Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any related content. c:
Chapter 7: Sadness and Sorrow
Naruto: Original Soundtrack, Track No. 7
Sadness and Sorrow
"Is it time?" a shadowy figure asked amidst a large group of bandits.
The leader of the group nodded as he secured his twin blades to his back. "It is. Soon, the Katabami Gold Mine… will be ours!"
In the lodging Toki had allowed them to use, Kakashi was briefing his team on protocols in the event of an attack. "If you see any sign of trouble, focus on protecting all the civilians and taking out the bandits. Under no circumstances are you to engage Raiga, unless absolutely necessary. That will be my role. Understood?"
"Yes, sensei!" the trio chorused.
"Good. Hinata, I want you to periodically sweep the surrounding area with your Byakugan. Every five minutes should do. You and Naruto should also hide your Shadow Clones around town. Have them transform into different objects." The two nodded and created twenty clones each, prompting Kakashi to address his third student. "Sasuke, I'm making you the team leader for this mission if I'm not around. I know Naruto is normally your team leader, but all three of you will need to have leadership qualities when you get promoted. I will assign one of you as team leader based on the necessities of the mission, and in this case, your strategic mind is best suited for village-wide defense."
"Understood," the Uchiha replied assuredly.
"Since this mission is beyond a C-rank, I need to speak to Toki and the others about our pay. I believe the three of you can handle it, but I'm going to make sure we get fairly compensated." Kakashi stated. "See what you can come up with while I'm gone."
Once Kakashi left the room, Sasuke pulled out a map of the town and its surrounding area Toki had provided to them. Pointing at a section outside of the town, Sasuke mentioned, "The cliffs will likely be where the bandits attack from. We should set traps underneath the cliffside to help thin out the numbers. Naruto, do you have any useful trap seals?"
"Well, maybe," the blond replied as he scratched the back of his head in thought. "I have one that I'm working on. It's not done by any means, but I think it would help a lot."
"Is it that one?" Hinata asked, vaguely remembering Naruto previously mentioning a trap seal.
Naruto nodded. "It's a four corner wind trap. It can be any size, as long as I have the chakra to maintain it. It creates four pillars of wind and a wall of wind in between them, sharp enough to cut through anyone that tries to escape through it. Theoretically, I should be able to decrease the size of the trap to the point the person inside would be cut down by the walls, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Right now, it's basically a prison cell made out of wind."
"That's good enough for now," Sasuke assured. "Since you have massive reserves, you won't have any issue keeping them caged up for a while." The Uchiha turned to his Hyuuga friend and instructed, "Hinata, once they're trapped, your job will be to watch Naruto's flank. Clones aside, he will be defenseless when maintaining the barrier, and you're the best equipped to defend him with your eyes."
"Right," the Hyuuga girl acknowledged. "What about you, Sasuke?"
"My job…" the Uchiha hesitated slightly before deciding to just say it. "My job is to kill them all."
"What?" the other two asked in shock.
Naruto quickly added, "What do you mean kill them all?"
"Even if it is created by a seal, your wind trap is still made from wind chakra. If I launch my fireball into the trap from above, the wind surrounding it should enhance its strength and kill everyone inside," Sasuke answered with a calm facade.
"That's… not going to be easy on your mind," Hinata replied worriedly.
"I witnessed the slaughter of my entire family. I'll be fine," Sasuke assured, though deep inside, he was having second thoughts about his role in the plan. However, Kakashi appointed him as the team leader, and he wouldn't force either of his friends to bear the responsibility of killing that many people.
"Sasuke! Wha-" Just as Naruto was about to argue against the Uchiha's decision, Kakashi opened the door and rejoined the conversation.
"Since they operate a gold mine, I managed to convince them to give us A-rank pay for the completion of the mission. So, what have you guys come up with so far?" the Copy Ninja asked.
Sasuke began explaining his plan again, this time making sure there weren't any obvious holes in it. "I believe the bandits will attack from the cliffside, as it gives them the best natural advantage. They shouldn't know we are here, so the element of surprise is our greatest ally. Naruto is going to use his wind trap seal to contain the bandits as they get to the bottom of the cliff. Hinata will watch his back as he maintains it, and I will shoot a fireball into the wind trap from above. That should eliminate all of the bandits."
"It's a good strategy," Kakashi praised. "Quick and effective. I'll make sure to lead Raiga away so he doesn't interfere with your plan. Toki said that if the rumors are true, then Raiga is attacking after sundown. You have a few hours to get your traps set up, Naruto. I'd suggest you get going. Hinata, I want you to go with him. Make sure the perimeter is clear."
"Right!" The two quickly made their way out of the lodging, leaving just Kakashi and Sasuke.
"So, how does it feel to be the one giving instructions?" the Copy Ninja asked.
"It feels weird, and to be honest, a bit scary," Sasuke answered truthfully. "I don't want either of them getting hurt because they did what I asked them to do."
"It is a new level of responsibility," Kakashi replied knowingly. "In my first mission as a team leader, I was already a jonin, but I was only thirteen and still a brat. Back then, I was of one mindset: that the mission came first, over anything else."
"But you're the one that told us to cherish our comrades!" Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kakashi had always put his comrades before anything else.
"I didn't believe that until after this mission. One of my teammates, Rin, was captured by Hidden Stone shinobi. Obito, my other teammate, wanted to go save her, but I commanded that we complete the mission: to destroy the Kannabi Bridge. This mission was pivotal in tipping the scales of the Third Great Ninja War in favor of the Leaf, so I believed that completing it was more important than saving my friend.
"Obito disobeyed me and went after Rin, leaving me alone to complete the mission. Eventually, I realized the errors of my ways and turned around to help them, but it cost me my left eye. I didn't have the field of vision to see an incoming boulder and dodge it, but Obito… he pushed me out of the way at the last moment, saving my life at the cost of his."
Sasuke knew that Kakashi mentioned his best friend many times, but this is the first time Kakashi mentioned him by name. "I-is that how you got your Sharingan?" the Uchiha asked hesitantly.
The Copy Ninja nodded sadly. "He asked Rin to transplant it into my eye as a present for my promotion to jonin. My own incompetence as a leader caused the death of my best friend." Kakashi took a deep breath, pushing away all of the depressing memories. "Sasuke, I'm very proud of how you turned out. To be honest, based on what Naruto and Hinata were telling me, I was worried for a while after the massacre that you would become an avenger, but I'm very happy to be wrong. Your concern for your friends is one of your primary strengths. It was something I sorely lacked until it was too late, especially as a leader. The mission is important, but the lives of your comrades are just as important, and I'm glad that you understand that. We'll talk again after the mission to discuss more details. For now, go out there and help Naruto set up his trap. After all, you'll want to know where you need to be."
"Right!"
"Raiga, I've received reports of Hidden Leaf shinobi being sighted in the town," a bandit reported.
"Leaf shinobi?" the former Seven Swordsman's face contorted into one of hatred. "Those Leaf ninja will pay for what they did to him. We're going, NOW!"
"Kakashi!" a voice cried out.
"What is it, Rokusuke?" the Copy Ninja asked. The man was one of Toki's close friends and a scout for the town.
"The Kurosuki Family is on their way!" Rokusuke announced panickedly.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi called. "You're up. I'm heading out to intercept Raiga."
The Uchiha nodded as the trio of genin vanished from the room. Kakashi mentally prepared himself for a tough fight, knowing that the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were the most elite shinobi the village produced.
"Hinata, do you see them?" Sasuke asked.
"They're scaling down the cliffside now," the Hyuuga girl responded. "A man with two unique-looking blades is leading them. That must be Raiga."
Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay. Naruto, after Kakashi-sensei draws Raiga's attention away, I'll tell you when to activate the trap. Hinata should be able to see my gesture and relay it to you. I'm going to get in position now."
"Gotcha," Naruto confirmed while Sasuke flickered away. "Hinata, my clones are dealing with a few stragglers who came from the other side of town."
"So are mine," Hinata replied. "They won't be an issue for the clones to handle." The Hyuuga girl refocused on the group of bandits and noticed that Raiga was tailing Kakashi, who had made a brief appearance in front of the group. "Naruto-kun, they're almost at the spot. Sasuke's in position. I'll tell you when he gives me the signal."
Taking a deep breath, the blond replied, "I'm ready."
"Get back here, you vile Leaf ninja!" Raiga shouted in rage.
Kakashi turned around to face his opponent once he was far enough away from the town. "So, you're Raiga Kurosuki, the wielder of the Kiba blades."
The swordsman took a closer look at his opponent and realized, "And you're the Copy Ninja, Kakashi of the Sharingan. Even better, I can deal a crippling blow to that pathetic village of yours!"
Kakashi was genuinely surprised by the level of hatred Raiga was showing towards the Leaf. Last he remembered, the Mist didn't bear this much resentment towards the Leaf. He decided to voice his thoughts out loud. "What is it that you despise so much about the Leaf? I never remembered the Mist hating us this much."
"My old village has nothing to do with my hatred of the Leaf! That man in the green jumpsuit ruined everything in the last war!" Raiga shouted furiously.
Man in the green jumpsuit? Could it be Guy? Kakashi wondered. No, Guy was still a genin back then. It must have been his father. Guy told me about that time his father sacrificed himself to save him and his teammates from the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.
"That blasted man took the only person I had away from me!" Raiga continued, enraged by Kakashi's presence. He unsheathed the Kiba blades and charged in at the Copy Ninja, who jumped out of the way. "Now, all of you Leaf ninja shall pay for his sins!"
Kakashi knew this opponent couldn't be underestimated. He quickly raised his headband, revealing his Sharingan to the world. Coating his right hand in lightning chakra, the Copy Ninja got into position to strike. "Raikiri!"
He rammed his lightning-covered hand straight through Raiga's chest, but the man quickly dissolved into a puddle of water. A clone!
Raiga jumped out of the tree line and slashed downward at Kakashi with both swords. "Gotch- What? A Shadow Clone?"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" Kakashi called out from atop a tree branch. Wind is my weakest element, but I'll have to use it to counter his lightning style.
"Water Style: Raging Waves!" The missing-nin's water jutsu quickly overpowered Kakashi's Great Breakthrough, forcing him to use another technique to defend himself.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" It's no good. He knows both Lightning and Water Release. I'll have to switch up my strategy.
"Now, Naruto-kun!" Hinata signaled.
"On it!" Four pillars of wind shot vertically out of Naruto's seals, surrounding the group of bandits. "Sealing Jutsu: Air Compactor!" The blond held his hands in a ram seal as he closed his eyes in concentration, beads of sweat emerging on his forehead and rolling down his face. A wall of wind materialized between each of the four pillars, trapping the bandits inside. The pillars gradually shifted towards the center, causing the walls to close in from all directions.
"I can't get it smaller than this!" Naruto exclaimed, straining his chakra to maintain control of the barrier. Hinata nodded and raised her hand into the air, something Sasuke could see with his Sharingan, even at his distance. He nodded in affirmation and began weaving hand seals for his jutsu.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" the Uchiha cried out, blowing the large ball of fire out of his mouth towards the bandits. A large, fiery explosion ensued as the projectile began mixing with the wind barrier, causing it to expand. A pillar of flames shot up from inside the box when the fireball hit the ground, incinerating everyone inside of the barrier. Hinata and Sasuke had both shut off their dojutsu to avoid seeing the gruesome sight in more detail than they needed to. The Uchiha landed next to his two friends and immediately threw up, prompting them to rush to his side. What have I done?
Raiga noticed the pillar of flames rise from the cliffside and immediately realized he had been tricked. "You've been distracting me this entire time, Kakashi! Damn you!" The missing-nin bolted back towards the town, just to see his entire fighting force turned into a large pile of ash. He spotted the three genin on a nearby plateau and charged at them in a blind fury. "You won't get away with this!"
Naruto was the first to react, pulling his friends out of the way and barely dodging the strike himself. Raiga turned around and was about to charge in again when Kakashi finally arrived. "You Leaf ninja always find ways to ruin my life! First, Ranmaru, and now years of work, gone in an instant!"
"Ranmaru?" Naruto asked, not having heard Raiga's anti-Leaf rant in his fight against Kakashi.
"Since I'm going to kill you all anyways," Raiga began, "I'll humor you. He was a disabled boy I found in a village during my time as an ANBU. Before I arrived, Ranmaru was being taken care of by his village, but when he revealed his special eyes to them, they ostracized him. He was a kind and gentle soul, yet they stopped feeding and taking care of him, causing him to fall into a pit of loneliness and despair."
Naruto's eyes widened in recognition, not of the boy, but of his circumstance. He was an outcast, like me?
"I was going to kill him to put him out of his misery, but he could sense the sadness in me. He could tell what I was feeling with those eyes of his. That's when I decided to take him with me. He would be my eyes, while I would be his legs. Ranmaru was the only person in the world I cared for. We traveled everywhere together, so he could see the world through the use of my legs.
"But then, one day, during the war, we fought a man by the name of Might Duy. That accursed monster, he killed four of my fellow Swordsmen, and nearly killed me as well. But, worst of all, he killed Ranmaru!"
Flashback
Only Raiga, Juzo Biwa, and Fuguki Suikazan remained of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Across from them stood the Leaf's Eternal Genin, Might Duy. Red vapor leaked from his pores as he panted from exhaustion. The man began preparing for one last strike against the three remaining swordsmen before the effects of the Eighth Gate could take his life.
"Turn around!" Ranmaru instructed. Though he didn't understand the purpose of the move, Raiga did as told, as he trusted the boy implicitly. The next thing he felt was a powerful kick to his back that sent him flying face-first into a tree, before he promptly passed out from the pain and shock.
"Ugh. What happened?" Raiga groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. Fuguki stood over him and explained, "That green abomination sent one last kick into your back before dying from the strain of the Eighth Gate. You're lucky to be alive."
M-my back? Pure dread flowed through Raiga's veins as he took his sack off of his back and unzipped it. "Ranmaru!"
Any hope the man held out for the boy's life was extinguished when his corpse fell out of the sack, his body limp, and his skin cold to the touch. "Why?" Raiga sobbed as the rain began to fall, drowning out his tears. "WHYYYYYYYY?"
End Flashback
"I will never forgive the Leaf for what that bastard did to him!" Tears of sorrow and rage began falling from Raiga's eyes as he was reminded of the good times with Ranmaru, the one person in the world he would have done anything to protect.
"So this is what war does to people," Naruto muttered under his breath. Ranmaru was just like me. He had Raiga, just like I had Pervy-Sage. Is this why Pervy-Sage kept talking about peace and hatred? Are people like Raiga and Ranmaru the reason why he wants to change the world?
Sasuke was having similar thoughts. Raiga's rage reminded him of what he felt after his clan was massacred. Having lost everyone he cared about in one day, he knew exactly what Raiga was feeling, though he didn't agree with the missing-nin's methods.
Despite resonating slightly with the missing-nin, Kakashi knew he had a job to do, and he intended to finish it. "I'm sorry for your loss," he replied. "But that does not excuse what you're trying to do here."
"I don't want your pity, Kakashi! DIE!" Raiga lunged at the Copy Ninja, swiping at him with his electrified Kiba blades.
Kakashi immediately jumped back, quickly working out a strategy to defeat the infuriated missing-nin. My Raikiri won't work against his blades, and they will just shatter my Mud Wall due to the elemental advantage. I guess I'm pulling that technique out, Minato-sensei. A maelstrom of chakra began forming in Kakashi's palm, eventually taking the shape of a sphere made of pure chakra. The three genin watched in awe as Kakashi charged at the former Seven Swordsman, jumping over the man and slamming the jutsu into his back. "Rasengan!"
Raiga had barely gotten the Kiba blades around his back in time to block the assault, but the destructive force of the Rasengan pushed him off of the plateau. He groaned in pain as he slowly stood up, glaring defiantly at the Copy Ninja from below. "You may have won this time, Kakashi, but mark my words. You will not leave this town alive." Raiga formed a few hand seals and disappeared into tendrils of lightning, leaving a panting Kakashi and his team in his wake.
"Woah! What was that jutsu, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"That… hah… was the Rasengan," the Copy Ninja responded as he caught his breath. "A jutsu developed by the Fourth Hokage. I normally don't use it because it doesn't really fit my fighting style, but using my Raikiri against Raiga's Kiba blades would have been counterproductive."
"Awesome! A jutsu created by the Fourth!" Naruto exclaimed. "Can you teach it to me, please?"
"Sorry, Naruto," Kakashi replied. "I promised Master Jiraiya that I would let him teach it to you, as it's kind of a family heirloom."
Naruto was too excited to pick up on the deeper meaning, but Sasuke and Hinata noticed. Both of their eyes widened in surprise, but Kakashi silently signaled to them to keep quiet. They did as told, though Sasuke was curious about something else. "If that's the case, then how come you know it, Sensei?"
"The Fourth was my sensei," Kakashi answered. "Haven't I told you this before?"
All three genin shook their heads, causing Kakashi to sweat-drop. "Ahaha… my bad. Anyways, I actually developed the Chidori from the Rasengan. I tried adding my lightning chakra to it, but it kept collapsing and turning into the Chidori." Kakashi demonstrated it to them by going through three hand seals, unaware that Sasuke still had his Sharingan activated. Upon successfully manifesting the attack, he quickly let it dissipate to save chakra, prompting the Uchiha to deactivate his eyes.
"Can you teach us the Chidori then?" Naruto asked, eyes lit with hope.
"Unfortunately, I can only teach it to those who have a lightning affinity AND the Sharingan. I invented the jutsu before I received my left eye, but I could never use it effectively until after I got it. That means Sasuke is the only person on this team I can safely teach it to," Kakashi answered, causing the blond to pout. "I'd be happy to teach you after the mission, Sasuke, but right now we need to focus on the mission. Raiga will return, and judging by the wounds he sustained, I'd estimate we have about three days to prepare."
Kakashi made his way onto the porch of the lodging. He knew Sasuke was struggling with the guilt of killing so many people at once, but the Uchiha wasn't willing to display those emotions in front of others. He found the boy sitting alone on the porch, staring intently at the moon. Kakashi asked, "Rough day?"
"You could say that," Sasuke replied flatly.
"Out with it, Sasuke. I know you well enough to know you're bottling up your emotions. The last time you did that, you nearly lost your friends." Kakashi knew that was a low blow, but the Uchiha could be as stubborn as Naruto at times.
Sasuke sighed in defeat. "I thought that seeing my own family die at my brother's hands would have prepared me for this, but seeing the terror on their faces as my jutsu got closer to them… It's etched into my mind. It's like the Sharingan took a picture of their faces and stuck it inside of my mind forever." Sasuke's fists began shaking as he tried reigning in his emotions.
"I know what you mean. I've had to live with a mental image of me killing my teammate with my own jutsu for years," Kakashi replied.
"You did what?" Sasuke gasped, surprised for the second time by Kakashi's history.
"It wasn't by choice. She threw herself onto my Chidori to save the village. But that's a story for another day." Kakashi made sure to focus on his student's emotions, not his own broken past.
"So how did you deal with it?" the Uchiha asked.
"Honestly, it never got better," Kakashi replied truthfully. "For a while after the incident, I had trouble using the Chidori because my mind would show me that image. And after Minato-sensei died, I felt like I was left without a purpose. That is, until Naruto came into my life. When Hinata was kicked out of the Hyuuga Clan, my ANBU squad was tasked with watching those two when Master Jiraiya was out of town. I was reluctant to do it at first, but Lord Third forced me into it. That was when I learned that Naruto has something special about him. He's able to touch the hearts of anyone he comes across.
"When I volunteered to watch over the two of them after Master Jiraiya left, I felt that I had a purpose again. Nurturing the two of them and helping them become the strongest shinobi possible was my new goal in life. And now, that goal includes you, too. Everyone has different methods of coping, but for you, I'd suggest spending some quality time with your friends. You already know that they will always have your back, no matter what happens, and so will I." Kakashi put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder as a demonstration of his words.
"Thanks, Sensei," Sasuke responded gratefully. The two of them continued to stare at the peaceful night sky until Sasuke finally drifted off to sleep, mentally exhausted from the events of the day. Kakashi carefully picked the Uchiha boy up and brought him back to his room before turning in for the night himself.
At the same time, Naruto and Hinata sat on a bridge, their feet dangling off the edge of it as they watched the rapid waters flow beneath them. Hinata could tell that the blond had something on his mind. After the skirmish, Naruto had been unusually quiet. He hadn't touched his dinner and promptly wandered off around town. After finishing her own dinner, Hinata followed him to the river, taking his uneaten meal with her. She knew that he wouldn't mind her presence and that he would eventually tell her what he was thinking, so she fed him the food and patiently waited until he was ready to talk.
"Say, Hinata, what do you think about the shinobi world?" Naruto queried, his face scrunched up in deep thought.
"What do you mean?" Hinata asked in return, trying to better understand his question.
"Well, if you really think about it, our job as shinobi is to kill, lie, cheat, or do whatever is necessary to bring in funds for our village. We do things most people would consider wrong to protect our home. Should that really be the norm?"
Hinata could tell that Naruto put a lot of thought into this issue. "I can't say I agree with everything we're asked to do. I want to be the kind of kunoichi that spreads kindness and compassion on missions, instead of violence."
"But what about all those people we were responsible for killing?" Naruto questioned. "There was nothing kind or compassionate about that!"
"I know," Hinata acknowledged. "But what would have happened if we didn't do anything? What about Toki, Rokusuke, and the others? Based on the history of the Kurosuki Family, they would have subjugated the town and forced the citizens to work in the mines. What we did was the lesser of two evils, no matter how much I disliked contributing to it."
Naruto shook his head. "But is there no other way? Pervy-Sage always told us that there was too much hate in this world. I didn't understand before, but I think I'm beginning to. What can we do to make people understand each other? You saw how Raiga looked at us. There was so much hatred in his eyes, and we weren't the ones who killed Ranmaru! We weren't even alive!"
The blond buried his head in his hands, his frustration mounting as he refused to accept the status quo of the shinobi world. "The worst part is it was a Leaf shinobi who killed Ranmaru! We were taught growing up the values of the Will of Fire, to protect those closest to us. But looking at us now, it makes us look like hypocrites to the rest of the world. By protecting what's closest to us, we're taking away what's closest to them."
Hinata now understood Naruto's frustrations. The blond hasn't experienced loss like she and Sasuke had. Before this mission, he still carried an idealistic view of the world, one that was shattered by Raiga's reality. "The world isn't what we thought it was when we were kids, that's true. But you can't let that stop you. You haven't given up on your dream yet, right?"
Naruto felt betrayed by her insinuation. "How can you even think that? Of course I would never give up! I AM going to become Hokage someday!"
Hinata smiled slightly, happy that some of the Naruto she knew was beginning to reemerge. "That's right. I know you'll become the Hokage one day, Naruto-kun. I believe in you completely. And when you become Hokage, you can change the Hidden Leaf for the better. Then, you can change the shinobi world, one step at a time." The bluenette gently clasped Naruto's hand in hers as a show of support. "And I'll be beside you, every step of the way. Believe it."
She giggled slightly at Naruto's awestruck expression, likely due to her use of his catch phrase. "You'd really do that for me, Hinata?"
"Of course! You've been my best friend for as long as I can remember." Hinata sighed, thinking about Naruto's uncertainties. "To be honest, I feel the same way as you do. I've seen it both inside our village and out of it. Even in my own clan, the two branches of my family hate each other. The main family believes they're better than the branch family, while the branch family despises the main family's use of the Caged Bird Seal, though you know this already. Even though I don't live there anymore, I want to do something about it, but you know as well as I do that we can't do anything unless we get way stronger. That's why I want to make you a promise. Let's promise each other to get strong enough to change my clan and this world, because like you, I never give up, and I'll never go back on my word, as that is also my ninja way."
"H-Hinata…" Naruto was at a loss of words. She had encouraged him to continue following his dream while pursuing a new one, all while making use of his own nindo. It took him a second to snap out of his stupor, but once he did, he gave her a bright and genuine smile. "I promise! I'll get strong enough to become the greatest Hokage ever! Then together, we'll change this shinobi world, I swear!"
Hinata giggled at the blond's excitement. You're finally back, Naruto-kun. Naruto's wide smile waned slightly, though it didn't lose any of its sincerity. "Thank you, Hinata. I've been overthinking things way too much. I really needed your help." The blond pulled her into a tight hug, one she readily accepted.
"You're welcome, Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered back. After minutes of enjoying each other's embrace, the two eventually separated, gradually making their way back to the lodging, where they promptly fell asleep on the couch, too mentally exhausted to make it to their bedrooms.
A man sprinted through the forest, pushing the varied flora out of his way as he crossed the river just outside of the town.
"Raiga's here again! This time, he's coming from the east!" Rokusuke alerted while sprinting back into the village.
"You three, defend the village from any other bandits," Kakashi instructed. "I'll go meet Raiga before he crosses the river."
"Yes, sensei!" the trio chorused. Kakashi flickered away as Team 7 exited the lodging. Hinata immediately activated her Byakugan, detecting a small group of intruders to the north.
"Sasuke, this group is on the cliffs again. Wait… one of them has a chakra signature way larger than the others… It's Raiga!"
"You mean the one Kakashi's following is a decoy?" Naruto asked.
"That seems to be the case," Sasuke surmised. "I know Kakashi-sensei told us to not engage Raiga unless absolutely necessary, but I think right now qualifies as absolutely necessary. If he gets into the town, there's no telling how much damage he can cause, not to mention the collateral damage from us. We'll need to hold him outside of town."
Naruto and Hinata nodded in agreement, prompting Sasuke to take off. "Come on! We can't waste any time!"
Kakashi sped towards the last known trajectory of the bandit group reported by Rokusuke. Once he arrived, he could see at least fifty bandits, as well as Raiga himself leading them. So he had more henchmen waiting in the back. I doubt I can take them all on at once. I'll need to single out Raiga.
"None of you are getting past me," Kakashi declared as he jumped out of the treeline.
Raiga smirked confidently at him. "Is that so?" he taunted before vanishing in a small explosion of lightning. Immediately after his disappearance, the second in command of the group yelled, "GET HIM!"
Kakashi grimaced. Damn, that was a clone. Hopefully they will be able to hold the real one off until I'm done with these guys. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" The ensuing blast of water instantly washed many of the bandits away, leaving just over half of them left. Thanks for that move, Raiga.
"Heh, it seems my distraction worked," Raiga gloated as he stared down the three genin. "I'm going to make Kakashi feel what I felt. I'm going to kill the three of you, and there's nothing he can do about it! Starting with the pretty one!"
Naruto and Sasuke immediately sprung into action, both infuriated by the missing-nin's insinuation. Sasuke unsheathed his sword and coated it in lightning chakra, swinging it down onto Raiga, but the man wasn't a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist for nothing. He easily blocked the strike and kicked the Uchiha aside. "You think your pathetic little sword will be able to beat my Kiba blades? Keep dreaming."
"Then dream about these!" Naruto yelled, launching a volley of kunai at the man.
"Pathetic." Raiga created a ball of lightning in between his swords and used it to eviscerate the kunai. However, he was quickly forced to move out of the way as Hinata flew in with a chakra-laced palm-heel. In response, he sliced her clean through the abdomen, but she disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Shadow Clone, eh? You guys aren't as bad as I thought."
"We got a whole lot more of those!" Naruto yelled. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
One hundred clones poofed into existence, each of them charging towards Raiga. "Impressive, but your power is still weak compared to mine. Ninja Art: Thunder Dragon Tornado!"
Raiga gathered electricity in his own body and began to spin around in a circle, causing a vortex of electricity to take form in the shape of a dragon's head. The dragon-like entity began decimating clones left and right, wiping them out in one shot. After a few moments, all of Naruto's clones had been defeated, though the three genin were nowhere to be seen. "A diversionary tactic. These three are no joke. I'll need to be more careful." A moment later, he could feel the winds beginning to pick up, causing him to turn towards the source of the turbulence.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" Naruto called out from atop a tree branch.
Raiga just smirked. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" The two jutsu clashed ferociously against each other, each trying to gain dominance over the other. In the end, neither won, as both jutsu began to fizzle out. Raiga had no time to talk, as another jutsu flew straight towards him immediately afterwards.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The missing-nin turned around and created a wall of water to block the attack. However, a third attack zipped straight towards him, or more specifically, at his wall.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Ball!" The electrified orbs flew straight into the wall of water, charging it with current and forcing Raiga away from it. As he finally regained his bearings, Sasuke came charging at him with his sword again.
"You won't defeat me in a kenjutsu battle, kid!" Raiga taunted.
"Oh yeah?" Sasuke retorted. "Try me! Chidori Blade!"
Naruto and Hinata looked on in surprise as Sasuke clashed blades with the missing-nin. When did he learn to do that? Ignoring the question for now, the two jumped into action, trying to support their teammate from afar. Naruto quickly set up four seals around the two combatants while Hinata moved in behind Sasuke, alerting him to Naruto's plan.
Once the blond was finished, he created two clones and substituted them with his teammates before announcing, "Sealing Jutsu: Air Compactor!"
"Sasuke!" Naruto called.
"Right," the Uchiha acknowledged. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Raiga's eyes widened in fear as he realized this was the combination used to wipe out his forces three days prior. Moments later, the space inside the barrier went up in a pillar of flames. The three genin let their guard down for a moment, believing the battle to be finished. However, Raiga stumbled out of the recently deactivated barrier, covered in both burns and water. "You brats will pay for that. Especially you, you Uchiha brat!" Raiga blitzed Sasuke, who barely had enough time to react to the former ANBU's speed. Without proper time to channel electricity into his sword, Sasuke watched helplessly as Raiga cleanly cut through his blade. He was quickly pulled out of the way by Naruto, but not before receiving a gash on the side of his cheek.
"Damn, I liked that sword," Sasuke mumbled.
"What do we do now?" Hinata asked. "Even after all that, he's still standing."
"Naruto, combo with me," Sasuke instructed. "Hinata, you follow up and try to give me and Naruto an opening to strike, just like we did against Kakashi during the test."
"On it," Naruto replied, weaving hand seals as Hinata prepared to dive in.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
The wind-enhanced flames sped towards the injured missing-nin, who immediately reacted. "Water Style: Water Wall!"
The resulting clash caused a cloud of mist to bloom. Raiga smirked. "Creating mist for me to use? Did you forget that I am one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist? I thrive in these cond-"
"Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!" Hinata called out from behind him.
"Two Palms!"
"Four Palms!"
"Eight Palms!"
"Sixteen Palms!"
"Thirty-Two Palms!"
Raiga was sent flying into a tree from the consecutive strikes. "B-but how?"
"I can see through the mist with my Byakugan," Hinata replied calmly.
"Of course, how silly of me. In that case, Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Though Raiga could barely function at this point, he wouldn't give up until his dying breath. His chakra was disturbed, but that didn't affect his swordsmanship in the slightest. "I know for a fact that you can't see through this mist. Now, we're in my territory."
Hinata managed to find her way to her two teammates before the mist fully bloomed and whispered, "Because of the damage I did to him, I can still see in here, but not as clearly as before. It's laced with his chakra, but there are patches of mist I can still see through."
"Naruto, can you blow it away?" Sasuke asked quietly.
"I can, but I can't do the whole thing at once. Watch my back. Raiga will likely try and attack me while I cast it. We can use that as an opportunity to bait him in." Naruto replied.
"Alright. Chidori Blade," Sasuke whispered, channeling lightning chakra into his broken blade. He knew that his Chidori's power was not even close to that of Kakashi's, having only three days to practice it in secret, but it was also his only method of clashing blades with the missing-nin.
"Alright, here it goes," Naruto said quietly, before shouting, "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Raiga smirked. Here's my chance. He quietly maneuvered himself behind the blond's general location and lunged in for a strike. However, the moment he got close, he could feel an electrified blade pierce through his abdomen. "W-what?"
"You threaten my friends," Sasuke began, "and you're in for a world of pain." The Uchiha deactivated the Chidori and roughly removed the broken blade from Raiga's stomach, causing blood to gush from the wound. He raised his blade over the missing-nin's heart and immediately brought it down.
"Wait!" Naruto shouted, grabbing Sasuke's arm just before the broken blade pierced Raiga's heart.
"Naruto! What are you doing?" Sasuke asked in confusion.
"I want to talk to him," the blond responded in a serious tone.
"Are you crazy? Even though he's down, he's still a threat!" Sasuke argued, his eyes not leaving his target.
Naruto gave his friend a cheeky grin. "That's why I have you and Hinata to protect me, right?"
The Uchiha sighed in defeat, making sure to stay on guard. "Fine."
Naruto nodded gratefully and turned his attention towards the wounded nin. "I know that we're enemies, and that we should be fighting to the death, but I want to understand you."
Raiga looked at the blond in mild surprise, not expecting this kind of behavior out of a Leaf ninja. "What do you want to know about me? I'm a bitter man, hateful at the world for taking the only person I ever cared about away from me. There's nothing else to me."
"There has to be," Naruto pressed. "There's no way someone like Ranmaru would have taken to you if you were plain evil."
"Don't speak of him! You know nothing!" Raiga exclaimed angrily, though it caused him to cough up more blood.
"You're right," Naruto replied. "I know nothing, but I want to know more. What you told us back then resonated with me. It made me realize how different the shinobi world is from what I imagined it to be. And I want to change it."
"Hah! Change it? This shinobi system has been doomed ever since your First Hokage created it! Don't make me laugh, a little brat like you can't change it!" Raiga retorted.
Ignoring the jab, Naruto asked, "Why do you carry so much hate? I know Ranmaru was important to you, but both of my friends have lost people precious to them, and I can never recall them having as much hate as you do."
"While you and your friends still have each other, Ranmaru was the only person I had in this world! He was the only one who could understand me! Without him, there's no purpose, no reason to do anything anymore." The missing-nin's words took a somber tone towards the end of his outburst.
Sasuke realized his words sounded very similar to something he heard recently. He's just like Kakashi-sensei was before, having no purpose in life. "Then your goal should be to find a new purpose, to find something worth living for."
"Ranmaru was that purpose. There's nothing more."
Sasuke didn't know how to respond to Raiga's despondent answer. However, Naruto couldn't take the former ANBU's answers. "Would Ranmaru approve of any of the things you did? You said he was a kind and gentle soul. I may not know much about him, but from what you've described, he cared for you a lot! So much so that he was willing to go into battle with you, even if it was more dangerous for him! He was willing to die to protect you! Yet here you are, acting without any regard for what he may have wanted, spitting on his sacrifice. Tell me, if he was here now, would you be able to look him in the eye and say you didn't? Would you?"
The former Mist ANBU didn't respond, looking pensively up into the sky. Kakashi, having heard the tail end of the conversation, leaped down from his branch and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "That's enough, Naruto. I want the three of you to go back into town. I rushed as quickly as I could to get here, so I may have left a few stragglers behind that I want you to take care of."
The three nodded and silently took off, leaving the two adults alone. Minutes flew by as Kakashi watched Raiga's every move like a hawk, until the dying man eventually opened his mouth.
"Those brats, who exactly are they?" Raiga asked. "They're quite good for being so young."
"Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuuga, and Sasuke Uchiha. Those three have had it rough early in their lives. Even though Naruto hasn't had it as bad as the other two, the villagers still to this day ostracize him for being a jinchuuriki," Kakashi answered.
"I see. Uzumaki, Hyuuga, and Uchiha. What strong lineage. I can see it in those three, the potential to be something great. The Uzumaki's words… he made me realize something. After Ranmaru's death, everything felt like hell. Yet, when the boy speaks, I feel as if I can actually believe in something again. An inexperienced genin like him wants to take on the world and change it. It's foolish… but I can't shake the feeling… that he might be able to do it one day. And that Uchiha… he's not like the ones I remember, doing everything in their power to obtain more visual prowess. Even I can tell he truly cares for his friends."
"He does, much more than his deceased clansmen ever did," Kakashi agreed.
"I… broke his sword," Raiga mentioned.
"What?" Kakashi replied, unsure of what the man was trying to convey.
"I broke his sword… those kids, they made me believe again… even if it was just for a moment. I would like… to repay him… with my blades. Kakashi… please give them to him," Raiga breathed out. "It's the least… I can do… for Ranmaru."
Kakashi watched as his foe drew his last breath, a serene expression on his face as he did as much as he could in his final moments to atone for his sins. "It will be done, Raiga Kurosuki." After collecting the Kiba blades, the Copy Ninja worked on a quick burial for the man, leaving Sasuke's broken hilt as the grave's sole marker.
"Kakashi-sensei, how did it go?" Hinata asked as the Copy Ninja returned to their temporary lodging.
"Raiga died from wounds inflicted by Sasuke. Therefore, he will get credit for the kill and receive the bounty in the bingo book," Kakashi informed.
"I see," the Uchiha replied sadly.
Kakashi noticed the other two were in a similar state of mind and asked, "What's going on with you three?"
"Raiga was just a broken man," Naruto answered. "His hate was created by the shinobi system, and specifically, the Leaf."
The blond gripped his hands tightly. "I was so wrong. I thought being a ninja was about flashy ninjutsu and stuff, but now I see it differently. And I want to change the way it is, so badly. Sensei, I know you've been training us hard, but please, train us even harder. We all want to get stronger, so we can do something about all this hate."
Hinata and Sasuke both nodded in agreement, eyes shining with drive and determination.
"Very well," Kakashi replied. "I'll up your training. I've had my own fair share of trauma caused by the shinobi world, so I know where you're coming from." The Copy Ninja eye-smiled at his students in an attempt to lighten the mood. "But before we begin, Sasuke's going to need a new weapon. And I've got just the thing for you!" he announced cheerfully as he unsealed the Kiba blades.
"No way…" Sasuke stared at the twin blades in awe.
Kakashi's mood turned serious again as he addressed his students. "Raiga wanted you to have them. After Naruto's little speech, he told me that he was able to believe again. He wanted you to have the Kiba blades because he believes in you, the three of you, to change this world someday."
Sasuke tentatively took the blades from Kakashi, twirling them around a few times before storing them in his own seals. "Then I- no, then we won't let him down."
Team 7 stood outside of their lodging, ready to return to their village, when Toki and Rokusuke approached them. "Thank you, for all your help. Without you, our town would have fallen into chaos." Toki took out a small chunk of gold from his pocket and offered it to the ninja. "I was recently voted in to be the leader of this town, and as its leader, I would like you to know that even though we don't have much to offer, the Leaf will always have an ally in the Katabami Gold Mines."
Kakashi nodded gratefully as he took the chunk of gold, which signified their new alliance. "I'll be sure to let Lord Hokage know, Toki. It was a pleasure working with you." He turned around and looked up at the sky. "It's about time we headed home. We've been gone far too long. Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, let's go!"
"Right!"
"You've got to be kidding me." The aged Hokage took a puff from his pipe as he read the mission report. "And the Kiba blades too. Well Team 7, looks like your first mission outside of the village will be an A-rank mission. Congratulations. Sasuke, I'll have Raiga's bounty paid out within the week."
Hiruzen noticed that the three genin weren't paying too much attention to his words. They all seemed to be preoccupied with something else. "Is there something else?"
"I never gave much thought to Pervy-Sage's words when he talked about peace and hate, but all it took was one mission to see exactly what he was talking about," Naruto answered.
"I see," the aged Hokage replied. "And what do you plan on doing about it?"
The blond gave Hiruzen a determined look. "First, I'm going to take your hat, and after that, I'm going to change the shinobi world, one step at a time."
"Those are ambitious goals, Naruto. Lord First also dreamed of peace. He lived during a time when clans clashed endlessly against each other. He was the one to foster peace between the Senju and Uchiha and founded this village. Yet, while the village system reduced minor conflicts, we have had three major wars since the system's inception. If you truly want to accomplish your goals, you will have to surpass the First. And, you won't be able to do it alone." Hiruzen knew he was playing devil's advocate, but he wanted to make sure Naruto knew what he was getting himself into.
"Then that's what I'll do," Naruto confidently replied. "And I won't be alone."
Hinata and Sasuke both nodded in agreement, causing the aged Hokage to smile. "I can see that. The three of you have a lot of potential, but it is up to you to achieve it. I'm proud of the way you handled the mission, despite it being a couple classes above expected. I would normally tell you to take some time off, but knowing you three, you would just train harder instead. Am I right?"
Naruto and Sasuke smirked at the Hokage's intuition. "We all have goals we're working towards, and we won't stop until we reach them," Hinata answered.
"Great potential indeed. That reminds me," Hiruzen began. "The next chunin exams are coming up soon. Kakashi, do you plan on entering them?"
"The one next year is in the Leaf, correct?" Kakashi asked in return.
"That's right," Hiruzen replied.
"Then I'll keep them out of it until then. Having home field advantage will be good for them," the Copy Ninja answered.
Naruto pouted at the response, prompting Kakashi to pat him on the shoulder. "By the time I'm done with you three, you'll be wiping the floor with the rest of the genin, trust me."
AN: Raiga's backstory was changed, oh no!
Yeah, I mentioned that everything pre-Nine-Tails attack would remain canon except Hiashi's team, but Ranmaru isn't canon. Raiga's story isn't consistent either, as in the manga he was killed by Might Duy, but he survived in the anime. I didn't feel like choosing, so I just made my own. I wanted this Raiga to have a significant impact on Naruto's motivations, and if I kept Ranmaru around, it would have just been the Land of Waves re-skinned.
Naruto's motivation to get stronger and become Hokage start to surface in this chapter. Some of you might think it's a bit early, and for canon Naruto, that would 100% be correct. However, in this story, he's been raised by Jiraiya for 6-7 years since birth. In canon, Naruto lived a hard life as a child. However, in this story, aside from not having his real parents, and having the villagers glare at him on occasion, he had everything he needed. A father figure to raise him, an older brother to watch over him, and two loyal friends who would do anything for him. He's living the good life, which is why he was so strongly impacted by Raiga's story. Naruto's comfortable upbringing will have more impact on the story later on.
As of now, Hinata and Sasuke don't really have their own motivations flushed out. Obviously, Sasuke wants to find his brother and Hinata wants to mend the rift in her clan. But their deeper motivations will be revealed towards the latter half of Part 1, just before Shippuden.
Chapters 1-5 have been revised for minor mistakes, and a slight content tweak in Ch1. I somehow forgot to add in Geratora during Naruto's sealing. I'll be revising 6-10 after the release of Ch11.
As always, any feedback is appreciated. c: