Chapter Six; Wrath
Mizu No Kuni; Southern Port of the Central Island
Shizuoka and Kurotsuchi entered the safe house to find a very quiet Naruto sitting on the couch, not moving an inch, eyes covered in shadows as he leans forward on his knees. He looked serene but the rage was palpable. Anger visible. Bloodlust oozing from him like a cloak. They both gulped.
"Naruto…" Shizuoka questioned causing the man to glance up, eyes so cold yet filled with a primal rage that caused both women to gulp again nervously with sweat running down their neck.
Blinking once, twice-trice, then he reeled in his anger as best he could, as he breathed in then out "What?!" he growled lowly still clearly straining himself to hold of the rage of a parent wronged. Steeling themselves both kunoichi stepped forward presenting two scrolls, one brown and one blue, "What's this?"
"Progress reports." Shizuoka states cautiously, as if one would look upon a growling wolf; in this case, fox, protecting its kits. "I see." the blond states taking said scrolls inspecting them one after another.
During his reading, the two kunoichi stood at attention stiffly in response to the dark, vengeful and rage filled aura oozing off their favourite blond "…have you ever seen him this mad…?" spoke the former stone shinobi whispered "No. Not this mad. He only gets like this, if his fam…ily…" the brunette pauses upon the realisation. A side long glance showed that her fellow ninja had also came to the same conclusion.
"…looks like things are going well." Naruto speaks slowly, and carefully though it was clear that his mind was elsewhere "Though we can't be lax. Keep the maximum precautions."
"We will." the nadishiko woman salutes, still unnerved at the rage filled man at the desk "Now then…" the blued eyed blond looking to his fellow rebel commander, Kurotsuchi stiffens rock still, pun intended, "…with your forces, we need to keep them under wraps and out of trouble. I trust that you can keep their tempers, egos, and pride in check, right?" the tone he used was so cold, so frigid and damn right soul shuddering that caused his pair of women to suppress their cringe as best they could "Right. I'll be sure of it." Kurotushi reports firmly, as if on military drill, and saluting as if before her kage to which, at this moment even if in her mind, he was.
That night…
Naruto pinches the button holding his sword, to his belt, "…you sure you don't need us for this?" Kurotsuchi asks from the back of the room, the other two kunoichi glancing up from their food "I'm sure. It'll be too suspicious to have you spotted fighting alongside me, especially if I'm fighting in Waterfall to rescue a Wind citizen stolen from Sungakure." Naruto responded to her without even looking back at her, unsealing an Anbu mask, "Besides…" mask in place, glancing back at them partially "This is a family matter." His masked voice was deep, gravelly, and slightly feral causing involuntary shudders down the women's spines.
Without another word, Naruto stepped into the shadows and his presence instantly faded signifying his departure and it felt like the warmth had gone with him as the girls all look to one another somewhat worriedly.
A few minutes of silence as Kurotsuchi finally set down with food, joining the duo and to avoid any awkward situations she began "I have a question." gaining their attention, "How did you guys become familiar with Naruto?"
"Well…" Shizuoka stutters with a pink hue, a blush dusting her cheeks and her fellow snickering slightly earning a raised eyebrow from the violet eyed brunette "…it was a… rocky… start…" the nadishiko princess began "You fought him for his hand in marriage, then when he kicked your ass; begged for…" Satsumi's response was cut short by her future leader with a hand clamped over her mouth, a death glare aimed at her but enough was spoken for Kurotuschi to chuckle.
"So, you…" the Stone Jonin chuckle, "Look. Yes. I may or may not have attempted to take him by force…"
"You did." Satsumi stated "Then his wife kicked your ass." Bursting into laughter at the defeated sigh of her leader.
A few minutes to let them calm down, "Anyway, he helped us out and protected us from the Hidden Sound. Many consider him a hero."
"Yeah, sounds like the blockhead." Kurotuschi chuckled as she swallowed the last of her food, "He's done the same for us. He heard we were about to come to blows and pulled me and several others from the fire, quite literally actually." A soft smile from her "We were ambushed, traitorous Anbu under that bastards command." A snort from her didn't break the trance upon her story "All we saw was a yellow flash. Damn Namikaze's and their hero complex." muttering the last part with a very faint dusting of pink upon her cheek.
Konohagakure no Sato; Hokage Office
"Come in." called out the tired Hokage, Tsunade Senju, and in stepped members of Team Seven, and Team eight but not in their full teams. "Jonin Kakashi will be the mission leader for this assignment." The blonde states glancing at each of her shinobi while interlocking her fingers "Shino, Kiba; you two are being sent for your tracking abilities." Sighing as she finally leans back "If this mission fails, war between Suna and Waterfall is best case scenario." Gasps from her student while the men all harden their eyes, even the ninkin seemed to stiffen at that.
"What's the mission?" Kakashi spoke up, his normal orange book nowhere to be seen, "I received a message from Kazekage, our Anbu intercepted one their retrieval teams but the whole thing is suspicious, and Sunagakure is on the verge of declaring war on Waterfall."
"Really? Wouldn't that be a bit… counterproductive?" Kiba questioned, scratching his cheek with his claw causing Shino to glance at him in surprise, not that he showed it "For any other village, yes." Tsunade comments, "…however, the Sand has the Namikaze Clan. They could wipe out Waterfall if their whole clan took part. It got the entire world watching. If they deploy…" she left the threat hanging causing them all to gulp, nodding at their commander.
On the road…
Kiba was aside the team's leader, "Hey, Kakashi-sensei… is it true that the Namikaze will wipe out a village?"
"Think about it Kiba." Kakashi spoke back as they continued to tree hop "Lord Fourth, Minato Namikaze, sacrificed his life to save his village and family. Not only that, he wiped out an entire army to protect us all." The gravity defying silver haired Jonin looked to his canine like teammate "Now think carefully on that. Just one wiped out an army, fought against the most powerful of Biju, and stayed inside a village that hated them just to protect a few. What do you think a whole clan of them would do for just one of them?"
"Right." Kiba gulped in fear thinking of a group of super shinobi massacring a village enraged by the notion of stealing a pup. Part of him was impressed by that, protecting the pack is also his own nature after all, the other side though shuddered.
Takigakure no Sato; Village Centre
Kakashi led his team through the village of the Waterfall village, strolling through the canopy that streamed the sunlight in beams lightly through the village as they travelled and even Shino found himself enjoying the view. As they moved forward however said Aburame found his bugs also relaxing beneath the tree leaves.
As the hidden leaf team arrive at the office, they are greeted by Shibuki who smiled at them "Ah, Kakashi-san, great to see you." reaching to shake hands "Indeed it is. We came to understand the situation you have with the Sand." Kakashi speaking formally and rather elegantly adverse to his usual character "Ah yes, well, you see. My council wished to create a unified front against Earth Country and the Hidden Stone, but…"
"The current situation has put a halt to this." Kakashi states which turns the others with nod along "in that case…" but Shino stepped past Kakashi, earning to the others full attention "You kidnapped a Namikaze child." He buzzed out "Son of their queen. My Kikacho speak highly of him."
"Son of their queen?" Sakura questioned earning a nod from the insect user "Like a Pup of an alpha?" Kiba questioned earning a lifting of shades from the Aburame clan heir, which was basically confirming his words earning two sets of growls. Shibuki stood up, "We need the power to…"
"Hirashin!" spoke up Kakashi this time causing everyone to freeze up, "A powerful technique of the Namikaze clan." Continuing with a nod "Though, as we suspect, most of their members can use it to some capacity. Though I hate to inform you, that it is not a bloodline but rather a clan technique untied to any bloodlines." This caused the Waterfall council to face fault "Yeah, you fools messed up." Kiba chuckled and everyone swore a dangerous gleam in Akamaru's eyes.
"What do you mean?" Shibuki questioned a cold sweat down his neck, "You really have to ask?" Kiba asked incredulously, speaking as if he just committed a crime against humanity "Naruto Namikaze, the clan head, is known by all as caring for those he cares for." Sakura began as if speaking to children "Yes, so…"
"You just kidnapped his son." Shino spoke calmly but the venom was not missed "If we know anything…" a massive explosion knocks everyone off their feet, glass, wood chips, and ink flying everywhere. A second then third, and fourth before a chain reaction "Well… this… is somewhat expected." Kakashi spoke as the rooms occupants slowly stand, voosh, bang, voosh, bang. Can be heard "What the hell is going on?!"
"You pissed off the Namikaze." Kakashi chuckled morosely.
A few minutes earlier…
"Hidden Waterfall huh?" on a cliff overlooking the large tree with the waterfall up front "Should be beneath the tree."
"We told you everything…" a weak voice from the floor beneath him "…let us go." A female voice elsewhere within the small camp "I am not holding you here." Naruto says standing up, pulling out his kunai and promptly throwing them and going through hand signs. Two turned into eighty-each, as the sound barrier was broken many times, "Ahh… better get this over with." He whispered to himself as he vanished into a flash a gold.
Appearing midway through the valley between the village entrance and the mountain, hand above his head spawned a swirling shuriken of wind chakra in less time to blink before thrown toward the defensive wall at the villages edge. Ox – Dog – Dragon – Rat – Dog – Boar – Snake – Tiger. One chakra-based shuriken turned to ten. Dragon – Clap – Ox – Tiger "Fire Release: Flame Shuriken." His whisper would be lost to the swirling winds of the flaming Rasenshuriken, ignited too the superheated levels.
Boom. Boom.
Among the flames and screams Naruto lands as the first wave of his kunai hit in the wake of the blazing orbs of scorch, pulling up the glowing carbon steel dagger "Sage mode." Telling himself as he looks out at the fleeing citizens and arriving shinobi "Found him… now to deal with…" he paused for a moment, a raised eyebrow as the signature of numerous Leaf shinobi he was familiar with. "Gotta makes this quick." standing up whilst absently twirling his families' signature kunai "Hirashin Level Two." The final whispered words of many that day.
A cracked neck atop a building, a flung balling, a massive explosion, another slit artery, another flash. A kick, thrown into another, pinned against each other, a kunai through their necks. Another chakra shuriken, with another block blown to smithereens. Blue flames lick the battlefield as Naruto strode past, them as bodies littered the ground, not that he cared at this point as in his arms was his son Nega. His mint haired son was very much his mother's son, a prince of the Insecta an interesting side effect of his mother holding of Chomei who often joked about being a grand queen.
Just like as the two Suna shinobi were approaching the gaping whole in the defensive wall, "…papa…?" a young boys yawn "Hey, kiddo. Ready to go home?"
"No… I… want to… stay… with…" Naruto kisses his son's forehead in his arms as he chuckled, "Fū-chan would be sad if I didn't return you immediately. Another time, perhaps."
"NARUTO!" a voice in the distance, a voice he knew all too well, and a glance over his shoulder only to reveal who he suspected only to vanish into a flash of green tinted golden flash.
"Damn…"
It would be over a week before news of the attack became widespread.
That night was busy, the hidden leaf forces had sent for reinforcement and relief to which all those nearby rushed back, especially when smoke from the massive tree extended over the horizon. The damage they came to was excessive, four massive holes in the walls atop the rock cliff, another to blast holes in the canopy. The earth within the craters had been glassed, molten earth, and charred blackened bricks littered the town area.
Civilian casualties were non-existent. Shinobi casualties however were somewhat excessive. Twenty percent dead, fifteen percent wounded, more then a few shell shocked from the attack of the one man army. The remaining surviving shinobi were beaten, literally beaten within several measurements of the edge of their lives.
Kusagakure no Sato; Border
Naruto sat within the campsite he had set up with Nega, sleeping comfortably with his head in his father's lap, and with a soft smile. "You know, your skills have gotten rusty." He spoke softly as he continued to run his hands through his son's hair "You're just that acute."
"Maybe."
"You really did a number on them. Did you need to use the Waterfall shinobi as taijutsu practice dolls?"
"I was angry. I could have just blown the place up." He shrugged as the voice to come into view "You had some restraint then, honey." The long platinum hair in her signature ponytail that reached her rump, a sway in her step illuminated her wide childbearing hips atop long legs "Naturally, they were weaklings. Didn't need to go too crazy," as she crouched down, sharing a chased kiss between them "How are things back home?"
"Tense." Ino's tight response, as she sat beside her husband with their bodies resting against one another "The things are going well though…"
"That's good to hear." Naruto sighs hard. The two fingers intertwine "I miss you." She whispered and they share a chased kiss before resting foreheads against one another, breath tickling lips as baby blues peer into cobalt "I missed you too." He smiles "When I get back; Me, you – Land of Spring."
"Ou, a repeat of our honeymoon?" Ino with a sly smile that was promptly pressed against with her husband's lip. "We could repeat the Shrine incident?" Naruto offered with a soft whisper, "For a fourth time? Shion would kill us." Ino mock chided in a harsh whisper, "Cruise Ship?"
"Nah. Do remember…?"
"It wasn't our fault." Ino cutting off her husband before kissing him again. "Su-chan is worried about you too. Saru…"
"Has probably locked himself within the library." Naruto chuckled as they rest against one another, "We need more time as a family, Naruto." She spoke so solemnly as almost a whisper. Ino is genuinely worried about this. Ever since they came back, the family had been pulled in all different directions, and it is trying her patient.
"We've been so busy in recent times."
"We'll have a vacation once things calm down." Naruto comments as they continue to watch the flickering flames, "We've been doing a lot so…"
First light Nega awoke to find himself on something warm, soft, but firm and lots of trees. Peaking an amber semi compounded eye open, and the tree's leaves dance within sunlight beams among the forest. Birds and bugs fly around with chirps of birds, then as the call of the forest immediately awoke the small boy, jerking out of his father's grip.
"Whoah Nega."
"Dad, I can walk…" he says and just as he was released by said fathers back, his six wings erupt, and Nega immediately took to the skies. "Nega, you know you need to walk around too you know." Naruto called out as he watches his son duck and weave around the forest. Around the vines, and flowering tree limbs, Nega just starts laughing and chuckling like the child he is. "He really loves the forests." Ino walking beside the clan head as they continue traversing the hidden grass.
"Suna is great, but we need to increase the forest level." Naruto began as they continued their forest stroll, hand in hand, among the late blooming shrubbery. Ino was sealing away a heavy amount of valuable botany supplies "Our farmhouses can be expanded right?"
"There's some possible expansion areas." Naruto speaking his thoughts aloud "Though we can't just keep buying up plots of lands. Our funds are not infinite." leaning against a tree on the edge of the hidden meadow, they found and when they say 'they found' it was Nega who found it.
Beneath the Midday sun, Nega hugs his dad, "My little soldier. Be good for your aunty Ino, make sure you see your mother as soon as you get home." still kneeling down, he pulled his son into a back breaking hug. "Thanks dad. Grandma Chomei will want a report too." Nega states, the eight-year-old is the stoic type with a side of yandere, air headedness with the exception of being with his father, in private, or with his mother.
On the edge of the former rain country, Naruto waves off his wife and son before turning to the north and just like the wind, the blond vanishes.
Sunagakure no Sato; Namikaze Compound
Ino strolled in with Nega in hand, talking causally and quickly but as soon as he caught his mothers' pheromones, he darted off and the two collided with one another. "Hey Ka-chan." A new voice catching Ino's attention "Su-chan…" she grabbed hold of the adorable decade old baby girl "…my baby! How are you?"
"Maa…" Tsunade groaned in her mother's hold, "Shouldn't you be taking it easy?" Temari arriving in the courtyard. "Oh please! I'm not an invalid." Ino scoffed with arms still around her daughters' frame, moving towards the greenhouses, "Besides, Nega-chan found us a meadow of plants. So…" tapping the scroll at the base of her back. This had two effects. The first was with Tsunade who abruptly and visibly perked up with the thought of utilising her inherent green thumb. Must be a Yamanaka thing.
The second was Nega, who suddenly appeared beside them staring at Ino barely able to contain his excitement, with his mother Fū beside him, unwilling to leave her son alone. Though all looked to the two new Farmhouses "Guess we get to choose one, neh?" Fū asked pulling her son into her body, hands held across his chest, Ino idly noted that Fū still had her abandonment issues thus physical contact for reassurance. She'll have to work with her on that.
Tsuchi no Kuni; Southern Rebel base
Naruto strolled into the base, admittedly he still wasn't at one hundred and still very much angry which translated into his posture that caused everyone to step aside. Most of these rebels were former Hidden Stone, thus naturally disliked him as a Namikaze yet none dared to comment on it.
Stepping into camps headquarters, those within took immediate notice of the presence Naruto emitted "What's got your tails in a bunch?"
"Save it Han. I need to blow up something or I'll just tear something apart." Naruto 's response was rather brutal for his personality that it actually caught his fellow demon container off guard. Han raised an eyebrow at that "Fine. We have a loyalist supply convoy heading towards a major outpost that needs to be levelled. Was going to do it myself but…"
"Where?"
"Northwest. Beyond the valley." Han pointing across the map "Can you handle it?"
"Consider it levelled." Naruto after a quick glance, he moved back towards the door "Oh and Namikaze…" causing said blond to pause, glancing back with slit blue eyes "Don't hold back."
"I won't."
Tsuchi no Kuni; Suko Valley
Under the moonless night, a lone war machine of a shinobi streaks across the rocky terrain with surprising ease and somewhat unnoticeable. Having ran around the Valley, using his own stamina without the use of chakra to prevent his early detection.
Land on a small overhang, Naruto's blue eyes glisten in the darkness "Say… Kuruma… fancy wreaking some havoc with me?" a very loud snort came from the depths of his mind "…bout time you called upon me… the kit may be safe now but even, so my anger still remains as does yours, no?"
"Yeah… this base is pretty big. Tall, thick walls and a large contingent of enemies that we can't let get away. So, you good?"
"Full control?"
"Full control. Though let me at least help with the initial strike. I'll keep watch and make sure no one escapes." Naruto confirms his plans, to which he could feel the sinister chuckle from his tenant "Fine."
"Let's get moving then…" as redish orange chakra slowly engulfing him, before slowly being engulfed by the nine fluffy tails that erupted from his back before suddenly appearing in all his nine-tailed glory, roaring as the sage enhanced tailed beast bomb formed in the same motion, before snapping it toward the outpost, "Sage art; Tailed beast bomb." This was the opening salvo and the only chakra-based technique the nine tailed beast would use.
Tsuchi no Kuni; Southern Rebel Base
Naruto stepped into the head quarters to find Han smirking at him "You really went all out on a simple supply depot?" Naruto shrugged it off, "We needed to vent, he wanted to stretch his tails, and I was still a bit angry so…"
"Still angry?"
"Nah. I'm good now." waving him off. "Any information from the capital yet?"
"I haven't checked yet. I will get something in the morning, I'll let you know first thing in the morning." Naruto states before yawning wildly, "Later five-o." stepping out of the grey tent.
"Oi! Namikaze!" a voice called out snapping Naruto up, catching the flung kunai at his face "The boss wants you. It's midday already."
"Right." Naruto yawned as he leaping to his feet, scratching his neck, but as his feet touched the ground two puffs of smoke from two messenger foxes stood there grinning. "Morning you two." They both yip "Don't give me that lip. I know its not morning." grabbing both scrolls and after a quick glance he nods, "Thanks guys." unsealing a lamb kidney "Don't mention this to, Lady Kara. Got it."
They both yipped before vanishing.
Naruto stepped into the command tent and immediately Han caught the thrown scroll, the two didn't even share a look but the blond just flopped down on the open coach, eyes closed as he laid back. The armoured shinobi just read the report given to him smirking all the while, "Things are going well."
"Are they?"
"Yeah. We got top level access."
"Nice. Seems the Namikaze is useful after all…"
"This Namikaze can kill a certain Genin without a second thought…"
"What about the main force? Can't we just flash it to death?"
"Nah, we gotta do that."
"I guess." Sigh "Without the Valley base then… oh, the mountain range."
Mindscape; Share Space
"Hey, Naru." brought the blonds attention deeper into the shared space of the central mindscape, "Fū, did…" he was cut off by the bronze babe's finger on his lips, "...He did. Nega is safe. You punished them, right?"
"I did." Naruto responded only for Kuruma to snort "Blew up half their village. Beat the rest in pure tijutsu."
"They touched my kit… they paid for it." Naruto stated as if a universal fact, like gravity and time, which everyone in attendance nodded along. The unnoticed Killer Bee just sweat dropped, Gyuki too as even Chomei was nodding and blabbing on about her larva continuously.