation, though simple was ingenuine at that time. During the times of war, most of the villages used to be at a stalemate with each other, cause of the information gathered by spies. Tobirama's ideology was that if the enemy did not have any knowledge of the group, they would fail to take the necessary actions against them. During the first shinobi war, this strategy worked flawlessly. But, soon as the war ended, more villages came up with the idea of Anbu groups specialized in areas such as recon, infiltration, assassinations and various more such departments, which had grown since that era.

Ever since Shisui had resigned from team Ro-Han a year ago or so, even Yugao had branched out from the group to join the recon unit of the Anbu. Though he was glad that she was now an Anbu captain and was faring well for herself, he was a little saddened that his group was splitting up. Currently, the ones in team Ro-Han were him, Itachi, Mikasa, a Nara shinobi named Yuri and the surprise addition of Sai. A few weeks after the Uchiha massacre Naruto was made aware that Sai's sole purpose in joining the academy was to keep an eye of him, under Danzo's order. However, since Danzo's defection from the village, Sai and a handful of more shinobi who were skeptical about Danzo's rule were integrated back into the regular Anbu. While, the rest were brutally executed under the name of treason. He was pleasantly surprised when he was notified that Sai would be joining the group. Finally, there was someone of his age.

Coming out of his dazed state, he looked up to see that Mikasa was standing firm in her stance with her katana in her arms. Other than Yugao who often give him an earful as an older sister, Mikasa was more like his partner in crime. She was a reserved person, who mainly spoke when it was necessary. Much like Itachi, which often made him chuckle. However, he knew she cared for him. He was pleasantly surprised and a slightly embarrassed to learn that it was Yugao and Mikasa who looked after him for a few months after his mother's death. Embarrassed cause, he still found it strange to comprehend that the two kunoichi had seen him unclothed.

On many occasions, Naruto and Mikasa would come to this area to practice kenjutsu. Well, it was mainly Mikasa giving out tips to Naruto to improve upon with his chokuto. Since, Naruto did not have anyone to teach him kenjutsu, whatever, he knew up to the point he joined Anbu, he had learned on his own. While he was proficient enough with a sword, he wasn't a kenjutsu master like Mikasa, who had been dabbling with this art for the past twenty years.

"You look tired, Naruto. Had enough already?" Mikasa taunted with a small smile as she wiped some sweat off her forehead.

"Heh, you wish." Replied Naruto. Once again, charging his sword with raiton chakra, he dashed towards the kunoichi, who in turn did the same. A few seconds later, their swords met in a resounding clash. For a few moments, they battled for supremacy. Seeing as he was losing the battle in strength slightly, Naruto loosened his grip and ducked down to sweep Mikasa off her feet. Having already anticipated that, Mikasa jumped up and brought her sword down on the blond shinobi. Quickly parring off the attack with the sword now in his left hand, he jumped back up to his feet. Instead of jumping back to gain some distance, he swiftly closed the distance between Mikasa and him and tried to slash the kunoichi from the left. Yet again, Mikasa gracefully deflected that blow. However, she was surprised when another Naruto popped up from behind who also had a chokuto in his hand and ran up to her from her rear.

'That sly little fox…' thought Mikasa with a chuckle. Making a single hand sign with her free hand, she surrounded herself with raiton chakra and sent bolts of electricity towards the kage bunshin. However, that momentary lapse of concentration had costed her. The Naruto in front of her, had swiftly hit her right shoulder with the hilt of his chokuto, making it slightly sore. While she had managed to destroy that single bunshin, she now also had a disadvantage.

"That was well played Naruto, I will give you that. A bit unorthodox, but nice." Mikasa complemented. Naruto smiled on hearing that. He was after all a specialist when it came to unorthodox moves.

However, their sparring soon came to an end, when another Anbu came amidst them. "Washi-senpai, Usagi-senpai, Hokage-sama has summoned you immediately." Stated the Anbu. The two gave a curt nod and the Anbu soon disappeared from the premises.

"I really hope it's for some mission. I have been getting bored as hell inside the village!" Naruto said exasperatedly. Mikasa shook her head at his whining, but she couldn't blame him. She too was getting a little impatient being inside the confines of the village.

Hokage Office

About ten minutes later, when Naruto and Mikasa entered the office, Naruto was surprised to see the rest of his team also assembled here. He noticed the grave expression on his father's and Shikaku's face and realized the upcoming mission must be of utmost importance. His suspicion was further confirmed when seconds later, the elders, Koharu and Homura also walked into the Hokage's office.

"What is so important that you had to even summon us, Minato?" Koharu questioned. Despite being in her old age, she was a veteran shinobi who served directly under Tobirama Senju along with Homura. The two elders had fought in all the past shinobi wars and as such their inputs in the important decisions pertaining to Konoha was always welcomed by Minato. After Danzo's defection he had secretly kept the two under strict watches and was satisfied when he found no discrepancies in their behavior. Losing two great tactical minds as these two would have certainly dealt a huge blow to Konohagakure no Sato.

Minato looked around once and wordlessly ordered all the other Anbu to leave the room. Once they were gone, he made a few hand seals and erected a sound barrier around the room.

"Now that everyone's here, I'll brief everyone on the news. About half an hour ago, we received a distress message from Takigakure no Sato." This seemed to get everyone's attention as their ears perked up, on hearing that slight bit of information. Itachi's calculative mind had already begun listing up the possibilities for such an action and concluded upon the reason soundly in a matter of few seconds.

"About a couple of hours ago, Takigakure was invaded by Orochimaru and two more unknown shinobi. The message was sent by Senji-sama, the former village head of Takigakure and an aid to Shibuki, the current leader. The shinobi guards at the entrance of the village were killed and Shibuki had personally gone to intervene the three invaders. He has asked for our assistance in dealing with them." Minato revealed.

"Based on our intel, we believe Tsuchi no Kuni is involved in this matter. In the last two years, Tsuchi no Kuni has successfully invaded and captured the Land of Bear, the Land of Birds and the Land of Grass. They are gradually increasing their territory and moving towards Hi no Kuni. However, I believe the Tsuchikage plans to invade Takigakure, not for geographical advantage, but for the bijuu. They already possess two bijuu and gaining a third one, will definitely augment their power as a Great Nation." Shikaku stated. Minato nodded his head, concurring with his advisor's line of thought.

"What bijuu does Takigakure hold?" voiced Naruto curiously. He was aware that Iwagakure had possession of the four and five tails, but Takigakure was still a mystery to him. Mikasa prudently glanced towards her blond teammate with a little worry. She was conscious about his feelings towards the bijuu. Initially it sounded absurd to hear him call a bijuu his friend, but over time she had learned to accept that. Just cause whole her life she was taught to dislike something; doesn't mean she couldn't try to see it differently.

"During the formation of the village system, Shodai-sama had given the Nanabi to Takigakure as a sign of friendship and good will for their support to the village. Currently, the bijuu is housed in a girl named Fu, who's about your age Washi." Minato replied.

"Is my team going to be sent for this mission, Hokage-sama?" Itachi asked up straight. However, Naruto could feel the slight dilemma in his heart. While Itachi was confident in his team's abilities, there were several unknown factors that could compromise this mission.

"That is correct Karasu. Even though we have recovered our military strength greatly in the past two years, we can't afford to send too many shinobi. Takigakure may be our allies, but this very well could turn out to be a trap. That's why I have decided to send a select few dependable shinobi." Shikaku confirmed. Minato rested his arms on his desk and closed his eyes momentarily to clear his head. There indeed were a lot of uncertainties prevailing this mission. Before anyone else, he had to look after his own shinobi and village. He was slightly surprised that the elders had not uttered a single word till now.

"What are your thoughts Koharu-sama, Homura-sama?" Minato questioned, glancing towards them.

"Anything that involves Orochimaru is never a good sign. Ohnoki has never been one to give up on past grudges. You should be certain that it is a trap. Orochimaru may be a hideous criminal, but he's not stupid. He's aware that Takigakure would very well ask Konoha for assistance. He wouldn't attack the village alone, if he did not have someone backing him up. Most likely Danzo and Ohnoki." Koharu replied rather grumpily. Naruto clenched his fists slightly on hearing that shinobi's name. He hated Danzo with passion. He was the sole reason for the Uchiha massacre and for getting Hinata involved in that incident two years back. He swore back then, he would end his life one way or another.

"Danzo and Orochimaru both pose an enormous threat to Konoha. Moreover, their knowledge about the village is far too much to be left unchecked. And if they are colluding with our enemies, Hi no Kuni may become their next target of invasion. They need to be dealt with as soon as possible. I would suggest sending only Karasu, Washi, Usagi, Sai and Kakashi for the mission. Having fought in the previous war, Kakashi and Usagi have a better knowledge of the terrain over there." Homura suggested strategically. The room became quiet as everyone awaited the Hokage's decision. Minato pondered over the matter for few more minutes before getting up from his seat.

"I agree with Homura-sama. Karasu, Washi, Usagi, Sai and Kakashi seem a good fit for the mission. If Danzo is involved, sending in Shisui may turn out to be quite hazardous. However, your objective in this mission is mainly to observe and to ensure the safety of the jinchuriki, Senji-sama and Shibuki-sama. Your secondary mission would be to eliminate Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru. If you do encounter any Iwagakure shinobi, either kill them or capture their lead commander for interrogation. Your team will be going in alone and you'll have no backup whatsoever." Minato stated firmly.

"Get going and ready up for the mission. You'll be leaving in twenty minutes." Minato said. Itachi, Naruto and Mikasa used shunshin to disappear from the office, while Homura and Koharu used the more traditional way and made their exit via the door.

"Shikaku, get me Kakashi and Sai in here immediately." Shikaku too disappeared from the office and made his way to the Anbu headquarters.

Twenty minutes later at the Northern Konoha Gate

By the time Naruto arrived at the gate, he noticed that everyone was already waiting for him. He had a sheepish look on his face on realizing he was a tad bit late. In his earlier days, Itachi had always reprimanded him for not being on time.

"You sure took your time Washi." Kakashi stated sarcastically. Naruto's eye twitched on hearing that remark.

"Hey, you don't get to say that! You're always late for everything!" Naruto replied pointedly. Mikasa chuckled softly on seeing the banter between the two while Itachi and Sai stoically stood in their place. The two hardly spoke to each other, if it wasn't pertaining to their mission. Despite all the differences between all of them, there was no doubt that team Ro-Han probably was the foremost when it came to teamwork.

"Alright, that's enough. I assume everyone has packed adequately for this mission. It won't be a walk in the park… We'll always need to have our guard up from the moment we leave Hi no Kuni. We'll infiltrate Takigakure from the east and make our way to the rear of the village from there on. It'll take us approximately two hours or so if we travel using Sai's ink birds." Kakashi said seriously. Everyone took in the words of their captain and nodded in unison.

"Ninpo: Choju Giga" Sai said after drawing three birds in his scroll. Immediately, the three birds leapt from the scroll and grew to life-size form. Naruto and Kakashi sat on one, Itachi and Mikasa took the second while Sai sat on the last one. Within a few seconds, the birds took off into the air and headed towards the direction of Takigakure.

An hour later in Takigakure

Despite all the constant hatred and fighting that always surrounded the Elemental Nations, the minor villages always provided a sort of haven for those who wished to distance themselves from the life of a shinobi. Due to their inferior military strength, the great five nations never showed much interest in such places. But all of that had begun to fade in the last couple of years, when Tsuchi no Kuni first invaded the Land of Birds, then consequently the Land of Birds and the Land of Grass. And the Land of Waterfall was no such exception. In the shinobi world, power alone dictates everything. Because Konoha has always come out on top in the past three shinobi wars, no one dared challenge the strongest village openly. The sheer number of exceptionally strong shinobi that have come out of Konoha has always seemed to unnerve the other nations. So, it was only a matter of time before one of the great nations decided to make a move against Konohagakure no Sato.

Takigakure no Sato was generally known for its lush green land, tall hills on the north and east and especially the beautiful waterfalls in the area. The village itself was hidden by a gigantic waterfall which provided a natural barrier against threats. However, all of that would seem unreal now. If one were to enter the village now, they would come across the ghastly scene of dead bodies scattered all over the village. The buildings were mostly broken down and large chunks of rocks were lying all around. The ground was covered with water, but instead of being clear, it flowed red with the blood of the fallen shinobi. The air reeked of death and frankly at first glance, one may think, the Shinigami himself had walked upon these lands.

However, among all the scattered bodies, there were still some who were barely clinging on to their life. But, for the fear of losing whatever precious time they had, they did not dare move a muscle. In the center of the village, near the village leader's office stood seven people. While four of them had unreadable expressions on their face, one had the look of pure amusement on his.

"Ku ku ku… I'm surprised you and your pet have managed to survive for so long, Shibuki." Orochimaru taunted with a maniacal laugh.

Shibuki was down on one knee, clutching the right side of his stomach, to stop the bleeding. His entire body was almost covered in blood which gave him the appearance of a wild beast. Beside him stood Fu, who appeared to be even more beaten down. Her skin was burnt red due to the over usage of the bijuu chakra and she knew any moment she would embrace the ground, like many others. She felt as if she may die just by standing for a few more minutes. Shibuki cursed out loud as he once again looked around himself with a horrified look on his face.

'H… how could… it come to this?' was the only thought running through his mind. In all his life, he had never come across so much death and destruction. Looking at his left hand, he knew this would be his final stance. He had one vial of the Eiyu no Mizu (Hero Water) left. Once he would drink it, he should be able to stall the enemy long enough for Konoha shinobi to arrive. Looking to his right, he saw Fu wasn't faring much well. He had to ensure her safety at least. Watching her grow as a child, he had begun to view her as his own daughter. For the first time, he was glad that the Nanabi was sealed into her. That at least would ensure she wouldn't succumb to death right away. His hand trembled in trepidation as he clutched that single vial and brought it close to his mouth.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes on seeing Shibuki's actions but decided to entertain the simpleton for another round. His eyes were set on a larger picture, which he assumed would be arriving soon.

"Fu, stand down. You have fought bravely for this village and I really am proud of you. As the leader of this village, it is my responsibility to ensure your safety." Fu wanted to argue, she wanted to yell at him for not doing anything stupid. Alas, she did not have any energy left to speak her mind. She was aware of what Shibuki was going to do and tears freely slipped from her eyes realizing this may be last time, she'll get to see him. She forced her body to stand up but subsequently, her mind went blank as unconsciousness gripped on to her tightly.

Seeing as she was unconscious, Shibuki immediately drank the last vial of Eiyu no Mizu, as he felt his body getting rejuvenated by the influx of strong chakra. With defiant eyes, he once again stood up and settled into his stance to protect what he cherished.

Author Notes- There will be two more parts to 'The Fall of Takigakure'. As I have said earlier, this will be an important turning point for Naruto. While he has witnessed a lot of death in his short life, nothing would compare to what he'll see in Takigakure or justify the actions which he will be forced to take. Some may wonder why Takigakure shinobi have not tried sealing the two edo tensei kages, that's cause they don't know what jutsu it is that has brought the two kages back to life essentially. It is after all a kinjutsu. Even in the manga/anime, the Allied Shinobi forces were given the details beforehand on the necessary actions to take if they encounter any re animated shinobi.

In the next chapter, there will be a lot action. The Konoha shinobi will apprehend Orochimaru, the two kage and the other two shinobi with them (some may have already guessed who they are). It will also be Naruto's first time meeting another jinchuriki. All in all, I can say the next two chapters are going to be really special.

Please do follow, favorite and review the story! The feedback helps me a lot in understanding the reader's point of view. I will try my best to portray it to everyone's liking.

Until next time!