The God of Wind:
Hello everyone! Welcome to the latest chapter of The God of Wind, and the first chapter in this arc. I won't be doing the Wave Arc in this story, so this will serve as the "prologue" arc. Hope you enjoy this first chapter.
Blood Arena Arc:
Chapter 7: How did we get here?
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– Leaf Village Shinobi Academy, April 8th, 990 A.S. –
A heavy breeze had the trees swaying, it rustled his blue t-shirt and tan shorts, providing a pleasant chill against the surprisingly warm spring sun. The red oak shaft of his bokken was smooth, and heavy. Naruto breathed in, then out, feeling the breath travel through him, as he took a step forward, bringing his wooden sword down on an invisible foe, he let out a grunt, stepping over and resetting into the next form. He sought perfection in each form, until it was second nature. Just like Hayate-sensei taught. Ever since Gramps had introduced him to his Kenjutsu instructor, Naruto had made sure to practice every day after class.
Usually, he'd do practice in the dojo at the Hokage Mansion, but the weather was so nice for the first time in months, it would be a waste to stay inside! So, he'd simply come out to the academy roof.
It wasn't just one roof, technically, but several, they'd been connected as new wings were added to the school. On the south side, a series of stone arches led to a lookout platform, to the east and west, where the round towers were, was open space, while the center was dominated by large trees and a vegetable garden the first-year students had to maintain. Naruto didn't miss the chore of tending to them. The north side, where Naruto was practicing, was flat and square, with a few benches for students to enjoy lunch at.
Naruto was so focused on his kenjutsu, he missed the slam of a metal door. Though he didn't miss the voice that followed. A soft, high-pitched voice oozing with boredom.
"Oh … someone's here already."
Turning curiously, Naruto saw a girl around his own age standing at the same entrance he'd come through, or at least, he assumed it was. With her baggy t-shirt, loose fitting pants, and the lazy ponytail, it was hard to tell. Though, he thought he recognized her. A bookbag hung from her shoulder, bulging just slightly. The presumed girl tilted her head curiously.
"You're that new kid from the old class 2C, the one who super-glued Iruka-sensei's eraser to the black board. Naruto, right?"
Oh, so that was it! That's right, he'd seen her lurking at the back of the classroom the past few days, usually avoiding his new teachers notice. Since his class had been merged into 2A–due to the number of dropouts in both classes–it'd been a bit hectic trying to learn who everyone was. He blushed as she mentioned his prank. It was only a way to lighten everyone up and get a laugh, though Grandpa Hiruzen hadn't been too pleased.
"Yeah, Naruto Senju, sorry, but who are you?" He asked. apologetically.
The girl shrugged, somehow making even that motion look like a chore. "No problem, I get it. My names Shikako Nara, I just came up here to watch clouds, didn't know anyone would be here. Mind if I stay? That's my special spot, I come here every day." Shikako pointed to a covered bench to the side.
"Sure, go ahead. I'm gonna continue my kenjutsu practice." Naruto said, giving her a careless shrug.
Shikako nodded, going to the bench with a slow, lazy gait. Instead of sitting on it, the girl threw herself across it with her arms folded behind her head, looking up at the bright blue spring sky filled with fluffy white clouds.
Raising an eyebrow at the odd behavior, Naruto shook it off, and got back to his training none the less. 'First Form: Crescent Slash, Second Form: Rising Moon …' He went through the forms of the Dance of the Crescent Moon, one of the unique styles of the Hidden Leaf. Though he excelled at it, something didn't feel right about it to Naruto. It wasn't quite for him, though he'd definitely use it to base his own style off of. Hayate-sensei would probably call such an idea blasphemy.
Under the cool sun, Naruto went through the six basic forms of the Dance of the Crescent Moon, losing himself in his own world of training and exertion. After his third time going through it, Shikako sat up abruptly with a heavy sigh.
Naruto looked at her curiously. "Something wrong?"
"All that grunting kinda distracts from the cloud watching, though its not like I can ask you to leave, you got here first." She said somewhat sheepishly.
"Oh, well, I guess maybe I could do something else. Got any ideas?" Naruto wanted to help if he could. He felt a little guilty. This was her special spot, after all, he was the one interrupting a routine. Naruto could have done his training at home, instead, he'd stayed here on a whim. The least he could do is compromise.
Shikako rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "You ever played Shogi?"
Naruto shook his head, he'd seen his grandfather play a few times with his son Asuma, but he'd never played himself. "No, but I could give it a shot."
After all, Gramps always said a shinobi needed a strong body and a strong mind!
The lazy girl's eyes lit up, showing an energy he hadn't seen from her. Popping the clasp on her bag, she quickly pulled out a folded-up box with grooves cut into it, forming squares. In astonishingly quick fashion, she opened the board and set up the tiles into two neat rows on either end of the board. Each tile was marked with a different kanji, marking them as things such as "pawns", "rooks", and "generals".
"Well, pull up a seat then, I'll teach you the rules." Shikako said, folding her legs together.
Naruto felt a grin slip onto his lips, he happily took his place across from Shikako, and listened as she began to explain the rules. It was a bit confusing, making his head swim. But eventually he got it, and they began to play. He didn't know it then, but that was the day he met his best friend. It was also the first time he beat her using tactics that made no sense, the first of many frustrating games for Shikako.
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– Present Day –
A painful pulse in his head woke Naruto, Bum-bump bum-bump.
What was that noise? It was so annoying, and constant, like a spike being driven into his skull. His eyelids felt like they were concrete blocks. Still, he forced them to obey. At first, he saw only blurry shapes and colors, broad dark stripes across a warm yellow background. As his vision cleared, he realized they weren't stripes, they were bars. Thick wooden beams, stretching from floor to ceiling inside a wooden frame.
Sitting up with a pained groan, his entire body felt sore. He sat on a lumpy futon, in a dark concrete cell.
"Where am I?" He muttered to himself. Not for one second, did he expect a reply.
"Obviously a cell, idiot!" Naruto jumped violently, squinting into the darkness to see Sasuke sitting across from him. His pale face was marred by scrapes and bruises, and he sat against the wall on a lumpy futon of his own. He glared at Naruto across the cell. "Finally awake, took you long enough."
Naruto blinked stupidly, he wanted to fire back, but his mind was too clouded to come up with anything. How did they get here, no, more importantly, where was here?
"How am I supposed to know? Last thing I remember, was pushing your dumb ass into the river." Sasuke bit out.
River? Wait, had he said that aloud? Naruto shook his head, like a wet dog trying to dry off. He had to be out of it if he couldn't even control when he spoke aloud. He growled in frustration. There wasn't any time for being groggy, they had to get out, get out and report to Kakashi-sensei about the mission … his thought process ground to a halt.
The mission, slowly, everything began to trickle back, piece by piece though it quickly became a flood of memories.
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– Three Days Earlier –
Sealing had always been fun for Naruto, a surprise, given how energetic he was. There was just something about figuring out how to arrange the symbols for specific results that clicked for him. It probably had something to do with his Uzumaki side. Gramps had quickly picked up on that aptitude and encouraged it, so it had quickly become something he practiced when he needed to clear his head or get his mind off something. Working through all the formulas had a soothing effect for him, losing himself in all the arts little intricacies.
He'd needed that calming more and more lately. Turning a page in his book on multi-layered seals, Naruto let out a sigh of frustration. It was a nice enough day, with a blue sky, and the Kaba canal gently trickling by under the bridge he was sitting on, but he was frustrated.
Currently, he and his teammates were waiting for Kakashi to arrive. Again. Not that it would make much of a difference, he thought pessimistically. Being a genin wasn't going how Naruto expected, not by any stretch of the imagination. He wasn't stupid, it wasn't like he'd expected to instantly be on missions to rescue princesses or stop someone from taking over a country. But he'd at least hoped the training would be harder than what he got from his tutors. Instead it was just slightly more intense physical training and chakra control, with a couple jutsu thrown in, in the case of Sakura.
Sakura took note of his annoyance. "What's a matter Naruto, aren't you ready for training?" She asked.
Shrugging, Naruto said, "I guess. Yay for carrying logs while water walking. Or doing sit-ups while sticking to a tree. Or running laps with weights."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "What do you have against the training? It seems plenty challenging."
"Kakashi's not pushing us near as hard as he could, not with the kind of experience and skills he has. For you that's understandable. No offense, but you need to focus almost entirely on the physical right now." Naruto snapped his book shut, idly sealing it back into his wrist band with a puff of smoke. No point in reading anymore. " Meanwhile, Sasuke and I could be perfecting or improving skills we already have. The Pyro over here agrees with me, even if he'll never admit it," Naruto jabbed his thumb in Sasuke's direction. He could feel Sasuke's glare on the back of his neck, but he didn't pay it much mind. For some reason, he hadn't taken very kindly to the nickname Naruto had given him after an incident in training. Sasuke had lit the forest on fire practicing a jutsu, and Kakashi had to put it out. "And don't get me started on the chores we have to do to earn money."
The pink-haired girl chewed her lip. "The missions are kind of tedious." She admitted reluctantly.
Poof!
Sakura yelped; a plume of smoke erupted in the center of the bridge as Kakashi arrived using a Teleportation Jutsu. Naruto snickered, prompting a glare from the pink-haired girl.
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Wow, I had no idea our routine was getting so boring for you three."
"Oi, were you spying on us?" Naruto asked. The silver-haired man shrugged. Ignoring the urge to roll his eyes, Naruto turned his attention towards their task for the day. "So, what are we doing today? Fence painting, gardening? Maybe catching that stupid cat again?"
While Sakura was doing a good job putting on a brave face, Sasuke shifted, trying to act disinterested. But it was obvious he was impatient to hear what kind of lame task they'd be assigned before they'd begin their usual training.
"Well actually I was thinking of getting our first c-rank. Nothing too hard, just something to get your feet wet." Kakashi sighed, shrugging as if to say 'what can you do?'. "But I guess if you want to paint fences …"
"NO!" Naruto's face flushed at his outburst. The twitch of his mouth under Kakashi's mask told him the man was smirking at successfully suckering him. "I mean uh, yeah, a C-rank is good."
"Oh, good, then come along. Let's get to the mission hall and get our mission."
The jonin spun on his heel and began to walk westwards, towards the drum-like form of the Administrative Office, towering over the rest of the surrounding landscape. Naruto blinked in surprise at the abrupt turn of events. Shaking himself, he quickly followed after Kakashi. His teammates padded behind him.
It took a moment for what was happening to sink in. They were going to get their first c-rank. Maybe not the most difficult one, but still, something better than chores! Butterflies danced in his stomach, and a large grin broke out across his face. This would be his first time leaving the village. He'd always begged his grandpa to let him tag along when he'd go on diplomatic missions, but Hiruzen never allowed it. Grudgingly, he had to concede there was a good reason for it. A blond child, with no relation, tagging along with the Hokage was something that would have caught a lot of eyes, and shone a spotlight on Naruto outside the village well before he was ready.
For the entire walk to the mission assignment office, Naruto's head was filled with speculation about what the mission might be. A currier mission, maybe? Perhaps something might go wrong, and they'd have to fight some ninja from another village bent on revenge. 'Pfft, as if that would ever happen.'
The Mission Assignment Desk was another part of the academy, stuck on the second floor in one of the old sections of the compound. A traditional, two-story building, with thick oak beams framing it, age-weathered pine slats, and clay shingles, it had been part of the Academy since it was first built, only receiving occasional upgrades to add plumbing, heating, and electricity over the years. Kakashi led them into the side courtyard of the academy building, through the double doors, and finally up a set of stairs. The halls were lined with faded, age-worn wood, with old-fashioned removable paper doors in delicate frames.
Down the hall and to the right, they came to a large set of sliding doors in the corner of the building. This was where the mission assignment desk was located, the place where all the newer teams received their missions. More experienced teams, especially Jonin the higher ranks, would receive missions from the administrative branch directly.
"Well, no use waiting. Follow me, and let me do the talking." Kakashi looked at Naruto rather sharply.
Kakashi slid open the doors and led them into a large, wood-lined room with a quaint feel to it. The word for shinobi was painted in a giant black kanji on the ceiling, with two stick-like lights on either side, to light the room when the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows wasn't sufficient. Sitting at a long table situated in front of one of those rows of windows, was the Hokage and five other ninjas, one of which was Iruka. Naruto smiled, it was rare his grandpa was available at the desk. Usually he was handling more important paperwork and missions.
Naruto gave Iruka a slight nod, which he returned. The table was piled with mission scrolls of all colored borders, marked with different letters to separate them, though mostly only D and C. Naruto bowed to his granpa, alongside his teammates.
Hiruzen smiled at them, "Team 7, here for your D-rank missions for the day?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No, it seems my genin are getting a bit antsy. I thought it was about time they took a c-ranked mission. See what shinobi life is like outside the village."
There was a certain undercurrent to Kakashi's voice. It set Naruto on edge, though he couldn't place why. Whatever was left unspoken, the Hokage and Iruka picked it up easily. The old man got a calculating look on his face, while their former teacher was caught between being disbelieving and being appalled.
"You can't possibly think their ready for that!" Iruka protested.
"Now, now, Iruka, if Kakashi says they're ready, I believe him." Hiruzen cut over Iruka's protests, shocking the man into silence. "Now, give me a moment to find one suitable …" He shuffled through the scrolls in the c-rank pile, finally picking a rather small looking one with a slightly grubby exterior. "This should do. Tell me what you think, Kakashi."
The elderly man tossed the scroll to Kakashi, who caught it deftly and wasted no time cracking it open. His eye slid across the paper quickly. Naruto tried to peak over his shoulder, but Kakashi shifted so his body kept blocking his view.
"A simple bandit removal? Yes, that should do the trick. Thank you, Lord Hokage." Kakashi nodded his head politely and rolled the scroll back up before stuffing it into one of his vest pouches. He turned to them, and said, "I want the three of you to go prepare for the mission. Make sure you're thoroughly packed for a week's travel, and handle anything else you need to. We'll meet at the main gates in two hours."
"Got it." Naruto nodded sharply. His mind swam as he tried to remember everything he'd need to do. 'Definitely pack supplies, and maybe say goodbye to Shika.' He was so busy thinking, Naruto barely heard Sakura and Sasuke's acknowledgements of the order, or Kakashi using a Teleportation to leave.
"You should probably get going if you want to prepare." Hiruzen said, a slight smirk on his lips.
Naruto glanced around, and realized he was the last of his team there. "Oh, yeah. Wish me luck Grandpa."
The Hokage smiled warmly. "Good luck and stay safe my boy."
Naruto nodded absently as he turned and went back through the sliding doors. He had a lot of preparation to go through in just two hours.
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Four katana's lay across Naruto's orange bed spread. They shone brightly in the sunlight peeking through the curtains, sending rays of white light bouncing across the walls. His stomach growled fiercely. Nibbling on a heaping ham and chicken sandwich made by Sayako, he silently bemoaned the toll his bloodline took on his body, he had to keep his nutrients up. 'Still, it's better than waiting to create these in the field. They'll keep for a few days sealed.' The fact his swords broke down after a while, made them a bit of an inconvenience in the field. As it was his first mission outside the village, Naruto wasn't taking any chances. Creating the swords now and preserving them in a seal would mean he had to create less in the field. With a few quick hand seals, he brushed his hand across the katana, making them disappear into his wristband in a series of puffs of smoke.
"Well, that's my camping supplies, my food, medical kit, and all my tools. Add in the clothes … I'd say I'm all packed!" He muttered, ticking off the items on his fingers. "Now, to go say goodbye to Shika. Her team should still be at the training ground right now."
Spreading his senses out, Naruto felt thousands of "pings" of chakra signatures. He closed his eyes, trying to parse through the noise. It was a bit like trying to listen for a particular voice in a crowded sports stadium.
After a few moments, he finally locked on to the cool, ephemeral feeling of Shikako's chakra, alongside Ino's ghostly, clinging signature, and Choji's, which radiated his physical energy. The uniqueness was due to the secret techniques their clans employed. They were exactly where he expected.
Naruto bent over his desk, and quickly began to jot down a note to Konohamaru. Right now, he was in class, Naruto would surely get flak from Gramps if he interrupted it. So, he wrote a note apologizing for not saying good bye, and telling Konohamaru to listen to his teachers. The kid was far too alike how Naruto was early on for his tastes, in hindsight his jokester ways hadn't been the best example to set. After he made sure all his pouches and equipment were in place, Naruto left his room and made his way downstairs, where Sayako was dusting and humming a tune.
"Yo, Sayako, could you make sure Kono gets this?" He held up the folded-up note and shook it lightly.
"Oh, are you leaving?"
Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his hair sheepishly. "Yep, I'm going on my first c-rank."
The kindly maid blinked. "Well then, stay safe."
He promised he would, and quickly made his way out onto the road and walking to the nearest one-story building. Coiling his legs, he took a flying leap onto a flat concrete roof. Dashing across the rooftops, he soon found himself landing outside Training Ground Five. A sheltered clearing, with a large cliff face on one side, and trees that towered on the other.
Shikako, along with Ino and Choji, was practicing the surface walking technique. The backs of their shirts were drenched in sweat, especially Choji. Under one of the trees, their sensei, Asuma watched them while puffing on a cigarette. He was Grandpa's son. A tall man, wearing a darker green jonin vest over the traditional attire, he had deeply tanned skin, with swept back spiky hair, and a well-groomed beard. He'd helped a bit with Naruto's training, though the man was always a bit distant with Grandpa. Still, he was nice enough.
"Come on you three, a little longer. Then we can take a break." Asuma encouraged his team.
With a mischievous smirk, Naruto held up the hare hand seal. 'Water Style: Wild Water Wave!' He spit out a jet of water that flew across the clearing and sprayed Asuma in the face, extinguishing his cigarette, and drenching his front. He sputtered, cursing as he looked around and finally locked his eyes on Naruto.
"Dammit Naruto, do you always have to do that?"
"Eh, as many times as I catch you smoking them cancer sticks." Naruto replied with an unrepentant grin.
Asuma grumbled under his breath. The commotion had drawn the attention of the genin, who began to make their way down from the cliff.
"What are you doing here anyways?" Shikako asked as she walked over with Ino and Choji. Placing a hand on her waist, hip cocked to the side, she gave him her usual lazy glance. Her hair hung a bit lank from the sweat dripping down her brow.
"Well, my team just got their first c-rank, figured I'd stop by and say goodbye."
Asuma looked at him curiously. "Really, that quick? Pretty impressive."
Naruto shrugged. "I don't think it's anything too serious. Just to get us used to being outside the village."
Shikako sighed. "How long do you have?"
"I'd guess about an hour."
"Well, then want to have a game of Shogi?" She asked.
"If it's alright with Asuma-sensei, sure." He glanced to the scruffy looking jonin, who nodded readily. "Cool then, let's go!"
After finding a flat rock to set the table on, Shikako was quick to bring out her Shogi set. It was well used, with a few scrapes on the dark lacquered edge that gave it some character. The board was a gift he'd given her for her tenth birthday to replace her old battered one, and you could scarcely catch her without it. He wasn't too surprised it even went with her for training, Shikako was always up for a game of Shogi.
They set the pieces up, and then began a game of rock-paper-scissors to see who went first. Shikako grumbled as Naruto happily covered her fist with his 'paper'.
"I guess I'm going first then." Shikako grumbled, as she quickly opened by sliding her rook to the right. Her eyebrow twitched as Naruto promptly responded by beginning to make the beginnings of a Boat castle. Within a few moves, he was already beginning to make a rapid attack while Shikako was still trying to build her defense. "I have no idea how you manage to make that work every time."
"Eh, unpredictability can be good." He replied. His style was pretty unorthodox, most would call it reckless. All she needed to do was trade bishops and they'd be in a full battle before he'd even solidified his defense. The problem was, Naruto was quite cagey. He never gave the opportunity to corner his important pieces. They started to move faster, taking only a few seconds to make a move. Eventually Shikako broke through his flimsy defense as his attack failed, but he was always just out of reach, dropping pieces in unexpected places to befuddle her and deter her attention. Eventually, he broke down her own formidable defense and rapidly began to corner her king.
With one final whoop of joy, Naruto moved his promoted pawn into position to check mate the king. Shikako shook her head in exasperation. "You're way too weird. I can never figure out how your tactics work. This must be what it's like playing an idiot savant."
"Oi, yer acting like I'm some sort of idiot!"
Shikako raised one lazily groomed eyebrow and looked him up and down. "If the shoe fits." The two burst out laughing. Chest heaving with mirth, Naruto was glad he'd come to see her. It was a good way to relax. He'd miss being able to talk to his best friend for however long the mission lasted. Sobering up a bit, Shikako fixed him with a pointed stare. "Good luck on your mission. And try to remember, in a real fight, sometimes recklessness doesn't work out."
Naruto stood, stretching his hands to the sky, and arching his back like a cat. He felt a series of satisfying pops along his spine, sending an invigorating rush through him.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful." He said with a reassuring smile. "Besides, it's just your basic c-rank bandit removal mission. It's not like much could go wrong to make it dangerous."
In hindsight, he'd regret his cocksure, easy-going attitude. But for now, Naruto simply bid goodbye to his friends. He gave Shikako and Ino brief friendly hugs, and Choji a clap on the back, before nodding to Asuma as he left the clearing. There was probably a half hour left until they were supposed to meet, assuming Kakashi was on time.
While he could have entered back into the main village, Naruto decided to skirt along the populated sections of the village by traveling through the trees. It was a much more peaceful trip. He went at a leisurely pace, taking in the cool mid-day air in the shadowed forest, the chirping of birds, and chatter of the squirrels. Eventually, his destination came into view. Set into the massive walls that surrounded the village, was an equally massive set of wooden gates, which stood before a concrete road wide enough that four wagons could comfortably fit side-by-side, with stalls lining either side offering food for weary travelers.
The gate's themselves were made of thick timber beams bolted together, painted a faded green, with he symbol for "fire" displayed in red.
His eyes quickly landed on his teammates, who were waiting at the base of the right-hand gate. As usual, Sasuke was looking disinterested as possible, leaning against the gate, propped open to allow merchants to come and go. Sakura was trying to talk to him, to no avail.
"I guess I'm the last one to arrive." He said as he strolled over to his teammates.
They glanced up, Sasuke offering a grunt, and Sakura smiling at him. "Hey Naruto. You're kind of late, did packing take that long?"
"Nah." Naruto shook his head. "I swung by Team 10's training ground and said goodbye to Shikako."
"Sounds nice. I did the same with my parents." She replied.
Naruto glanced at Sasuke, noticing his hand was clenched tightly. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to talk about telling someone you were leaving around him. But what else was there to talk about? He couldn't think of anything, so instead, they lapsed into an awkward silence, where nobody was willing to bridge it.
It was this weird air that Kakashi walked in on when he finally arrived. Surprisingly, he wasn't late this time. Rather, he arrived at almost exactly the time they were due to meet. Strolling up with a casual air, the Jonin glanced at them. If he could tell any of their unease, he didn't say anything.
"I notice none of you have backpacks or camping supplies. Would I be correct in assuming you're using storage seals?" The three of them nodded readily. "Good, now, I think there's something you three should know about the mission." Uncharacteristically serious, Kakashi fixed them with an intense gaze. "Our mission is a bandit removal mission, which means you'll be expected to kill if necessary. The academy should have prepared you for this, but I thought it best to give you a chance to let it sink in beforehand."
Naruto's excitement drained away, replaced by a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. His first kill. As Kakashi said, the Academy did try to prepare you for your first time killing. But that didn't prevent him from feeling an anxious heat consume him at the thought. His teammates weren't doing much better, Sakura's face was white as a sheet, and she looked like she might throw up, though Sasuke hid his discomfort much better, the only sign being his trembling hand.
Kakashi sighed, sweeping a hand through his hair. "Unfortunately, we need to get going. So, you'll have to think while we travel."
He swept past them towards the archway of the gate, giving the pair of chunin stationed at the greeting booth a passing nod. Naruto was the first to recover from his surprise. He followed after Kakashi, with his teammates hot on his heals. It was unceremonious and abrupt, nothing like he'd built up the beginning of his first mission outside the village to be like in his mind. Nevertheless, they were on their way.
Following Kakashi, they dashed through the dirt roads crisscrossing the Land of Fire, past streams and through small villages. Eventually following the roads wasn't an option, and they took to the treetops to leap from branch to branch. Tree hopping was the favored method of travel for shinobi in the Land of Fire. Shinobi travel was fast, even at the most average of speeds. You could span the width of a country in a few days. It was also as exhilarating as it was exhausting. The constant wind on your face, chakra fueling your every step.
It still took some time for him to get past the surprise Kakashi had dropped on them, though in hindsight, it shouldn't have been a surprise. Kurama's input didn't help that much.
'What's the matter, you're not getting squeamish, are you?' He asked tauntingly.
Naruto frowned. 'No, at least, not anymore. Just coming to terms with the fact I'm gonna have to kill someone. It's not something I'm looking forward to.' He answered.
They traveled in the treetops for several hours, through miles upon miles of forest. Finally, after crossing a mountain range and descending into a forest teeming with wildlife, Kakashi called a halt to their travel, and they paused to rest in a quiet clearing.
Naruto sat with his back against a tree, lightly sipping from his canteen and munching a special high-calorie ration bar. He tried not to grimace at the disgusting taste, like cardboard and stale peanut butter, but it was a necessary thing. Tamashi no Ken demanded he keep his calories up; he'd already burnt a massive amount earlier making the katana's, and Sayako's sandwich had only been a temporary help. The ration bars were designed for shinobi like the Akimichi, who burned huge amounts of calories for their techniques. The clan themselves had their own special blends and foods, but he was stuck with the one for the rest of the forces. 'One of these days I need to make better tasting bars for the field. These standard issue things are beyond disgusting.' They'd been resting for ten minutes, when Sakura asked about the details of the mission.
"We're heading to just outside Moya Village. It's a small village in the coastal mountain range bordering the Land of Fog. The mountains there are rich in a special ore, used in a lot of shinobi weapons. The supply chain has been disrupted by bandits and we're being asked to get rid of them." Kakashi explained between sips of water.
"What's the Land of Fog?" Sakura asked curiously.
Unclipping one of his scroll pouches, Kakashi caught the scroll that fell out, and quickly opened it to unseal a map that detailed the continent. After they'd all gathered round, he pointed to a piece of land sticking out of the main portion of the Land of Fire. "This is the Land of Fog. After the First Shinobi World War, it was created to serve as a buffer between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. Historically, and in the war, it served as a way for the Land of Water to easily gain a foothold during conflict.
"Nowadays, Moya village tends to trade with both the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, so it's important we finish this quickly. I'll explain more once we reach the target in a couple days."
Kakashi resealed his map and returned the scroll to his vest pouch, before beginning to put away the few supplies he'd taken out for their break. Taking it as a que that they were going to leave, Naruto resealed his own canteen into his wristband, and clambered to his feet. He shook out the stiffness that had built in his legs even with that short break.
"Come on, we have about four more hours to go before it starts to get dark, after that, we'll camp out."
And continue they did, they labored on until the sun began to dip below the horizon, the sky full of golden light from sunset. In that dim light, they stopped along the bank of a river, sheltered under a dense copse of pine trees. There they pitched their tents, and quickly got to work making a modest meal of fish and rice, before turning in for the night. Kakashi woke them up the next morning before dawn.
The sun hadn't even begun to lift above the mountains, but they'd already broken down camp and filled themselves with field rations, not nearly as appetizing as the fish from dinner. Then they were on their way again, just like the day before.
Around noon, two days after they'd left, Naruto finally saw a glimpse of Moya village. They'd just begun to descend into a foggy valley, surrounded on three sides by craggy grey mountains, when he spotted a village in the distance. It didn't approach the size of the Leaf, but it was still larger than any other village he'd seen so far. From a distance, you could see powerlines crisscrossing between buildings, with large metal warehouses that gave way to nice traditional style family homes with wraparound porches, as well as a thriving downtown area with newly built apartment buildings, their paint bright and gleaming in the afternoon sun that pierced the fog.
Kakashi finally called a stop to their travel a few miles outside the village. Together, they crouched around his map, as he explained the plan. "According to the assignment scroll, the bandits are camped here, in the middle of a field surrounded by woods." He pointed to a red 'x', to the west of where the town was marked on the map.
"A field? Pretty clever for a bunch of bandits," Sasuke noted dryly.
Naruto had to reluctantly agree, camping in an open area like that reduced the chance anyone could sneak up on them, especially shinobi. Most probably would have elected to camp under the shelter of trees, assuming it the safer option.
Kakashi nodded. "There are only thirty of them, nothing special, and no shinobi training. Once we approach, we'll make sure all of them are there before we strike. Now, follow me."
Instead of taking to the treetops again, Kakashi led them through the underbrush. They used their stealth skills to skirt around the village and approach the bandit camp. Like wraiths they stole through the trees and came to rest at the forests edge. Mist swirled across a lush grassy plain, and there, in the middle, was a collection of miss-matched tents of varying sizes and colors. Some had faded red stains that suggested that they might have been obtained by force. Smoke drifted through the air from several cooking fires, and the bandits themselves milled about. They were a rough bunch, with a mean look in their eyes, and ragged, dirty clothing. Each of them carried a weapon. From throwing knives to flails, it was an eclectic collection.
After they studied the bandits for a few minutes, Kakashi had them pull back a bit. "Alright, we'll surround them on all sides, then Sakura will use her new genjutsu to trap them in an illusion so we can approach without notice, no need to take any risks. Naruto, you take the north, Sasuke, the west, Sakura and I will take the east and south." He then reached into his hip pouch and pulled out what looked to be a ball of black straps and wires. It took a moment for Kakashi to unravel the ball, which was actually four one-way radios' that he passed around. "Here, each of you take one. We'll use them to communicate."
Naruto strapped the radio around his neck and placed the earpiece into his ear. He fiddled with the volume as Kakashi's voice crackled into his ear, it tickled. "Testing, can you hear me?"
He nodded, giving his sensei a thumbs up. "All good."
Once Sasuke and Sakura nodded their agreement as well, Kakashi gave the order to move out. "Alright, take up your positions, radio in when you're in place."
The team broke apart. Naruto travelled along the edge of the forest for as long as he could, but he was eventually forced out into the open. His eyes and ears were strained as he silently crept across the ground, trying to stick to the swirling patches of mist. It was eerily similar to how he stalked prey when Anko made him hunt, staying silent and low. Finally, he made it to the camps edge, and hugged tightly to the back of the tent. There was no noise from inside, so it appeared to be abandoned. He placed a hand on his microphone.
"This is Naruto, I'm in position," He whispered. A few seconds later there was a light crackle, and Sasuke's voice entered his ear.
"Sasuke, I'm in position as well." Naruto swallowed heavily and placed his hand on the sword at his waist. This was it, the decisive moment. They were about to attack; about to kill. Doubts began to creep into his mind. Was he really ready? Either way, he didn't get much time to figure it out.
'Sakura here, I'm in position, ready to cast the genjutsu.' Sakura's delicate voice came over the radio.
"Alright then, do it. Everyone, strike on my command!" Kakashi ordered. Seconds later, Naruto felt the shifty, elusive feeling of a genjutsu spreading over the camp. He closed his eyes, steadying his breathing. "Attack!"
Eyes snapping open, Naruto swung around the corner of the tent. His heart immediately jumped into his throat. A startled bandit stood in his path, not ten feet away. He was thin, with tan skin and dark hair. They stared at each-other for a few milliseconds. Then the bandit opened his mouth, as if to yell.
Naruto acted on instinct. One second, he was staring at the man, and then the next there was a sword in his hand. He lashed out, and the startled bandit had no chance to react. In the instant he attacked, it seemed as if time slowed to a crawl. His silver blade bit into the man's neck and throat. It opened a huge gash, and blood gushed forth. So much blood. It positively drenched the man's front and sprayed across Naruto's chest and face. The bandit reached up with a hand and clutched at his throat, he let out a wet gurgle and dropped to his knees. Naruto made the mistake of looking into the man's eyes as he died; a mistake that would haunt him for years to come. Confusion, desperation, and fear. That's what he saw in the bandit's eyes. The light in them slowly dimmed and the man slumped to the side.
For a few moments Naruto was stuck rigidly in place. He'd killed someone. It had been so easy. That man had no more chance than a rabbit against a master huntsman, Naruto shook his head, as if to physically toss the thoughts from his mind. Now wasn't the time for that, there was a mission to perform. Although the hand that gripped his sword shook, he continued to make his way through the camp.
He went from tent to tent, dispatching any bandits that crossed his path, though he was careful not to look into their eyes. He wouldn't make that mistake again. Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of Sasuke's blue shirt amidst the tents, or Sakura's pink hair.
Naruto had just killed a fifth bandit, when a shout pierced the air.
"ATTACK, THERE'S NINJA ATTACKING"
He cursed, as he felt Sakura's genjutsu shatter like glass, suddenly, all the remaining bandits were aware. Over the radio, Kakashi shouted, "Cover is blown, take them all down!"
The camp descended into chaos. Gruff shouts filled the air, tents burst into flame as cooking fires were spread about, and the bandits were suddenly a hive of angry hornets. Naruto spun around the corner of a tent, only to be quickly spotted by a hulking man wielding a battered kanabo. With a shout of rage, the man brought the club down, trying to smash Naruto's head like a pumpkin, but he was too slippery. Darting to the side, Naruto channeled wind chakra into his sword and ended the fight in one blow, cleaving the man's upper torso from his lower body.
By that point, tents were collapsing, catching fire as the embers from cooking fires spread out of control. Naruto could see his teammates more easily. Sasuke was the closest to him, tearing through a group of four bandits with a pair of kunai, his white shorts drenched in blood. Naruto quickly dispatched a bandit wielding a scythe, while Sasuke finished the last of his targets.
"You alright?" He asked.
Sasuke smirked cockily. "Please, like riffraff like this could be a challenge."
Their conversation was cut short, when a lanky man appeared from behind a tent, tossing a bottle into a cooking fire. POP! The bottle shattered, unleashing a choking cloud of foul black smoke and steam. Naruto covered his nose and mouth, trying not to retch from the choking haze. 'What was that?'
Within the smoke, someone shouted, "Come on, let's get away while the baby ninjas are choking!"
Naruto squinted, spotting two shadowy figures fleeing towards the north to the edge of camp. Sasuke spotted them as well, his eyes flashed with anger. Without a second thought, the Uchiha charged into the smoke after them.
"Sasuke, wait!" Naruto shouted, to no avail.
He hesitated, uncertain of what to do. They were only bandits … but still, he couldn't just let Sasuke go off. Growling in annoyance, he pressed his microphone as the smoke began to clear. "This is Naruto, Sasuke's going after a couple bandits that tried running on the North side of camp, I'm backing him up."
Naruto took off, he trampled over fallen tents, darted around bodies, and always kept his eyes on Sasuke and the fleeing bandits. It was the lanky man, and a baldheaded accomplice. Both wore rain cloaks, which flapped behind them like capes.
The earpiece crackled, and Kakashi's voice came through. "Acknowledged, keep an eye out."
His hand dropping back down, Naruto redoubled his speed to catch up as Sasuke disappeared into the tree line. The bandits were fast, weaving between trees like a pair of weasels. His heart pumped wildly; his eyes focused solely on the bandits. They always seemed just out of reach, darting around trees, or through a gap in the thicket of bushes, just as they were about to be caught. A deep, uneasy hum echoed inside his head.
'Something's not right Naruto.'
Naruto frowned, but shoved Kurama's words aside, the bandits were almost in arms reach. He readied his sword, heedless of the sudden increase of light. The bald one was so close that he could practically snag his cloak! And then Naruto blinked, and the man was gone, alongside his partner.
"What the–" Together, he and Sasuke burst through the trees into a wide, open riverside. Thirty feet of bank led to fifteen-foot drop off, into a dark, narrow, fast-moving river. On either side, of the water, leafy trees formed a partial tunnel of emerald foliage. The bandits were nowhere in sight. Sasuke growled, stalking forward, his eyes darted around for any sign in the dirt of their targets.
"How did they just disappear like that? They were fast, but that's ridiculous!" The Uchiha growled.
'I told you something isn't right! Use your senses brat!' Kurama shouted.
Naruto's stomach plummeted; the bandits were fast, too fast. Along with Kurama's warning … he felt a creeping dread, even as his vision became fuzzy and white. He took in several panicked breaths before he finally realized, it wasn't his vision. His skin was damp, as the fog around them thickened, becoming denser, colder. But there was something off. Chakra permeated the dense cloud as it quickly enveloped them. In seconds, they were surrounded in a thick, dense white haze. You could hardly see five feet in front of yourself. 'This chakra … is it a jutsu?' It began to click into place.
"Not bandits …" He muttered.
Sasuke scowled, "What was that, speak up idiot! What's with this weird fog?"
Naruto let out a frustrated grunt. "I said they weren't bandits; this fog is a jutsu! It's a trap!"
"Oh." Sasuke sucked in a breath.
As Naruto and Sasuke looked, an eerie hum carried through the fog, surrounding them, omnipresent.
Huh-huh-hmm hmm-hmm-hmm, huh-huh-hmm hmm-hmm-hmm …
The sound was haunting and terrifying, he felt like prey. Trying to see was useless in the mist, it was too thick. Even closing his eyes and trying to sense was useless, the dense layer of chakra sent them haywire. In the end, it was his ears that saved Naruto. He just managed to catch a faint metallic whistle. He spun to the side, just in time for a long, needle-like sword to sail past and pierce deep into the earthy bank, down to the bed rock. At the bottom of the hilt was a loop of metal, with ninja wire strung through it.
A creepy, hooting laughter, like a possessed owl, came through the mist, followed by a mans voice cutting through the haze. "So, the baby ninja managed to dodge, good instincts. He'll be pretty pleased with you."
Sasuke scowled into the mist; his hand quivered around the hilts of his kunai. "Who are you, what do you want?"
The voice hemmed and hawed, "I suppose it doesn't matter if you see us."
The mist started to thin out, revealing the pair of bandits. The lanky one held the other end of the length of ninja wire. Suddenly, there was a buildup of chakra, and the men were engulfed in columns of smoke, slowly clearing to reveal two entirely different people. Where the lanky man had stood, was a much, much taller giant of a man with long, spidery limbs, and shaggy blond hair. His face was obscured by a white clay mask, with narrow, slit eye holes and a creepy grin painted in red. His body was obscured by a long rain cloak. Next to him stood a man of average height, with spiky black hair, cruel red eyes, and pale skin, only marred by an ugly red burn scar on his right arm. Sticking up over his right shoulder was the handle two a large, oddly shaped blade, like a combination between a scroll and a razor.
The tall, masked man jerked his arm back, retrieving his odd sword. "Now, do me a favor baby ninja, don't die."
A terrible, suffocating force bore down on them. The breath refused to leave his lungs, his heart beat wildly, as images of being pierced over and over by that needle filled Naruto's head. He couldn't move, didn't dare to think, like a frightened mouse trapped between a cat's paws. 'This is his killing intent … it's so intense!' Naruto grit his teeth, begging, willing his body to move, as the masked man drew his arm back to throw his sword. 'Kurama, chakra please.'
'Got it.' A tiny sliver of the fox's chakra raced through him, freeing Naruto from the effect of the killing intent. Without a second to spare, he formed the bird seal.
"Tempest Style: Barrier!" A fierce vortex of solid air erupted, stopping the needle sword mere inches from Sasuke's face, and blasting it back towards it's wielder.
Sasuke's eyes widened as the blood drained from his face. "What was that? I couldn't move at all."
"Killing intent, now heads up." Naruto replied, as the masked man retrieved his sword.
The masked man let out a cackling laugh. "That was pretty interesting, don't think I've seen that one before. Still, we need to hurry up. I wasn't expecting the sensei to be the Copy Ninja, his Sharingan could make things difficult. So, we'll try and wrap this up. Ryoichi, your turn."
For the most part, Naruto ignored the man's words, they weren't really relevant. But Sasuke was different. He looked at the man sharply."
"Sharingan? What're you talking about?"
The masked shinobi chuckled. "I'd worry about surviving, brat."
His sword darted forwards, as did his teammate, forcing he and Sasuke to move. Just as they dodged to the side, the black-haired man pounded towards them, drawing the odd sword from his back. It as a freakish weapon, a long, narrow cutting edge on one side, and a flat platform on the other, with a meter tall scroll of explosive tags in the middle. He pulled his goggles down, giving them a mad grin that revealed a set of filed, shark-like teeth.
Naruto cursed, drawing his own sword, he deflected a powerful blow with the flat side of his katana. The black-haired man's eyes widened behind his goggles.
"Oh, you've got some fight in you!"
He hammered Naruto with powerful blows, making the bones in his arms shake from the power, and steadily backing him up, while Sasuke had to endure the lightning quick onslaught from the one using the needle sword. Naruto's brain spun, even as he tried to survive, these weren't normal shinobi, their strength and speed far surpassed that. Fighting wasn't an option right now, they had to escape, but how? There was no breathing room, not time to think, save for what your next counter was. And then, not even that.
Naruto's eyes widened in shock, as he made to step back, only for his heal to touch air. He and Sasuke had been backed up against the drop off without even realizing it.
Before he could think to shout a warning, the black-haired man let out an excited yell, as he sliced the ground, his odd sword leaving behind a thick mat of explosive seals. The masked one shouted something, but Naruto only heard it distantly. He couldn't take his eyes off the slowing glowing tags. They sizzled, smoked, and his life flashed before his eyes.
x-x-x-x-x-x- TGOW -x-x-x-x-x-x
Tell me what you thought. Naruto and Sasuke find themselves in a prison of some sort, and now he's beginning to recall how they got there. What could the mysterious men want with them?
As always, big shout out to my Patrons for supporting my work. Chapter 11 of this story was just released on , so if you'd like to consider supporting my work and getting access to chapters early, you can find me at Pat reon by adding the /rinnetaicho to the web address in the search bar.
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Until Next Time,
RinneTaicho, Signing Off!
