Naruto watched as his squad assembled their things. Midare was double checking the senbon he had loaded into his umbrella whilst Suiren was ensuring she had enough food. The blonde turned to look at Hitou, the man staring at them.
"Are you sure about keeping a clone here to watch over us," Hitou claimed. "We truly don't need it."
"I'll be the measure of that," Naruto stated. The clone by the civilian's side nodded dutifully. "If anything bad happens he'll disappear and I'll be notified. I'll get here as quickly as I can. Besides, you all will still need someone to help gather food for you while the war is raging."
Hitou bowed, a smile on his face.
"Words cannot thank you enough."
"Good thing you don't need to then. We shouldn't be gone for long."
"I'm ready."
The blonde turned, looking to see Kagami standing behind him. The Chunin's eyes were a blistering red but otherwise he looked fine. Naruto stared into his eyes for a moment, finding the pain he was trying to hide. The blonde glanced back at the house, looking at the small bouquet of moon flowers Kagami had made for his parents before they left. His eyes turned back to his student.
"Alright."
The Uzumaki turned, gathering the attention of his students. "We'll be headed out. Oboro reported Konoha forces massing south of here. It's our job to take them out. This should take four days. Are you ready?"
His students nodded. Midare gripped his umbrella, Suiren clenched her fist, and Kagami looked back at Hitou's house.
'Soon,' the young Chunin thought.
"Then let's move."
Shinki could only stare as his adoptive father organized the defense of the Katabami Gold Mine. He had been fully focused on defenses ever since the report that a shinobi had managed to escape Suna patrols. His justification had been clear to him. He could push on Hirashi, potentially capture the city before Konoha forces came to retaliate against their offenses, but in doing so he was almost guaranteed to lose the gold mine, and the forces required to retake it would mean that their forces would likely have to push through Asuma Sarutobi.
A risky proposition.
Instead, his method was to hunker down here and defend the gold mine from what was to be an undoubtedly powerful assault. Konoha would bear down on all of them with significant military power. There were three options. Push forwards, constantly on the run, to perform guerilla warfare. Retreat to Suna, a failed mission. Or fend off their attack and solidify their power over the region.
It was a gamble. One that required sizeable defense. Which left Shinki to watch in wonder as the man prepared defenses. A puppeteer was in effect a trapper. A predator. A hunter. Their tools were designed to trick the opponents, leading to their deaths. Creating a death trap out of the mines was not far out of that realm. Watching the Kazekage's mind work was truly a privilege. Instead of attempting to solely fight the Konoha shinobi on the grounds surrounding the mine he had organized a multi-leveled retreat plan designed to eventually lead to fighting in the mine. Luring the Konoha shinobi in just to poison them and bury them alive. Sure, they would have to work to rebuild sections of the mine, but that was something that could be done at a later date. The first priority was killing the threats that were coming for them.
Kankuro turned to Shinki, gaining the young shinobi's attention.
"Kazekage-sama?"
"Shinki, I want you to fill the veins of the mine with iron sand. If the collapsing mine and poison doesn't do them in, you'll suffocate them. Clear?"
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!"
"Good. Then get to work."
It took a day for Naruto and company to arrive at their destination. A veritable wasteland. Oboro had sent reports that Konoha shinobi had been seen through these lands by one of his scouts. Rocky spires and cragged caves were the only scenery for miles, an ideal area for enemies to encamp. Plenty of places to hide, and difficult to check without large mobilizations of forces. That Naruto and his squad alone were the only people to be sent spoke to how desperate Oboro must be. Ame was spread thin, even against the small invasion force. They needed someone to scout this area though, and as such they were chosen. Naruto almost felt bad for his students. This area could be scouted by him with relative ease. But that was precisely why they had sent him.
They were using his strength to overcome the numbers disadvantage they would have in a situation like this. A wise strategy if one had nothing else, but not ideal for Chunin. They were being dragged through a crucible few their age should be required to deal with. But that was how the best shinobi were born. For them to truly grow they would have to constantly put their lives on the line.
Naruto could only hope this time he was a better safety net.
"This area is so large," Suiren said. "There's no way we can scout it all."
"No," Naruto muttered. "We'll do this slowly. First, we find a cave to make camp. No fires, it will only attract attention if Konoha forces are here. I want you three to keep your chakra levels suppressed as much as you can. We're likely outnumbered here. If we can't find anyone I'll act as the lure."
"You'll be the anvil," Midare stated.
"And you three will be the hammer," Naruto confirmed. "But let's hope it doesn't come to that. While unlikely, they may not even have sensors with them. We scout the caves first, together. If we find nothing, we split up tomorrow. By the third day..."
"We use your lure."
Naruto nodded.
"If we find nothing by the end of the third day, I'll leave some clones to scout but the Konoha forces that moved through here are likely long gone. Unless we find a trace of them all we can do is report back to Nagato and Oboro."
"Understood sir!"
Naruto nodded.
"Let's begin."
Asuma had never seen wind such as this. He had fought masters of wind. His father. Naruto. Danzo. Hell, he was no slouch in wind himself, having taught the blonde Uzumaki many of the jutsu he knew.
But this was different.
Their wind techniques were focused on control. Sharpening wind down as much as possible to create an unblockable blade. That idea was the concept for his wind blades. A method of fighting that was centralized around a close-combat specialty. He knew more large-scale techniques, but they were limited. But it was now, when faced with such a titanic foe, that Asuma began to wonder if he had specialized in the wrong method of Futon (Wind Release) techniques. Yes, his large scale techniques were powerful.
But they were nothing like this.
Multiple tornados raged through the rocky battlefield, kicking up dust and boulders that flew through the air. They made the battlefield an unmanageable hell. Commands to his forces were drowned out by the wind. It took chakra control to maintain on the ground in the face of the gales. The boulders lifted by the gales could crash into you at any moment, crushing you to death instantly. All caused by one kunoichi who remained comfortably in the back of her army. Asuma grit his teeth. He hadn't expected her to show up on the battlefield.
Temari Kotarou. Daughter of the last Kazekage, and sister of the current Kazekage.
She was Suna's foremost Futon specialist, and it showed. Her gales were ravaging the battlefield, caring not for friend or foe alike. That was typical Suna battle strategy. They didn't have as many shinobi as most other villages, but they made up for it with their ruthless battle strategy. Losing some shinobi for the sake of winning the battle was a strategy they often employed. They were a village mostly of long-range specialists anyway, so creating inhospitable battlefields like this wasn't particularly uncommon. But she was something completely different.
He couldn't close the distance. He knew if he could he would defeat the kunoichi. She was not capable of defeating him in close combat. If this were a fight with only the two of them, she wouldn't have had the time to launch the jutsu. But that was not the case. In a field battle like this, where the duo were each responsible for their fellow shinobi, he was at a heavy disadvantage. She was a battlefield terror.
Asuma wanted to curse. This was what he was greeted with when he returned to service from his injuries? It was ridiculous. Suna was certainly pulling out all the stops. They lost their Jinchuriki, and as such they made sure their lands were completely unassailable. But every jutsu had a weakness. This one was clearly Temari herself. The issue was once used it was hard to reach her.
Asuma leapt into the air, eyes narrowed. For the first time in his life, he wished he had asked Naruto to teach him how to utilize that armor of his. He had no doubt it would be able to fight against these gales. As it was, he was thrown by the gales, almost haphazardly. He could hear the cheers that rose from the Suna shinobi at the sight of him, but he didn't care. Morale was already low for the Konoha forces, this would make it no worse. A boulder flew at him that he quickly slashed through, cutting it in two. The Sarutobi flipped and kicked off, generating enough force to launch himself directly into one of the tornados.
He floated in the center; eyes hard. It was calmer here. The eye of the storm. Asuma grunted, weaving through handseals before he unleashed his jutsu, the blast of wind disrupting the flow of the tornado and causing it to disperse. The effect was immediate. Boulders began to fall from the sky, as did shinobi from either side. It was only one of the tornados, but the effect was there. A cumulative effect was created by the jutsu, but this disrupted it. As Asuma fell he quickly found his next target and began to move. Disrupting the tornados was something only he could do.
He grit his teeth as a Suna shinobi leapt to meet him. He slipped underneath their attack, his wind blades sparking to life as he slit their throat and crimson filled the air. He couldn't afford to hesitate. Temari could no doubt recreate the tornados, no matter how chakra intensive they were. This was not a strategy he could use in a prolonged battle. He needed to destroy just enough to reach her where he could cut the head off the snake.
It was easier said than done. The Asuma was only partially successful, managing to destroy two more tornados before another replaced the three he had destroyed. Sure, it was progress technically, but Suna had caught on to his strategy. More of their fighting force was directed directly at him, forcing him to fight with other Konoha shinobi to free himself. Before the Sarutobi knew it he was back to square one. He cursed, another Suna shinobi dropping dead before his feet. His eyes pierced the veil of wind and dust to see the dirty blonde of Temari Kotarou's hair. The kunoichi stared at him, a smirk playing along her lips. Asuma bit his lip, frustrated but understanding the position he had been put in.
This was a losing battle. By technical definition he was sure he could win, but the loses would be catastrophic. No, this battle was his loss. She had pushed him back today. But next time he would be ready for this jutsu, and anything else she would utilize. He had not known she was on the battlefield before.
Now he was.
"Konoha, retreat!"
Inabi Uchiha frowned as he was shoved to the side on during his walk. The Uchiha spun, eyes glaring at the man who had been so bold as to shove him.
"What the hell is your problem Inuzuka!"
The ninken ally of the Inuzuka Clan member snapped at the Uchiha, a low growl emanating from its throat. The Uchiha took a step back as the Inuzuka Clan member glared at him.
"My problem is that the Hokage hasn't found the traitorous fucks in your family yet," he hissed. Inabi's eyes burned.
"The hell did you just say?"
"You heard him, red eye," came the call from the Akimichi next to him. The rotund woman stared at him, markings on her face. Mourning markings weren't entirely uncommon with the more religious Akimichi. Their clan had a close relationship with the Trinity Gods that were commonly believed in before the belief of the Sage Priests became so common.
"There are no traitors in our clan," Inabi exclaimed, outraged. "There must have been a mistake!"
"My clan members died to a mistake," the Inuzuka howled, stepped forwards. Their nails elongated to claws and it was easy to see their pupils become vertical slits. Inabi grit his teeth as he realized the threat. "I should take your throat for that Uchiha! We know what we saw."
"You weren't even there! This is all going off Ino Yamanaka's word! You didn't stop to think that they could have implanted the memories in you?"
It was the wrong choice of words at the time. A blonde haired kunoichi turned to look at the argument, outrage on her face.
"Don't you dare question Ino-sama!"
Inabi turned, annoyed to see a Yamanaka Clan member glaring at him, having overheard their conversation.
"She knows what she saw. Besides, it's not out of character for a red eye to behave like that."
"The fuck did you say?"
"You heard her Uchiha," the Akimichi spat. Her saliva hit Inabi's foot. "Maybe you've all decided to finally follow in the footsteps of that pathetic forefather of yours."
Inabi's eyes bled red, two tomoi spinning in each eye. The Uchiha Clan crest on the back of his flak jacket shuffled as a gust of wind blew through the area.
"Maybe I'll show you just why your family isn't a founding one."
The four shinobi all stepped forwards, a hair's breadth from coming to blows only for a crashing weight of authority to smash into them. All four felt the air leave their lungs and desperately looked for the source. They found it. Above them stood Itachi Uchiha, his shadow shrouding them all in darkness as he stood in front of the sun's rays.
"Enough."
His words gave no room for argument.
"Disperse. All of you."
He let the crushing pressure of his killing intent end, allowing the shinobi to rise to their feet. Slowly they rose, all eyes watching him closely. Even the ninken mewled in submission. The Yamanaka quickly walked away, terrified of facing the man. Meanwhile the Akimichi and Inuzuka both shot one last dirty look at Inabi.
"Some founding family," the Inuzuka hissed underneath his breath. "Traitors the lot of you."
They stalked away, cowed by the presence of the Uchiha Clan Head but not satisfied with the result. Inabi watched them leave, frustration on his face. He glanced up to look back at Itachi only to see the Uchiha Clan Head standing next to him already. He hadn't seen him move.
"Itachi-sama!"
"Where is your companion?"
Inabi stumbled. "Well sir, you see, I just wanted-"
"I do not care what you wanted. We are being hunted Inabi," Itachi pressured. His voice was cold. Ice. "Uchiha Clan members have died. We are being blamed for attacks we have no fault in. Did you think my formal statement to the Nara and Inuzuka Clans would tide things over? They saw what they saw. I believe Ino Yamanaka."
"But sir, we would never do such things!"
"No, we would not. But they do not know that," Itachi insisted. "Which is why it is ever more important to reassure them, not antagonize them."
Inabi looked down at the ground, embarrassed. He could tell when he was being told off, even by one as polite as Itachi. "Forgive me, Itachi-sama."
There was a brief silence, one that made Inabi tempted to look upwards to look at the man.
"Where are you going?"
"The...the weapons store sir."
"I shall join you. We are under threat. Besides, you clearly need...education...in tact."
Inabi held in his groan but nodded, and the duo continued their walk. As they did Itachi's eyes cut upwards, a lone crimson eye glaring up at the ANBU member who watched them from shadow. The man disappeared, but it was too late. With his Sharingan Itachi had burned the man into his mind.
And his mask, white as snow.
The first day had been uneventful. The group had searched the wasteland for hours but found nothing. There was no sign of Konoha shinobi, not even a feeble attempt at making a campfire. When night set in first watch had been assigned to Kagami. The Chunin had taken to it swimmingly. It was a time for him to be alone with his thoughts. They were filled with thoughts of his parents and their murderer, Hanabi Hyuga. There were no thoughts that he could vocalize. All they did was fill him with a burning rage and a suffocating sadness that he would never be able to express.
He was not the only one alone with his thoughts. Midare sat next to the Chunin, unable to sleep. Thus, the two Chunin, made up but not friends, talked.
"This has been boring."
"I for one am enjoying the fact that it's boring," Kagami stated. "Think about it, if we find a Konoha force here we'll actually have to engage with them."
"Does that scare you?"
"A little, yeah," Kagami stated. "I'm always somewhat scared when I step on the battlefield. Are you not?"
Midare frowned, prodding the ground with a rock. "Not really. I never doubt that I'll come out alive."
Kagami frowned, hesitant to voice his next words.
"Was it like that against Hanabi?"
Midare frowned, the thought of their overwhelming defeat at the hands of the Hyuga filling his mind. "That was the first time I thought I would die," Midare muttered reluctantly. "I thought all of us would. But it wouldn't have been a bad death."
"A bad death?"
"There's good deaths and bad deaths," Midare stated. "When I die, I'd at least like to go down fighting."
Kagami bit his lip, shaking his head. "I don't agree," he whispered. Midare looked up at him. "I think all death is a bad death."
The two boys sat there in silence for a moment, each feeling too awkward to speak. They had never truly bonded before, so the feeling of not constantly insulting each other was an unusual one.
"How are you handling it," Midare whispered. "Your parents...I mean."
Kagami was hesitant to respond. His eyes burnt the more he thought about it.
"It's...difficult," he began. "It's just...hard to believe they're gone, you know?" His voice was cracking. He opened his mouth to speak again but closed it, biting back a scream of emotion that flowed through him.
Midare frowned but nodded. He wished he knew the words to comfort his teammate, but he knew that none existed. How could one help heal the loss that had occurred when it was so permanent? There was nothing. He could only hope that Kagami managed to form the scar tissue that always formed with a wound like this. Realizing his error, Midare made to change the conversation topic only for Kagari to keep going.
"I...I think that they would want me to keep fighting though," Kagami insisted. "And that means doing my best on this mission. That means we have to find Konoha shinobi. We have to."
Midare was slow to respond. He could hear the desperation in Kagari's voice, and it touched something within him. The desperation to prove himself to his parents. Midare could resonate with that.
"I hope we find them when Naruto isn't around," Midare finally responded. Kagari raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"So, we can fight!" Midare almost yelled. "You haven't seen it? How he's been holding us back? Refusing to really put us through our paces. Teach us how to defeat shinobi, much less Hanabi Hyuga?"
Kagari frowned. "I think his training has been pretty effective personally."
"Sure," Midare stated, waiving the statement off. "He's making us stronger I don't doubt that. But is he really giving it his all? Is he really attempting to teach us to defeat her? He knows her. She's too close to him. He could never do that. What if we find another Konoha shinobi like that? How many people is he close to emotionally that he can't kill? I understand how he must feel, but...we're at war Kagari. We don't have time for that sentimentality."
"He's killed Konoha shinobi before you know that. There's no reason to not trust him."
"Oh yeah," Midare stated. He looked at Kagari, an intense look in his eye. "You or Hanabi?"
Kagari blinked, confused.
"You or Hanabi," the Chunin repeated.
"What are you talking about?"
"If Naruto had to kill you or Hanabi who do you think he would kill?"
Kagari blinked, confused. His voice stuttered, but Midare continued, deciding not to wait for a response.
"Me or Hanabi? Suiren or Hanabi? Any of us or her? If he had to kill her to save us, do you think he could do it?"
"It wouldn't come to that-"
"How can you be sure," Midare insisted. "We're at war Kagari, stop being so damn naive. It's not out of the realm of possibility. I told him I'd kill her. How do you think he would respond to that?"
Kagari paused, struggling to find the words to answer. In part because he too had told the blonde he would kill the Hyuga. Midare raised a valid question. One that was hard to think about but easy to comprehend. What would their blonde sensei do in such a situation?
"He can be trusted to defend Ame I believe that," Midare stated. "But when it comes to the really tough decisions can we trust him? If we were going to kill Hanabi would he let us?"
Kagari was silent. Midare meanwhile stared at the opening of the cave, speaking again but mostly to himself.
"If it came down to it, could we trust him to protect our lives at the cost of someone he loved?"
The words hung in the air; a heavy weight applied to all three people awake.
It was night when the forces from Konoha struck. Shinki had spotted them a few miles out, and for once Kankuro was glad he had the boy learn under Gaara. The Daisan no Me (Third Eye) technique was of particular use in defensive battles like this. A group of Tani and Konoha shinobi were approaching the mine. A rather large force, but nothing with a significant numbers advantage. An interesting decision from the Hokage. Kankuro had to question it. The lack of a show of force for something like this was either a bluff or forced due to pressing issues in other locations.
It wasn't long before the force struck, meeting the first wave of Suna defenders. Kankuro knew that some would die in his layered defense force, but they would win and that was critical. The first wave of the defense force was the weakest, shinobi mainly designed to clear the chaff of Konoha's own forces. They utilized Katon (Fire Release) and Raiton (Lightning Release) jutsu to burn the forest, smoking out as many Konoha shinobi as possible. It was an effective strategy. The mine sat in the middle of a clearing, artificially hollowed out by the Tani Daimyo to mine once gold had been discovered in the region. The flames would spark a wildfire, forcing the Konoha shinobi out into the open.
"The bait is working as intended, Kazekage-sama," Shinki stated. "They're pushing into the mine."
Kankuro nodded.
Konoha shinobi lured out into the open, it led to the second layer of defense from Suna's forces. The sounds of battle began to reach him, a clear indication it was working. The first line of defense was meant to fall, and as the Konoha forces descended to enter the mines and uproot any Suna shinobi he would spring his own trap. He gave the signal and poison flooded from the mineshafts into the open air, threatening to kill any slow reacting Konoha or Tani shinobi. He could hear the choking screams as the poison flooded their bodies, ripping at the proteins in their cells and coagulating blood. The sounds of bodies dropping filled him with satisfaction.
But it wasn't enough.
The sounds of battle continued, the Konoha force pushing through. No doubt some iryonin healing the effects of the poison, or Futon users directing the poison away from the bulk of the force. That was fine. The poison wasn't meant to last long, but rather thin out the least resistant to it. Of course, the Konoha forces wouldn't be dumb enough to push into the mines to attack at the remaining Suna forces. That was practically asking to be ambushed. No, Kankuro expected them to try to slam the mines shut, killing all the Suna shinobi that resided inside.
That was fine with him.
Suna wasn't in the mine.
"Now."
The genjutsu dropped, revealing hordes of Suna shinobi sitting on the other side of the forest, untouched by the flames that raged on the other side of the mine. The Suna shinobi that specialized in Doton (Earth Release) shot forwards, hands weaving through handseals. The Kazekage smirked as their jutsu activated, causing the mine to collapse. An annoyance to be sure, but not one that couldn't be overcome with a strong labor effort and strong Doton ninjutsu users. It was better to have the rights to the mine's location and not be able to mine it immediately than to have his entire force fight a bloody battle to maintain it.
The mine collapsed in on the Konoha forces, forcing the most desperate ones to charge into the mine shafts to avoid the tons of rock and dirt that would crush them to death. The ground rumbled and the screams of shinobi were quickly cut short. The Kazekage nodded, allowing Shinki to drop his jutsu. The boy lowered his hand, opening his previously covered eye.
"Shinki. Shred any survivors."
The boy, about three years younger than Konohamaru, nodded. Hs reached out with his chakra and sent the iron sand he had previously stored in the tunnels on a violent frenzy. He could feel it before he heard it. The resistance against his sand. The shinobi failing to predict such the assault. The grinding of the iron sand against their bodies. And then the screams filled the air, Tani and Konoha shinobi desperate for any form of an escape. The coalition would find none underground, only the sweet release of death.
When the screaming finally stopped Kankuro slowly stalked towards the destroyed mine.
"Excavate the mine. Find and kill any survivors."
The Suna force immediately went to work, leaving the two members of the Kotarou family alone as they searched the mine.
"A masterful strategy, Kazekage-sama."
"It was only effective thanks to you," Kankuro stated. "Your iron sand was what fooled their sensors. Good work today Shinki. A crushing victory is exactly what we needed. Who knows, if all goes well even if Temari didn't manage to distract Asuma Sarutobi he died in the assault."
"The Daimyo chose well, naming you Kazekage father."
Kankuro glanced down at the boy, eyes flickering before he looked up at the trees.
"On your guard."
Shinki didn't question the order. The cap to the gourd on his back popped open and iron sand swirled around the duo menacingly, stopping a hail of shuriken from ripping either of their throats open. Kankuro turned his head, eyes on the forest.
"There's just one."
"We should recall the force."
"No, don't distract them. We shall defeat them."
One of the seals on Kankuro's fingers popped open, revealing a puppet. "Bring them out."
Shinki nodded. He waved his hand while forming a handseal with the other, eyes hard.
"Satetsu Shigure (Iron Sand Drizzle)!"
The almost imperceptible storm of iron sand destroyed the forest, shredding through trees and rocks as if they were paper mache. The earth itself was torn asunder from the violent attack. There was no defense, and that was the goal with the widespread attack. The Konoha shinobi had leapt into the air to avoid the attack, a white mask covering their face. Kankuro flicked his fingers, and his puppet unleashed a storm of senbon directly at them. The speed of the senbon was immense, but it lacked the raw destructive power of Shinki's technique. The Konoha shinobi easily managed to parry their way through the storm.
As they landed on the ground in front of the Suna duo the opposing forces glared at one another.
"ANBU. No...hunter nin?"
"Irrelevant," Kankuro insisted, shutting down Shinki's curiosity. The Kazekage walked forwards.
"You have done enough work today Shinki. I shall handle this."
Shinki looked to protest but a simple wave of Kankuro's head was enough to silence all protest. The Kazekage stared down the wannabe assassin. Neither moved. Kankuro's eye twitched.
"If you will not move, then I will."
A storm of senbon flew from his puppets mouth, the quantity this time much larger forcing the Konoha shinobi to dodge. Kankuro leapt after him with his puppet trailing after him. The shinobi stared at him, before a storm of insects left his body, aiming directly at the Kazekage. Kankuro's eyes widened.
'Aburame!'
The Kazekage retreated instantly, biting his lip as he saw the insects. That was a problem. He could not recklessly attack an Aburame lest he wished to lose control over his puppets with their blasted insects. But a drawn-out battle against one was not in his favor either. Immune to most poisons he may be, he knew well that Aburame poisons were something Suna puppeteers had yet to devise an adequate antidote for.
Making a mistake in this battle would lead to his death, that much was certain.
The two clashed in a tidal wave of attacks. Storms of insects met countless weapons, unleashed by the three puppets that Kankuro had unsealed to make a total of four. Neither made any headway in their attacks, forcing them to re-analyze.
It was the Aburame who moved next.
His hands shot outwards, unleashing storm of insects that left the large cloak that covered the man. Kankuro's eyes narrowed. Another large scale attack. This was becoming repetitive. He had to change the pace of the battle.
"Dokukiri Jigoku: Baribari Hyaku Renpatsu (Poison Mist Hell: Hundred Continuous Firing)."
A storm of poisonous gas filled the air before countless numbers of senbon shot from the gas. The Aburame's flock of insects rose to meet the attack, diving into the poison with a lack of care. The Aburame watched, circling the poisonous cloud until it dispersed, revealing corpses of his hive next to puppets that lay on the ground.
But there was a distinct lack of a body next to them.
The ground behind him erupted, forcing him to spin on his heel. His eyes widened.
The Kazekage knowing Doton ninjutsu was not in the report.
Next to the Kazekage was a massive puppet that dwarfed all reasonable size. Something that sacrificed the typical stealth and finesse of puppets for size was something bound to be unique indeed. Kankuro snarled.
"Meet Ashisogi Jizō. Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō (Divine Leg-Cutting Jizō)!"
The puppet shot forwards at frightening speed, its neck opening to reveal a storm of blades positioned to run him through. The Aburame's eyes widened before he quickly substituted with a log to avoid the attack.
It wasn't enough.
Kankuro had expected such a move, and his other puppets sprang to life. They closed the distance on the Aburame, his eyes widening before they finished their mission. Kuroari snapped around the Aburame, holding him still before Karasu split, blades at the end of each of its appendages. Kankuro flicked his fingers before the puppet shot forwards, each blade stabbing into holes on the body of Kuroari. Blood dripped from the holes. Kankuro snorted.
"Kurohigi Kiki Ippatsu (Secret Black Technique: Iron Maiden)."
The body of Kuroari opened, revealing the punctured Aburame. The white ANBU mask crumpled from his face, revealing a smile. Kankuro's eyes narrowed, and his guard raised. A shinobi that smiled in death was either insane or knew something his foe did not. The danger had not passed.
The Aburame crumpled to the ground and a storm of the small insects from before shot out, in such numbers that they were a visible hoard. Kankuro watched as they flew from to a nearby tree, his eyes watching in horror as it withered away before his eyes.
Poison!
And a quite powerful one to do something like that. The insects were wild now, their host having been killed. They must have been a particularly violent specimen for them to behave like this after the Aburame host died. They charged forwards, but Kankuro was prepared. Kuroari opened wide, blood still leaking from it, before the insects poured into it. The puppet snapped shut before Karasu sealed it shut. The Kazekage was unconcerned with the potentiality of the poison rotting the wood. It was protected with a combination of seals and lamination to prevent such an occurrence. Silently, he resealed the puppets he had unleashed during the battle, turning to look at Shinki.
"Amazing, Kazekage-sama."
Kankuro frowned, his eyes thinking back to the Aburame that lay dead on the ground. He approached the dead body, analyzing it.
"I may have been gifted something quite interesting."
Shinki's eyes widened. He bit his lip, hesitant before he voiced his thoughts.
"You're not thinking of following after-"
"I will never follow in the footsteps of that man," Kankuro stated with finality in his voice. His eyes met Shinki's, a deep rage burning in them. "The Akahigi (Red Secret Technique) blasphemes the very idea of separation between man and puppet."
The Kazekage turned back to his now-dead opponent.
"But that does not mean I cannot study man."
The second day had similarly been unsuccessful. Nothing, not a speck of dust was out of place in the wasteland. The group was quickly growing to believe that whatever the reports were, the Konoha force had long since left this location. It wasn't impossible for them to breach further into Rain in an attempt to reach the capital. They had sent numerous spies through the country to try and breach Ame, and while none had been successful Konoha would not stop trying.
The third day felt no different. The attempt at a lure had been unsuccessful. The trio of Chunin had stopped suppressing their chakra while Naruto suppressed his, but no danger had come. The quartet had been wholly unsuccessful. In a last-ditch effort while the sun was setting the blonde Uzumaki had told them to split up once more before the sun came to rest and the few beams of light that pierced the clouds of Rain disappeared.
Naruto stalked through the cave passage, a frown on his face. Another dead end. Nothing was here. In the caves, where his sensory technique was most effective due to the lack of rain disrupting his senses, he didn't feel even a speck out of place. The blonde Uzumaki rubbed the back of his head, frustrated. It wasn't often that reports like this were wrong, even if outdated, but he couldn't help the feeling that Oboro's report was just incorrect. If there had been activity of Konoha shinobi here it should have been visible, even if old. Shinobi were thorough in covering their tracks, but Naruto was uniquely familiar with infiltration missions in Konoha. If there were any traces of Konoha shinobi here, he would have seen it.
But he saw nothing.
Oboro's information was wrong.
The Uzumaki turned, preparing to leave when he felt it. The slightest disturbance in his wind. It was something that on most days he would have passed off as a simple change in the direction of wind. But he had keener senses since his fight against Shukaku. His armor flung to life around him, dispersing the colorless and odorless gas that had quickly filled the cave. The blonde was quick to use a Futon jutsu to send the wave of poison out of the cave into the open air. His eyes scanned the cave, on guard.
"Who's there?"
The movement was felt before it was seen. The benefits of being able to sense through the air. The blonde spun, hand catching the sword at the hilt before it could cut into him. It would have failed, but that was irrelevant. His eyes met the porcelain mask before him, noticing the cat imagery and red stripes that decorated it. The blonde leapt backwards, only to have his sensory jutsu flare up once more. He tucked himself in, narrowly avoiding the sword that threatened to puncture his side. The blonde kicked away, turning to look at both ANBU members before him. His eyes narrowed as he looked at their masks.
"Yugao? Hayate?"
The only response he got was the duo clenching their swords before the cave crumbled into the ground.
Midare, Suiren, and Kagari sighed as they left the cave. This had been a particularly challenging search, as this cave connected to a larger cave system that had taken them almost an hour to check. By the time they had left the system they had found nothing that constituted evidence of Konoha shinobi's existence. When they arose from the cave system it was already dark, and it was storming. Rain showered down on the trio, forcing Midare to raise his umbrella not for battle but for simple protection. The trio huddled together, each trying to avoid the chill of the ice-cold water. Raised here they may be, they had no desire to be stuck in the cold rain for long periods of time.
The trio walked back to their meeting point but found no evidence of their blonde sensei. A frown covered Midare's face.
"He should have been here by now. He's faster than us."
"He was also covering more ground. He might have stumbled upon something," Kagari stated.
"He would have sent a clone," was the curt response. The assassination-wannabe glanced at Suiren who nodded. The kunoichi began to weave through handseals.
"Stay on guard," Midare muttered. "This is suspicious."
Suiren clapped her hands together before the rain began to focus on the trio just slightly more. Not enough to be obvious, but enough to make the trio significantly harder to spot in the torrential downpour. The sound of rain crashing on the ground filled their ears. The sound boomed through the wasteland. Before any of the trio knew it a flash of light filled the air before a thunderous boom shook the ground.
A thunderstorm. Great.
The trio continued their walk, their guard raised as they moved through the wasteland. No matter what they found nothing. No signs of their sensei or any reason for him to be missing. The longer they searched the harder it became. Water began to flood into the caves below and covered the ground. The ground was becoming only more and more difficult to see with the deluge. Bolts of lightning cracked down, smashing into larger rock spires that rose higher into the sky, sending boulders crashing to the ground. It was entirely inhospitable.
"We won't be able to find him like this," Suiren screamed over the storm. "It's best that we just wait at camp for him to return! I'm sure he can handle whatever it is he's dealing with!"
"But we can't just leave him here!" Midare called out. "We have to keep pushing forwards!"
"She's right Midare," Kagari called out. "It's getting dangerous. We should head back."
Midare bit his lip, feeling the rapids of the waters that submerged his ankles pull on him. He couldn't deny his teammates logic.
"Alright. Let's head back."
"Too late, little Rain ninja."
A crack of lightning split a rock spire, the flash of light revealing the shadows of a dozen Konoha shinobi that surrounded the duo. The trio quickly huddled together, backs together to cover all angles.
"Shit," Midare hissed, bringing his umbrella to bear. "An ambush. They were here. They were waiting for us to separate and lower our guard!"
"We're outnumbered here. We have to run," Kagari whispered.
"We're surrounded," was Midare's quick response. "We don't have a choice but to fight them."
"Stick together. We can't isolate them, or we'll be quickly picked apart. We retreat backwards until we can get into one of the underwater caves. There has to be a cavern in there we can hide out in," Suiren whispered.
"Or we drown after they cave the roof in on us," Midare grunted. "No, staying above ground is the best bet. Besides, if Naruto escapes from wherever he is we'll be a lot easier to find aboveground."
"We still have no way to limit the numbers they're-"
"Enough chatter," came the call from one of the Konoha shinobi. "I'm not interested in hearing your hushed whispers."
"You're going to die here," came the call from another. A guttural growl emerged from their throat, bellowing over the storm. "Any last words?"
Midare looked at his two companions, eyes hard.
"Yeah. Go fuck yourself."
The battlefield erupted into chaos at that moment. Bolts of lightning, gouts of flame, and the flash of steel flew across the battlefield. They came from every direction, cracking against the ground and sending up tuffs of rubble and dust. The onslaught descended on the Ame Chunin, and yet they were careful to avoid them. Despite the omnidirectional attack they avoided it all, nearly suffocated by the small windows to dodge. Midare smirked to himself at the inability of the Konoha shinobi to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.
'Their attacks are far slower than Naruto's.'
But the attacks allowed the Konoha shinobi to close the distance. The Ame Chunin leapt into the air as he saw a tornado of fang and claw carve its way through the ground at him. His eyes widened as he watched it spear through the ground where he once was. He had no time to focus in on it as a Konoha shinobi leapt at him, lashing out with a kick that cratered into his chest. The Ame Chunin smashed into the ground, water splashing into the air as he screamed in pain. His eyes closed for a brief instance, pain flaring through his body. He snapped them open, only to see a spear snapping right at his face.
Kagari saved him, his kunai deflecting the spear from his teammate before lashing out with a kick that pushed the kunoichi that wielded it away. Suiren was at his side, hands enclosed in a handseal before she unleashed a storm of water that forced the Konoha shinobi backwards. Before Midare could scramble to his feet the ground beneath them erupted. The trio fell, unable to grab onto anything with the slickness of the environment and the speed of the sudden man-made rockslide. They couldn't even attach themselves to anything with chakra, such was their inability to get a firm grasp over anything.
The trio stared at the bottom of the rockslide, eyes widening as they saw the ground morph into a pit of spikes and flame. It surged, the flames roaring despite the powerful deluge they found themselves in. Midare cursed, eyes snapping over at Suiren.
"Take out those flames!"
The kunoichi nodded, hands weaving through handseals. The assassination-expert-wannabe then turned to Kagari.
"Get rid of those spikes! Then prepare a genjutsu! We have to counterattack!"
Kagari nodded, his hands moving at speeds that would have been impossible just a few days before in the battle against Hanabi Hyuga. Midare stared down at their impending death, hands tightening around his twin umbrellas. Two seconds before they reached their death Suiren finished her jutsu, unleashing a deluge of water that drowned out the flames beneath them. One second later Kagari completed his, the ground rising up to greet them. The spikes flattened out and the ground softened, cushioning their landing. The trio had no moment to congratulate one another on their successful escape from what had been certain death, hearing the roar of flames above. The trio glanced upwards to see a flaming dragon and another storm of fang and claw descending on them. Midare grit his teeth and glanced at Suiren.
"Water!"
The Ame Chunin raised his umbrellas to the sky before he spun them, unleashing a storm of senbon up above. Suiren was quick to send a storm of water to join it, dousing the needles. The projectiles punctured holes through the flaming dragon, already weakened from the natural environment. The projectiles destabilized it just enough for the jutsu to shatter into specks of flame that the rain took out. They continued upwards, but the ninken's Gatsūga (Fang Passing Fang) blew the projectiles away. Midare cursed.
'What type of rotation speed is that!'
The trio leapt away, barely avoiding being struck by the technique but not by the shockwave it unleashed on impact with the ground. They rolled against the ground, light cuts covering their bodies as they rolled against the rocky ground.
Kagari was the first to get up, his head swirling, but he had no time to tend to it. Three Konoha shinobi leapt at him, weapons in hand. Kagari grimaced but slammed his hands together, remembering Midare's orders. A bolt of lightning struck the ground between him and his assailants, and the shinobi launched his jutsu the boom of thunder being as good of a trigger as any. Earthen chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around the Konoha shinobi and smashing them into the ground. Their eyes widened in outrage. Quickly they realized that no Ame Chunin would have been capable of such advanced Doton (Earth Release) manipulation on such short notice and flared their chakra, breaking free of the genjutsu.
It was too late.
Kagari had already leapt away, a storm of kunai leaving his hands at his assailants. One split the throat of a Konoha shinobi, a river of blood flashing in the brilliant flash of lightning.
He was still not granted a moment of reprieve, Suiren's body smashing into his own. She was covered in lacerations across her chest and legs, courtesy of the Inuzuka in the offensive party. The two rolled against the ground, a pile of limbs. A Konoha kunoichi appeared before them, spear in hand and ready to spear the duo through. However, her spear was met by two umbrellas courtesy of Midare. Lacerations crisscrossed across his back as his eyes met hers. Rage met defiance before the two moved.
Their weapons slammed together in a frenzy of blows, each connection unleashing a terrible CRACK that resonated throughout the battlefield. Their movements were far above what either could normally achieve, desperation and adrenaline fueling their bodies. Lightning smashed on the ground with them, almost matching the pace of their movements. Finally, the kunoichi seemed to have enough, and lightning from the sky curved towards her instead of smashing into the ground. Her spear glowed a brilliant yellow as electricity coursed through it before she lurched at Midare. The Chunin's eyes widened, and he dodged desperately, watching as the lance struck the ground where his allies once were. They had risen and moved in the chaos, each desperately fending off assailants of their own. Midare snarled, latching his arm down onto the kunoichi's. Her eyes widened as electricity coursed through both of them, eliciting screams of pain from both.
Midare stood strong.
He roared, chakra surging around the tip of his umbrella, before he thrust his assassination jutsu through the kunoichi's skull, unleashing a storm of blood, bone, and brain matter. Blood trickled from his mouth as her body dropped the ground, but the adrenaline coursing through his body denied him the ability to truly realize the pain he was going through. His Konoha opponents would give him no quarter to think about his pain regardless. Two more flashed in front of him, kunai in hand and forcing the Ame Chunin to engage in a close-quarters duel. But no matter how much he tried to ignore it his body was injured. It would take time to recover from the volts of electricity coursing through him. He was slow.
Injuries began to pile up, and just as he collapsed on the ground, body exhausted, Kagari appeared, catching the two Konoha shinobi by their wrists. He was not alone. Another Konoha shinobi, faster than the other three that were there before flashed next to his ally, sword piercing his gut.
"Kagari!"
Kagari grit his teeth, but latched on to Midare's scream of outrage and let his chakra flow. He screamed. The genjutsu latched onto the Konoha shinobi. To them, the ground collapsed, sending them all stumble to their hands and knees, unable to maintain their balance. Midare quickly scrambled to his feet, grabbing Kagari and retreating before the Konoha shinobi realized the error of the ways. But they were quickly chased by another four, all with hate in their eyes.
They regrouped with Suiren, the kunoichi managing to avoid her assailants with a clever use of Suiton (Water Release) ninjutsu, but it was clear to see the efforts exhausted her. More cuts covered her form, undoubtedly by the Inuzuka who was hunting her.
"I must admit you three are fast," the Inuzuka called, a savage grin on his face. "But speed alone won't save you."
The Inuzuka lurched forwards, a grin on his face. Midare looked at Kagari.
"He's the ringleader! Kagari we need-"
"Already working on it!"
Midare wanted to smirk. This was the teammate he wished to know was in there. And he was glad to know he existed. Still, the Chunin needed time. The Inuzuka appeared before them, claws swiping down only to meet Midare's umbrellas. Midare grunted, struggling to resist the advances of the Konoha shinobi as he realized the strength disparity between the two.
"Fucking umbrellas! Don't make me laugh!"
Claws gripped the umbrellas before the Inuzuka ripped one of them into tatters, forcing Midare to rely on just the one. Before he could launch his attack the rest of the Konoha contingent was upon them, jutsu primed and ready to launch. Even the ones that had been caught in Kagari's genjutsu from before were here. Just as they unleashed their jutsu Kagari unleashed his. The ground twisted, shooting into the air as Kagari utilized Doton: Chidōkaku (Earth Release: Moving Earth Core). His usage of the jutsu was spotty at best. A rushed and imperfected jutsu, it would not raise the combatants high into the air, but it would raise them. The Ame trio and their Inuzuka assailant lifted into the air seconds before the ninjutsu from the fellow Konoha shinobi shot forwards. Their blasts smashed at the base of the structure, detonating in a violent storm that sent all who resided on it flying.
Suiren grit her teeth as she did so, watching as her teammates flew far away from her. In her horror the Inuzuka had seen her, kicking off from the rock underneath him to launch himself at her. A crazed look was in his eye. His claws were raised.
"Tsūga (Passing Fang)!"
The Ame Chunin grit her teeth, hands slamming together. For more than once in her life she was happy she had spent time honing her proficiency with Suiton to levels that most would ridicule her for. A jet of water spat from her mouth, a Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Wild Water Wave) that had a particularly lame impact on the shinobi. But that wasn't what Suiren was aiming for. The water curved and she performed the maneuver she had attempted against her sensei with better results. The Inuzuka slammed into her, claws ripping into her stomach and forcing her to spit blood, but her eyes remained hard. She raised her hand as water swirled around the duo. The Inuzuka seemed to realize his mistake, but it was too late. Suiren's hand snatched his throat and the water hardened just as they crashed into the ground.
The Suirō no Jutsu (Water Prison Technique) was complete.
The Inuzuka desperately struggled to free himself from the technique, but the water was heavy. Every movement drained him and every time he opened his mouth to scream at her water filled his lungs. The two had been sent the furthest from the blast, and with his status as ringleader no Konoha shinobi had come to his assistance, instead focusing on the other two wounded members of the Ame trio.
They were alone.
Suiren's eyes hardened as the two finally stopped rolling, ending with her on top of him. Blood from her body dripped onto the water prison as she screamed in victory. The mask that covered the lower part of her face was torn to pieces, revealing bloodied lips. The Inuzuka's movement began to slow before ceasing entirely.
The kunoichi released the jutsu, gasping for air from exhaustion, only to hear a guttural growl. She turned her head to see the Inuzuka's ninken glaring at her, hate filling its eyes. She smirked.
"Take that you damn wet dog."
The ninken snarled, leaping at the kunoichi, but Suiren was ready. She rolled to her back, kicking the ninken as he threatened to bite at her. Its jaws snapped shut just centimeters away from her throat. Before it could launch another bite, one that would have assuredly killed the kunoichi, her kunai bit upwards into its stomach. It yowled with pain, but Suiren, running off pure survival instinct, yanked the kunai up. The inards of the dog collapsed, the beast dropping dead from shock, blood loss, and organ failure. Suiren took a moment to breathe, blood covering her form. She spat the crimson liquid from her mouth, unsure if it was hers or the ninkens, before she groggily pushed the beast off of her. She stood, staring at the danger her teammates were in. They were slowly being overwhelmed. The kunoichi stumbled forwards, eating a soldier pill to restore her lost chakra before she weaved through handseals.
Then, she unleashed the most powerful Suiton jutsu she knew.
A mighty dragon of water careened downwards from the sky towards the Konoha contingent, forcing them away as water swept over the battlefield and the water level of the already submerged ground grew. A bastardized version of the Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet) that she had only be capable of due to the rain above. Lightning flashed through the sky, striking at rocks and illuminating the otherwise dark battlefield. Kagari and Midare quickly regrouped with their companion, weapons and cuts covering their bodies. The trio were exhausted.
They had managed to kill their share of shinobi, but this was too much. They were outnumbered, wounded, and exhausted.
"Any idea how we get out of this one," Suiren asked, watching as their opponents regrouped.
"I'm shit out of ideas," Midare muttered. His right arm hung limply by his side.
"You know Midare, when I said I wanted to face Konoha shinobi I wasn't expecting this," Kagari stated. His voice was half filled with mirth. "I thought we would be doing the ambushing."
"And I didn't think I'd kill to see Naruto right about now," Midare stated. A grin split his face as the Konoha contingent charged.
"But if I have to die, goddamn it I'm happy to do it with you two! Let's give these Konoha bastards our best shot!"
"Yeah!" was the call and response from his two allies. The trio stumbled forwards; their bodies exhausted as they realized they would soon be meeting their death. They stood no chance against the Konoha forces. The result was immediate. Almost instantly all three were on the ground, alive but barely conscious from the beating. A lone Konoha shinobi approached them, sword flickering in the sporadic lightning bolts that illuminated the area.
"You pieces of shit," the Konoha shinobi hissed. "You killed some of our shinobi. Your deaths won't be quick for that. I can assure you."
Midare spat blood at them.
"Do your worst."
The Konoha shinobi grinned.
Naruto grunted as he landed on the ground. His eyes snapped open, analyzing the arena he had suddenly been thrust into. An underground cavern, too large and well detailed to be natural. A kill zone designed specifically for him. The blonde looked back at the two ANBU before him.
"Hayate. Yugao. What are you doing here?"
He received no answer. Instead, the duo leapt at him, forcing the blonde on the defensive. He weaved between their attacks, quickly growing frustrated with their lack of a response. In a burst of speed, he separated himself, a frown marring his face.
"You can't pretend I don't know it's you. So, tell me, what are you two doing here? What are Konoha's plans here?"
"To take down Ame," was the response.
A figure appeared from behind the blonde, slashing out at him only for Naruto to turn, his fist smashing through their face and reverting the clone to mud.
"A complete non-answer. Such an ANBU way of talking."
A wave of water smashed into him, failing to move the blonde courtesy of his wind. Still, the force kept him rooted, allowing Yugao to appear above him. Her blade swung down, only for the blonde to catch the attack at her wrist before flinging her back towards her companion and lover, forcing Hayate to stop his jutsu.
"A force like this trying to sneak through Ame's territory tells me one thing. You're attempting an assassination. But on who? Certainly not me or Nagato, you would have come with a much larger force than that. So, tell me, who are you planning on assassinating?"
The blonde's eyes narrowed.
"Certainly, Danzo and Shikaku wouldn't be so dumb as to try and kill Nagato's son after their failed kidnapping attempt, right?"
If the knowledge that the blonde knew who was leading Konoha's war effort disturbed the duo they did not show it. Instead, they pressed the assault, but the blonde avoided all the while. The two of them were strong, and their skillsets and teamwork would be enough to take down many a competent shinobi. But the blonde was not merely a competent shinobi.
"No, that doesn't add up. This isn't an assassination. Your goal is to cause chaos in the country, isn't it? Continue your plan of harassing civilians even more? But to what end? That's not Shikaku's M.O. to my knowledge."
"I have no interest in talking to a traitor," Hayate coughed up.
"Much less a dead man," Yugao muttered, making no small reference to the blonde's lost arm. The Uzumaki rolled his eyes.
"Dead man? Please. Neither of you possess the capability to defeat me."
The two gave no response, instead leaping forwards. Yugao raised her blade, swinging it in a circular motion. Afterimages flowed after each motion of her blade. Naruto grunted, letting his wind trace Hayate's movements while his eyes traced Yugao's. She shot forwards, only for the blonde to catch her slash by the wrist. If she was surprised at the ease with which he had caught a traditionally disorienting technique she did not display it.
The air was shoved away.
"Hiken: Tsukikage (Secret Sword: Moonlight)!"
Naruto turned, watching as his wind armor easily stopped Hayate's sword. The weapon didn't even come close to penetrating his armor. The blonde narrowed his eyes, lashing out with a kick that sent the man flying backwards before flinging Yugao after him. The two quickly rose to their feet, the grips on their swords only tighter. Flame coated Hayate's blade while a thin film of wind swirled around Yugao's. Naruto sighed.
"There's no point to this. You both know you can't defeat me."
"Your arm," was the response he got. "If you can lose an arm that means you can bleed. If you can bleed...we can kill you."
Naruto frowned as Yugao swung. The blonde watched her blade helplessly collide against his armor. Hayate appeared at the same location, thrusting his sword at the same point only for the two to fail to make any substantial progress. The blonde grunted, his armor activating to stage two and blowing both of them away.
"I lost this arm to a Jinchuriki," Naruto stated. "You two are no Jinchuriki."
The blonde shook his head.
"Both of you lack the offensive capabilities to pierce my wind, nor the durability to withstand it. Stand down, and I will not kill you."
"Do you think yourself god, Naruto," Hayate interjected. A fit of coughs made his words hard to follow. Two clones of the man formed silently around him. "You are man. Not god. No different than us. We will serve our duty, and in doing so, end yours."
The man charged, but Naruto was dispassionate. The Mikazuki no Mai (Dance of the Crescent Moon) would be a dangerous threat to any shinobi that wasn't him. As it was all he had to do was sit there while the blades of his former allies failed to pierce his wind. Even the flames that surrounded Hayate's blade were doused by the rotating winds around the blonde. Hayate grit his teeth in frustration. Naruto rubbed his forehead.
"Both of you know this is pointless! If you had a way to pierce my armor, you'd have done it by now. You had one shot to kill me, and it failed. Give up!"
"That must be so easy for you to say," Yugao called. She sat in the shadows, invisible to Naruto. Instead, her voice bounced around like a wraith. "You're used to it. You gave up after Hinata's death. That's all you've ever done. That's all you'll ever be. A quitter."
Naruto's eyes sharpened at that. He saw Yugao leap at him, blade raised to run him through. The tip of her blade smashed into his armor. Her eyes narrowed and her chakra spun. And then, her sword began to dig itself into the blonde's armor. Bit by bit. Piece by piece. The blonde's eyes widened. Yugao smirked.
"You thought we had no plans on how to counter your wind," Hayate whispered. "We just have to move wind in the opposition direction. The clash between the wind will form a small opening we can pierce through."
The blonde stared at the duo, annoyed. And then, his armor exploded into its final stage, shattering both of their blades and sending them flying away. Both smashed against the wall, the masks that covered their faces cracked and slipping from their faces. Naruto stared each of them in the eyes, noticing the surprise in them.
"A quitter," Naruto muttered, saying the word with the distaste that could only be felt by someone who lost his wife. "Is that how you view me Yugao?"
The blonde stalked forwards.
"When I saved your life from those Kumo shinobi on our assassination mission of that arms dealer, was I quitter?"
A bolt of lightning shot at him, but it was snuffed out. The blonde continued his approach.
"When I saved your life from the Kiri kunoichi who punctured your lung Hayate, was I a quitter?"
A spear of solid earth shot at him, only to shred against the blonde's armor. He continued his approach.
"When I completed our mission to assassinate Mui of Kusa? After you two had been left crippled by Ryuzetsu? After bringing you both back to iryonin? Was I a quitter?"
A jet of flame conjoined with a gale of wind rose to meet the blonde, but this combination jutsu was nothing like the ones launched by Kakuzu. The blonde's wind armor completely dispersed the threat.
The blonde stopped his approach before the duo.
"I am no quitter," the blonde hissed. "Traitor yes. I've come to realize that. I've placed myself between a rock and a hard place in this war. Fighting against those I care about in defense of my new home. If I had my way, I'd end this bloodlessly. But I don't get to have my way."
The blonde opened his hand and his scythe formed.
"It's time I chose a side."
The blonde raised his scythe.
"I will protect those close to me. I will protect my loved ones. Do you intend on getting in the way of that goal?"
"We intend on following through with Konoha's orders. And if that means killing you, those chunin of yours, and everyone in Ame, then so be it," Yugao hissed. Naruto frowned but nodded.
"Then I shall defend what is mine."
The blonde stared at them a quick moment more.
And then the scythe fell.
Midare had known he would face death on the battlefield someday. It was the obvious conclusion for someone who led a life such as he.
He did not imagine it would be like this.
Cold. Younger than he would have preferred. In his own territory no less. He had imagined him dying after being caught performing an assassination in some foreign land, hunted by countless shinobi. A martyr. A hero's death. Instead, he was dying next to his teammates, surrounded by shinobi with their supposed sensei missing.
A failure.
But he was not sad. The Chunin took solace in the fact he had taken down one of them with him. That each of his teammates had as well. It soothed him to know that if the numbers had been even, they would have won the exchange. They were not weak. They were strong.
And in some part of himself, deeper than he cared verbally admit, he was happy he was doing it with his teammates.
The blade of the Konoha shinobi fell, only for it to shatter into a thousand pieces. A violent storm blew away the deluge, forcing the Konoha shinobi backwards. The ground itself was ripped asunder as terrifying violet eyes pierced the gale. The Konoha shinobi gripped their weapons, eyes narrowed. The tension in the air was thick. None dare spoke a word.
"Are you okay?"
Midare didn't know how glad he would be to hear his teacher's voice.
"Naruto-sensei," Suiren whispered, a smile decorating her face. "You're here."
"Sorry about that," the blonde stated. The wind around him expanded, shielding the quartet from the elements while all the blades gently caressed their skin. It did not cut but was rather a soothing gust over them. "Got a little held up."
The blonde's eyes scanned the battlefield, noticing the bodies of dead Konoha shinobi.
"Looks like you three did good though."
"Of course we did you asshole," Midare muttered. "We're Ame shinobi!"
Naruto gave a small chuckle. A smile danced against his otherwise serene face.
"Damn straight."
The blonde rose to his feet, glancing at the three of them.
"You all stay right here, okay? I'll take care of them and get you all to iryonin at Oboro's fort."
"No way," Kagari muttered. "I want to help you."
"We all do," Suiren insisted.
The duo tried to rise, but they were on shaky legs. It was Midare's hand that helped them up. The trio stood before the blonde; eyes filled with defiance. Midare spoke next.
"Let us help you."
The blonde looked them over, watching their shaky legs. They were exhausted, and in no condition to fight. He admired their mindset, but he was their sensei.
"No way in hell."
The words were a bucket of cold water to the fiery determination the three held. It sapped their strength, dropping all three to the ground.
"Each of you has done more than your fair share of work. I'm proud to call you my students," the blonde said. His words caused the trio's eyes to widen. "But it's your sensei's job to take care of you."
Naruto gave them a smile.
"Let me show you three just how cool your sensei is yeah?"
The blonde turned to look at the Konoha shinobi. They stared at him, fear keeping them still throughout the Ame shinobi's conversation. Finally, one manifested the courage to speak.
"Naruto Uzumaki! Yugao's and Hayate's sacrifices will not be in vain! We will kill you now!"
The blonde stared at the shinobi before him, a frustrated look on his face.
"You hurt my students," he muttered. He let the wind armor around him drop, and for a moment the world paused. The rain and lightning from above did not reach them, a brief intermission thanks to the blonde's void. Violet eyes scanned over each of the Konoha shinobi.
"I hope you are ready to deal with the consequences of that."
Then, he disappeared.
What happened next was not something Midare, Suiren, or Kagari could put into words. They knew their sensei was strong. They had seen it. He defeated those Konoha shinobi that had grouped up on him with no wounds. He had handled Hanabi Hyuga with ease, and only suffered an injury due to emotional attachment. He had been capable of patrolling a large swath of the Rain-Fire border by himself. They heard the tales of his accomplishments.
But seeing him in action. Truly in action, was something else entirely.
The blonde cut through the Konoha shinobi like a hot knife through butter. The second they engaged it was clear the difference in levels between the opposing sides. What had felt like a pack of wolves to them was nothing but a few flies to the blonde. Even if he lacked an arm, he was simply superhuman. His feet danced around their attacks, not bothering to use his armor. His eyes lazily tracked his foes. His blows hammered into them, breaking bones on contact. Even their most powerful ninjutsu were negated by his sheer mastery of the elements.
Their eyes widened in realization of one fact that had only now sunk in for them.
'This is an S-class shinobi.'
The last body dropped on the ground, dead. Naruto patted his pants, trying to get as much blood off of him as possible. He had tried to keep it localized to brute force attacks, but it was still possible for his opponents to cough up blood. He turned, eager to look at his students with a smile on his face only for his blood to run cold as he heard a scream and a shout.
"Don't move!"
The blonde's eyes narrowed as he saw Hayate standing behind Midare, blade at the shinobi's throat. Yugao held both Kagari and Suiren, a blade at their backs that was just barely visible thanks to the flashing lightning.
"Hayate...Yugao..."
"Kill yourself or they die!"
The blonde paused, looking at Yugao. The ANBU member stared back at him harshly.
"Those are my terms Naruto. Take it or leave it."
"I didn't let you two live so you could do this."
"That was your mistake," Hayate ground out. It was evident he was resisting his cough. "Unlike you, we're loyal to our cause. And we will die fighting to protect it. Kill yourself now Naruto. Or your students die."
The blonde looked at the two, frowning when he saw the resolve in their eyes. They were ANBU. They meant their threats. The blonde's eyes trailed over to his students, meeting each of them. All held something unique.
Kagari held fear.
Suiren held hope.
And Midare, Midare held rage.
The blonde understood why. He had once again let Konoha shinobi live, Konoha shinobi who he had known. He refused to kill them because he knew them. Because he cared for them. And they had bitten him back. The blonde bit his lip. He had to try diplomacy.
"Yugao, there's no need for this! Think of what we've been through-"
"Silence!" she screamed. "Another word and this one gets it," she hissed. Her blade pierced through the top of Kagari's shirt, the tip piercing his skin. The Chunin bit his lip in pain.
"Do it," the ANBU member hissed.
Midare shook his head at Naruto's hesitation before he dropped his head. The Chunin frowned, realizing his worst nightmare was going to come true. His supposed sensei, while strong, lacked the fortitude to do what must be done. And he was going to die for it. Naruto frowned, frustration on his face. He was being pulled too thin once more. He hadn't come up with a solution and the world was forcing him to pick a side.
The thought of Shikamaru filled his mind at that moment. A friend of his, dead. Due to his decision to move to Ame.
Naruto shook his head at his thoughts. A hard reality that he was too scared to accept. He had already been forced to pick a side. That he had tried and failed to protect everyone that he cared about before. Someone had died because of it. Compartmentalizing that didn't change the truth of it. Perhaps the best answer was Nagato's, to kill and live with the regret. But that was something Naruto couldn't do. The thought of Jiraiya's words filled him.
Like Nagato, he too possessed overwhelming power.
Unlike Nagato, he was willing to use it.
'I refuse to fail to protect anyone ever again.'
"Midare!"
The Ame Chunin's head snapped up at the sound of the man's voice. He was...smiling?
"Calm down. I'll protect you with my life. All of you. I will not allow my comrades to die."
The blonde tilted his head. He raised his hands outwards, as if he were ensuring that Hayate and Yugao could tell he had no weapons. The wind blew.
"Trust me."
And then, Midare and Yugao screamed as wind carved into their faces, stunning them. Blades of wind ravaged their flesh, forcing them to pull away from the Ame chunin trio in desperation. Naruto leapt into action, appearing next to the duo just as they managed to regain control of themselves. The Konoha shinobi was fast.
He was faster.
The blonde's blows rattled into their body like lightning and with the fury of a god, sending each stumbling backwards. The blonde pressed his assault, appearing behind Hayate. With a grunt the blonde smashed his hand into Hayate's throat, dropping him like a sack of potatoes. Yugao screamed at him, leaping forwards only for the blonde to slip underneath her attack. His hand slipped out, cracking against her jaw before she too dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Midare, Suiren, and Kagari quickly scrambled forwards, desperation on their faces. They glanced back, shock in their eyes to see the unconscious bodies of the Konoha ANBU.
"Sensei," Suiren whispered. "What was that wind? How did you..."
"I'll teach you guys how to do that when you're much stronger," the blonde stated. "For now, all you need to know is that you're safe."
The blonde turned, looking at Midare in particular.
"Alright?"
The Chunin's mouth was agape, dumbfounded.
"But...you knew them...and now they're..."
"They're not dead," Naruto said. "Unconscious, and they'll have some serious injuries when they wake up, but it was the only way to have them release you without killing them. I'll have clones bring them back to Konoha's side so they can heal. They won't be fighting for a long while."
Kagari stared at the man, confused.
"You went so far to save them...but not the other Konoha shinobi. Why?"
Naruto stared at the trio; his eyes hard.
"I've told all of you before. I'm not a good enough person to want to save everybody. But I'm not modest enough to say I'll protect only those that I can either," the blonde stated. "I want to protect everyone I care about. Even if they don't want to protect each other."
The blonde's eyes met each of his students.
"These words I'm about to tell you...I want each of you to take them to heart."
A nod from each of his students was received in turn.
"In the shinobi world, those who break the rules are scum," Naruto insisted. "But those who abandon their friends...are worse than scum."
Lightning cracked the ground behind the blonde, as if the heavens themselves affirmed his words.
"I will not abandon my friends from Konoha. No matter what side of this war I may be on. Not so long as I possess the power to stop them."
Two clones appeared behind the blonde, picking up the bodies of Yugao and Hayate and carrying them away.
"But each of you can rest assured of one fact."
The wind around the quartet howled.
"I will never abandon you."
The wind carved through the ground as the blonde's words sunk in. His Chunin's eyes were wide.
"Now...let's get out of here, okay?"
His Chunin smiled.
"Yeah...let's do that, Naruto-sensei," the trio stated.