Yo folks, another update coming at ya here, this time for Senju Scion...as if you couldn't already tell that. Anyway just a few things to cover right quick before we get into the chapter itself.
First- I want to recommend anyone and everyone who is interested come down to the AizenTheGoat server on discord to chat and interact with fellow readers and writers of fanfiction. Lots of writers besides myself are online on that server daily and we're happy to interact with others who share the same hobby as we do. A link can be found right here → /aZuCGebH7M
Second- I have heard your requests regarding additions to the pairings. I've really been conflicted about them and waffled back and forth for sometime for the ones that were requested as an addition. In the end though I have decided I will in fact be adding both Tsunade Senju and Mikoto Uchiha into this fic. I have to say Tsunade is one of my favorite female characters and is criminally underused in the canon. She could have been a more motherly role for Naruto and I think we would have all really liked to see that. That being said, she actually is Naruto's mother in this fic but with the influence of perhaps a nosy snake and the encouragement of the Hokage the revitalization of the Senju clan could be an imperative need for the village as a whole.
Third- There was a question regarding ages for the characters. So real quick Mikoto is two years older than Kushina and Minako, the two of them are five years older than Naruto, Naruto will be five to six years older than Kurenai, Shizune, and Anko. Just decided to make it easy on myself and place them all at the same age since they are the 'sensei generation' in Naruto canon. Obviously Tsuande is about twenty years older than her child as is Orochimaru…..Orochimaru is a little shit though and I'm sure you'll see what I mean as the story progresses.
Now I think that's enough of that and we can move on to the story proper.
Chapter Two
Sink or Swim
Konoha Gates
Team Seven was starting out on their first mission beyond the walls. They'd only been a team for a few weeks but still, Jiraiya had to say his little genin were more than ready for this. They were excited at the moment, more than ready to put any thought of their tedious teamwork training behind them. That's all they had done since their meeting at the Hokage tower a few weeks ago.
That had Jiraiya frowning. Not so much the conversation within the tower. His students and his son's little fiance had handled themselves extraordinarily well in the debriefing held by the Hokage. Jiraiya had been smirking proudly for his son's abilities the entire time. He was making so much progress not only as a shinobi in general, but especially with his unique kekkei genkai. Jiraiya just wished Tsunade could see it the same way.
All his former lover saw was that her son and eventual daughter-in-law were needlessly put into harms way because Konoha's lack of security had made them easy pickings. Especially Kushina. She even scolded Jiraiya and their old sensei for filling Naruto's head with what she dubbed 'ridiculous notions of heroics'. That was totally unfair.
True Jiraiya and Hiruzen both had impressed upon Naruto whenever possible that because of his heritage and bloodline ability he would be extremely important for the village's future success whether during war or peace times. It wasn't like they had claimed he was some savior of the world or anything. Jiraiya hadn't told anyone the prophecy the elder toad had given him after all.
He was hesitant to label his son with the role in the first place. After all, some of that prophecy was pretty rough on the foretold hero. It also hinted at the hero being not quite what Jiraiya saw as an ideal savior of the world. Talking about being a cruel monster to their enemies without mercy or kindness for them. He couldn't picture his little boy like that. Sure he knew Naruto would grow to be an excellent shinobi capable of destroying his enemies if need be, but truly callous to those who stood against him? He didn't want that for his boy. He wanted him to grow into his ideal man and help the world. All of the world, whether he was the true child of prophecy or not.
Watching the backs of his students as they walked in the formation he had drilled in them for the last few weeks Jiraiya's mind again swept back to what had really angered him in the tower. After they had all gone, Jiraiya had left one of his smallest toads nearby.
Sure it was wrong to spy on the old man, but this event concerned his son. His family, and Jiraiya was many things, but protective of his family was paramount among them. He knew Hiruzen had more of an idea on who exactly fucked up to let those three idiots into the village perimeter in the first place.
He couldn't say he was surprised by who it was. That didn't make him any less pissed off. If anything the way the whole situation was handled infuriated him but he wasn't dumb enough to bring it up to Tsuande or Orochimaru. The two of them would be leading a damned coup by the end of the week if they knew the truth.
Flashback
The toad remained invisible despite hiding in the thin crevice between the file cabinet and the wall. It didn't have to wait long for the next person set to meet with the Hokage to enter. A man in many bandages with one arm and a walking stick. He was at the edge of transitioning from late middle age to old and yet he carried himself with a menace only the most veteran and deadly of shinobi possessed. The young spy toad felt concerned by his very presence.
"You asked to see me Hiruzen?" The man asked only to suddenly on his back with the hokage's sandal pressing down on his throat.
"You had better come up with excuses quickly Danzo or I will end you right here and now." Hiruzen snarled.
Again the young toad was concerned, or more like terrified. He had encountered the Third Hokage several times before. Giving information that Jiraiya had him scrounge up to the Hokage directly. The older man had always been kind and friendly to him. Sometimes he was very serious but never had the toad seen Lord Third so openly enraged and hostile.
"H-Hiruzen," Danzo croaked out from under the foot. "Don't be a fool. If I die my Root will all go rogue and Konoha will burn."
The foot pressed harder onto the cripple's throat and the Hokage's eyes practically glowed with rage.
"You truly think now would be a good time to threaten me Danzo? When you are at my mercy?" Hiruzen all but roared. Thankfully the privacy seals were in place to prevent anyone from hearing the interaction, save for one very inconspicuous toad.
"It's the start of our discussion." Danzo managed to get out. Hiruzen let up just enough for his old comrade to speak.
"An opening move in negotiations. You cannot kill me without damaging the village irreparably. I cannot kill you without turning the village against me as a whole. Have you forgotten that this is how Shinobi enter negotiations? From a position of mutually assured destruction. Have you grown that soft behind that desk Hiruzen?" Danzo asked while seeming to ignore the fact he was literally underfoot of the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen glared down at Danzo and pressed down once more. It would be so easy to terminate the scum now and save himself the headache. The problem was, he had no doubt that Danzo spoke truly, and even if he didn't they would likely lose the Root forces, and at this stage in the war, even with their enemies in the state they were Hiruzen needed Root to keep the dominance that Konoha had achieved thanks to it's lost allies in the Land of Eddies.
Slowly the hokage released Danzo and returned to his seat. The crippled man climbed back to his feet and rubbed his throat with his hand. He had forgotten how emotional Hiruzen could be. Another reason why he made for such a poor Hokage.
"Now can we speak like adults?" Danzo asked.
"Yes. You will speak, and you will tell me exactly what the hell it was you hoped to gain by having three kumo-nin slip into Konoha and capture one of our most important citizens the literal day she joined our shinobi forces?" Hiruzen growled.
"Well, first of all if it became known you let a konoha citizen be kidnapped from Konoha itself, especially Kushina, then you would lose a lot of your support with the people of the village and the Daimyo's court. I could have made an opportunity of that I think." Danzo said with a thoughtful tone, getting Hiruzen to grind his teeth at the audacity of his supposed adviser.
"But that was always just a happy addition to what I really wanted. It was simple. Another mile and the group would have been picked up by a unit of my root waiting for them. I leaked the entry to Kumo hoping they would send actually worthwhile shinobi to be captured but they played things smarter than I expected and sent a team of mediocre shinobi they had pretty much cut ties with already. I hoped to gain leverage over Kumo with them. It would have helped the village in negotiating demands at the end of this war." Danzo explained.
Hiruzen stared at Danzo for a time with narrowed eyes. He knew there was far more to it than that. Like the fact Kushina would then be solely in Danzo's hands then and not in Hiruzen's. There was also the fact that it would compile on the fact the whole situation would look like a failure on Hirzune's part but it was Danzo's private force that prevented the loss of such an asset to Kumo.
"I never could have planned for your own little project to step into the way though. I have to commend you Hiruzen. Developing the next Hashirama in such a way that he more resembles Tobirama-sensei is a stroke of genius. You won't have to worry about my interference in that regard any time soon. I underestimated your resolve, but in developing that weapon you have proven, at least a little why it is Tobirama-sensei selected you." Danzo said with the traces of a grin on his lips.
Hiruzen sighed almost sadly. "You will never understand the reasons why Tobirama-sensei selected me. I don't think you have the capability to really ever get it."
Danzo's small smile transformed into a deep scowl. Hiruzen's softness reared it's head even now. Even while he was complimenting the ruthlessness a Hokage required for success.
"If that's all." Danzo said as he began to turn around.
"Danzo…after this war your Root will begin disbanding and integrating back into our forces. THose that can't will be sent on suicide missions for the good of Konoha." Hiruzen said, causing the man to pause.
"For the good of Konoha. As you say Hiruzen." Danzo said. He was getting a trace amount of what he wanted from Hiruzen. A willingness to enforce his will on his subordinates, but he disliked that it was himself that hiruzen decided to do so with. Especially in this way.
"One last thing Danzo. You will respect me. You will refer to me properly as Lord Hokage." Hiruzen commanded with steel in his voice.
Danzo was quiet for a moment before he turned once again and bowed slightly to his old teammate. "As you command, Lord Hokage."
The words were bitten out, but Hiruzen felt he got his message across. He might not be able to afford a fight with Root at the moment. But when the current war ended? That was a different story. That time was soon approaching as well.
Neither man noticed the tiny toad slip out when the silencing seal barrier dropped and the door opened. Soon the little creature was back informing Jiraiya of all that had occurred.
End Flashback
The entire situation infuriated Jiraiya, but he trusted his sensei to do what needed to be done. If he felt that the right move was currently to let Danzo live and continue his operation then he didn't doubt that he had his reasons. Hiruzen wasn't called the Professor for nothing. The man was the smartest person Jiraiya had ever known. Plus, no matter how soft and peaceful he knew Danzo thought him to be, Jiraiya knew that Hiruzen could be extremely ruthless when he had to be. One didn't live as long as they did in the life of a shinobi without being a tough and cunning bastard.
"Sensei, are you alright?" A young voice asked, pulling him back into the moment.
"Just fine. Just thinking about some things. Still odd having you call me sensei." Jiraiya said as he looked over to his son.
The boy blinked back at him for a moment before running up back to his position in their formation. Jiraiya only sighed. It was hard to talk to his boy sometimes. He was so young, and in some ways still just a little boy. Other times he was extremely mature and he often sat and discussed strategy and shinobi topics with his teammates. Jiraiya typically felt jealous of Tsunade's relationship with Naruto.
The two just clicked. Jiraiya had trouble just sitting and talking to either one, struggling to find common ground at times, while Tsuande and Naruto didn't even seem to need to talk. Just be with one another and they were happy.
Hiruzen had said to give it time and he would find his rhythm with the kid. He wasn't so sure though. He hoped as he grew up though they would find something to really bond over.
At least the three genin were getting along. Naruto was somehow the leader of the team. Despite being seven years younger than their oldest member both Minako and Issei had fallen into following his lead. He had an idea that it likely stemmed from what teams seven and four had been told by the Hokage about what had happened with the kumo-nin.
Hiruzen had been right that debriefing the teams together like that served as an excellent bonding experience, even with the kids that hadn't been there. The reveal of Naruto's kekkei genkai to their team in full and explanation of how this likely wouldn't be the last time Naruto or Kushina would be targeted had somehow pulled a protective nature out of the other kids. It was something to see the Professor work his magic.
Tsuande and Orochimaru weren't especially pleased. Orochimaru hadn't said anything so he had trouble being sure but she agreed with Tsunade nine times out of ten on this sort of thing and all the blonde woman had to say was that their sensei was as manipulative as ever. Jiraiya agreed, though he thought it was even more so than when they were kids. Still, unlike Tsunade he was fine with that. Hiruzen didn't manipulate anyone for selfish reasons. Everything he did was for the good of the village and Hiruzen never took advantage of his subordinates like the kage of other villages did at times.
The thought of a cackling old man in the Hokage hat rubbing his hands together like some sort of cartoon villain was as much of a joke as the thought of Hiruzen in a dress. Actually, no, that second one was a bit scary.
The following weeks Jiraiya hadn't really had to do much to implant the teamwork and conditioning in his team. While Naruto had somehow come out as the leader, Issei as the oldest was definitely the one intent on protecting his teammates the most. The kid was easily the weakest on the team, which wasn't to say he didn't have skill, he just struggled to match with the genius of Naruto and Minako. The similarities between himself and Issei mounted everyday. Matched up with two genius teammates and considered a goofball lecher at best or an idiot loser more often than not.
Like himself though the kid had spirit and Jiraiya adored that. He could use that too. The boy's spirit and his new resolve to protect his teammates as best he could meant that he'd be relatively easy to push into training. That he definitely looked forward to.
On the flip side of that coin was Minako. As promised he had shown her a bit of his sealing jutsu. The brat had understood and copied it in hours, and she had begun developing alterations within a day. She was something else really. It kind of frightened him a little bit really. The thought brushed on his mind of a couple years down the line of not having anything left to teach her and Naruto if they just absorbed everything so easily.
It was a silly thought, but the speed at which they grew really did startle him. It was after all why they were headed out on a mission beyond the safety of Konoha already.
Their objective was as simple as it was vital. They were carrying a cargo of seven sealing scrolls filled with supplies for the central hub outpost in sector fifteen of the Land of Fire's defensive network. This meant they were going to a big fort placed just outside of the town of Kurizaki to deliver it.
The supplies would be distributed from there. The scrolls they carried had everything from weaponry, ink, and medical supplies to simple paper. Most items were purchased directly from the local town through the fort's stipend, however some things could only form from Konoha itself.
That was why the job was so important but could be left to the care of genin. Not that Konoha had much choice in the matter. Even now in the waning moments of the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha was spread far too thin to spare anyone higher than a fresh chunin for that, and with a need to bolster the village security after the recent incident, even the fresh chunin were suddenly unavailable.
As they made their way down the road however the team came to a stop at the sight of several carts strewn about and obvious signs of struggle and fighting. As this was one of the land of Fire's main roads moving from the capital out to the large trade villages near the border, it was usually well guarded by samurai and traditional army, even sometimes shinobi. The war had stretched even road guards thin though. Shinobi didn't take part in every battle and for every conflict where ten shinobi died in the elemental nations easily a hundred normal soldiers found their deaths as well.
"A trade caravan?" Minako thought out loud.
"Looks like it. Looks like bandits hit it too." Issei said worriedly.
"The blood is fresh. It couldn't have been that long ago that this happened." Naruto added in his thoughts.
"Very good Naruto. You're perceptive as usual." Jiraiya praised. His mindset to work trying to figure the best course of action before coming to a conclusion that was best in the long run even if it could be dangerous now. Time for his favorite teaching method.
Sink or Swim. Shinobi edition.
"Alright kids. We have come across a trade caravan no doubt originally intended for either the capital or for Konoha. It's been ransacked by bandits and the traders have seemingly been kidnapped as well. Nearly all of the supplies have been taken and the wagons that were too damaged to be stolen were simply left behind after being looted. So, what do you think?" He asked them.
The three genin exchanged looks. They each realized that they had just stepped into an impromptu test from their sensei. He clearly wanted them to factor in the fact they still had their own mission of critical importance to the test as well. After all, while the supplies front eh caravan were currently lost, the ones they carried for a defensive sector were still within their possession.
That all being said, fire nation citizens were likely being held hostage by bandits somewhere nearby. That and the fact that the supplies stolen were meant to be taken to the capital and no doubt distributed from there for the Land of Fire's war effort made their recovery pretty important as well. It was difficult to decide which was more important as typically if shinobi won their own conflict the winning side then turned the shinobi against the common soldiery of their enemy and turned the war completely in their favor.
"We can't just leave Fire country citizens at the mercy of bandits, and even if not for this caravan we need to put an end to the bandits before they can continue to harass or attack more people on this road." Minako said.
"Yeah, this is one of the biggest roads in the country. If even it isn't safe from bandits our people's morale as well as their safety are endangered." Naruto put in.
"It's the right thing to do anyway." Issei added.
"Well it seems like you came to a decision. So now what?" Jiraiya asked his students.
"We should look around for any kind of clues to where the bandits ran off to with their haul." Issei answered.
"Get to it then." Jiraiya said with a chuckle as issei fired off a goofy salute. Naruto and Minako set about looking around too.
Jiraiya looked over the scene and drew his own conclusions but awaited his students in finding their own as well. They picked over the wreckage of the trade carts and abandoned crates. Naruto wisely scouted around the edges of the road and soon all three returned to their sensei to express their findings.
"They ambushed the caravan with a barrage of arrows from the north side of the road and killed the oxen pulling the first and last carts. Then they charged from the same side of the road and attacked the traders and their guards. The fight couldn't have lasted long there was only four carts at most and the bandits had to have numbered at least in their thirties if not more." Minako said.
"Yeah, more I think, up to fifty bandits in all. Most of the arrows shot were random but the ones that killed the Oxen were very precise and covered in a poison that is used in anesthesia in small doses. Mom keeps some with her for work. The bandits pulled a pair of carts up to the side after the fighting was over and also took the middle cart. They loaded everything they could and headed northwest from here. Wherever they originally came from had a lot of mud, the two carts they brought had it caked on the wheels still and it left a trail to follow." Naruto explained.
"They didn't take things that they would have to sell. Just things that could trade in just about any village. There are entire crates full of things like dye that would look suspicious if offered for barter. They also took all the traders and guards hostage as there are no bodies and the bandages here and there show they did what they could to mend their prisoner's injuries before they set out. I think they want to ransom them." Issei added in what he had found.
"Excellent work you three. You guys really make a great team. So, knowing what you know now, are you prepared to continue this lesson?" Jiraiya asked. He lingered on each of them with his eyes. Locking gazes to drive his exact meaning home. The only step forward from here was to hunt down and exterminate the bandits.
"We understand what has to happen sensei." Minako said, getting nods of agreement from both of the boys on her team.
"Really. Well then lets get going then. We don't want to let the bandits get too settled into their camp before we get there. If they aren't quite finished celebrating their haul of ill gotten goods they'll be that much easier to handle don't you all think so?" Jiraiya asked as the kids all nodded back to him and the group once more took up their formation.
The difference now, from when they originally set out was the four konoha shinobi had taken to the treetops and begun moving through the canopy of Fire Country's endless trees. They were in their domain up here. The preferred realm of the Hidden Leaf ninja. The reason all other nations struggled to make real progress into Konoha territory in the war. Superior maneuverability. Konoha shinobi learned treetop travel as one of their earliest lessons and while all ninja could do it, Konoha ninja perfected it. The nickname tree huggers didn't initially come from their peaceful nature.
It came from Konoha shinobi hugging trees and literally lying in wait to drop down and massacre foreign troops. Something that should have kept bandits like they were hunting scanning the tree tops. They didn't though. Bandits rarely ever did. Thats why they were so easily picked off and used as training for shinobi.
Outside of ninja culture, the idea of utilizing the massacre of bandit tribes as training for kids as young as six would seem ludicrous. To ninja the idea of passing up such an opportune moment to get a live fire drill in was ludicrous.
"We are getting close, I can see smoke a couple more miles to the Northwest." Naruto called over to his team.
"Good, remain quiet from here on, make a circuit of the camp's perimeter from the tree line then we'll rendezvous on my position when we reach the camp." Jiraiya replied, getting a series of yes sirs from his students.
The team initially circled around the camp just as instructed and took an opportunity to get a decent look at what they would be up against. As they had thought the number of bandits was sizeable, nearly a hundred in total with around half having participated in the ambush of the caravan. Likely several various bandit groups had slowly formed into a single force over the past year or so and begun preying on better and better targets as they grew more confident in their numbers and power. As far as the genin could tell, besides their numbers there wasn't much separating the group from average thugs.
To Jiraiya though he could tell the leaders of the bandits were a cut above the average rabble. Perhaps either former shinobi academy students or even rogue genin from a minor village the apparent leaders of the group were eight younger figures that were easy enough to pick out due to their appearance.
All of the other bandits looked like they had worked fields their whole lives. Either that or lived in the alleys of a larger town and scraped by through muggings and robbery. They were peasants who had gotten tired of their life of servitude or been uprooted by the war and left destitute with nothing but banditry to rely on for their next meal.
Not those eight though. They were strong, healthy and well dressed. They even seemed to discipline and train the other bandits to a degree. It was nothing much. Even compared to a normal soldier these bandits would likely lose a one on one fight. But with superior numbers against lightly guarded trade caravans? They were a powerful force to be reckoned with.
"Sensei. Those eight there. I think they are responsible for the special arrows that killed the caravan's oxen and trapped them." Naruto pointed out.
"Good eye my boy. I think they have a little shinobi training. Less than you three but enough that it could be a problem. That plus their numbers makes this a problem. Still this is a training mission, so what strategies do you have?" Jiraiya asked, turning to his students.
They took thoughtful expressions and repeatedly glanced at one another hoping for a good idea from the others. It was kinda cute to watch them plotting a massacre…that sounded so weird to think about. This sensei gig was a whole mess of odd moments one after another. He was proud though, they were taking the mission seriously and really planning the best course of action to resolve the situation safely. That alone filled him with pride and hope for this next generation.
"Well, I could cast a genjutsu, but I don't think I have enough chakra to snag the whole camp under it. Maybe at most like a quarter of them and since I don't really know how skilled they are, those leaders might be able to break it." Issei commented.
"What if you don't have to catch all of them with it though?" Minako asked.
"What do you mean?" Issei asked.
"Well, what if we waited for nightfall then you just catch the sentries with it and we eliminate them first then we take out the leaders in their sleep and take out the rest as we need to." Minako suggested.
"That could work, but we need to be careful, if we alert the camp they will have the numbers and hostages to use against us." Naruto pointed out.
"So we wait for dark then." Issei said as he nodded at Naruto's point.
"It's the best we can probably come up with. Da-er Sensei what do you think?" Naruto asked.
"I was waiting on one of you to ask. This might be a test but never forget to use everything at your disposal. That includes me. A good shinobi uses all of their available options alright?" Jiraiya lectured, getting nods from the kids.
"Okay, your plan is sound. While you guys take out the sentries and the sleeping bandits I will handle the leaders. I'll also send some clones to pick up the hostages. You came up with a great plan for your first real mission so when the sun sets show me what you got kids." Jiraiya said with a grin, getting a series of determined smirks back.
"It's gunna be really boring waiting though." Naruto said with a pout getting his female teammate to coo over him. Not that he minded. He did adore attention, every little kid did.
"Yeah." Jiraiya agreed as he looked up and realized it was only an hour or two after noon. Nightfall would be hours away.
Issei stared at his classmate as she focused on the youngest member of their team and realized that the little kid was likely going to have her interest more than he ever would. He wouldn't even make anything of it, he was six. What did six year olds want with girls? To play patty cake?
So for the next several hours Naruto and Minako sat and played a few quiet games like eye spy and such, Jiraiya worked on notes for a book he had decided to write, and Issei pouted profusely about his lot in life.
Finally though the sun set and the bandits began to bed down for a night of sleep. Around fifteen remained up and about as guards, patrolling between the tents and hovels the criminals had erected. Most of the fires slowly burned down to embers and the camp was poorly lit and organized as a whole. Stereo typical of bandits. It was just as they hoped. Now was time for them to put their plan into motion.
Issei crept down to the lowest branches he could still conceal himself on and picked out his targets for his jutsu. Slowly and methodically he wove the hand signs and the men on guard began to glance around oddly as if checking their surroundings. It didn't last long though as they soon slowly sank to the ground with soft laughter and mumbled words.
"Nice job kid, you got every one of the sentries. What did you cast on them anyway?" Jiraiya complimented as he joined him on the branch and looked out over the kid's success.
"Thanks sensei. I used my very own original genjutsu. I based it on the hell viewing technique." Issei said.
"Really? That's super impressive kid. They don't look all that frightened though." The sannin said as he looked back out at the happily smiling, even drooling, men in the camp.
"Oh, that's because I based it on the basic principle of the Hell Viewing Technique. I call it the Paradise Viewing Technique. Instead of your worst fear it's your dream girl with huge knockers acting like your personal masseuse. You feel every second of the illusion. I came up with it cause I was tired of having to flip through pages in a magazine while I took care of myself. Now I can just cast it on myself and it all works out." Issei said proudly until he saw his teacher's expression.
"Wh-what's wrong." Issei asked. He was terrified of doing something wrong in front of his idol.
"Nothing, really it's nothing, just that mental image is really fucking depressing. Damn, I wonder if Tsunade knew about that if she would cut me some slack?" Jiraiya mostly said to himself as he scratched at his chin in thought.
"Sensei, don't be like that." Issei practically whined but was ignored by his teacher.
"Nah, if anything she would just kick my ass for having Naruto on my team around us both. No winning with her, but I guess the saying is you can't help who you love." Jiraiya said before he took off into the camp followed by Naruto and Minako.
As they passed by Issei Naruto gave Issei a reassuring smile to try and cheer his teammate up, still not fully mature enough to get the whole aspect of illusionary masturbatory aids. Minako however clearly was. The look of those two crystal blue eyes searing a glare into him as they passed hurt Issei more than their training spars usually did. Plus the way she seemed to put herself between Naruto and him made Issei realize that the younger girl thought of him as a bigger threat for the kid than the fact he was about to help butcher something like a hundred people.
As they arrived at the edge of the camp right beside the two hallucinating sentries who had begun to moan slightly, Naruto wasted no time. He lashed out as he had been trained. Just as he had done when those three men had tried to take Kushina. It was fast and painless all things considered. They likely hadn't even realized they were dying in their final moments as they tried to regain their senses. His kunai of course broke them from their sweet illusions the moment it bit into their throat.
"Well done. Now, I'll go handle the bosses." Jiraiya said as he made a pair of shadow clones. "These two copies will collect the hostages. You three know what you have to do. I'll be watching, if you need anything just spike your chakra and I will be there."
With that the group separated. Minako was a bit disturbed by how easily the youngest member of their team dispatched his enemies. He was unbothered even as he wiped blood off his hands and continued on. She was herself shockingly able to handle the bloodshed as well. They had been trained for this but after the third man she had slain, she couldn't help but feel like a monster. It was a numb feeling and it made it all the worse.
Issei struggled the most. His first kill had gone smoothly but the second had come out of his slumber ready to fight and had to be roughly put down and the third had woken up just in time to utter a single plea of mercy before his eyes darkened with death. The boy was suddenly happy Jiraiya had refused to let them eat while they waited for nightfall. No doubt had he had anything in his stomach it would have been coming back up into the grass by now.
Soon the sentries had been handled and the genin moved onto the sleeping bandits. It was effectively the same situation as with the sentries only they were easier to accidentally awaken. Twice Naruto had to think fast and hurriedly run through the hand signs for an earth jutsu to stop bandits from sounding the alarm for their comrades. He pitied the men he killed with it, buried instantly under several foot of earth, suffocated in moments. It had to be a terrifying way to go.
The little boy knew he would have nightmares of this whole night for weeks but he had to keep going. He was a shinobi of the leaf and he had to make sure their mission was completed. For the good of Konoha. It didn't silence the voice in his head that whimpered with every slice of his kunai or twist of his fingers as they cast another murderous jutsu. It didn't stop that little part of him that just wanted to go home and be wrapped up in his mother's arms and cry.
He ignored the silent tears as they slid down his cheeks and kept up his work. It didn't make sense to him. He hadn't been all that upset when he fought and killed those men taking Kushina, but now as he sent these sleeping criminals into the pure lands he found himself crying on their behalf.
Jiraiya sadly sighed as he watched his son and his other two students truly lose their innocence. For Minako and Issei this was a first. They were trained for it but there is nothing that can properly prepare you for the first time. For Naruto it was a bit more complicated. He had taken life before. It was different though. Defending oneself or another person and cutting the throat of a sleeping man you've never encountered before held a very different weight on the soul. He hoped he could help his boy to handle this in a healthy way. The others as well.
The sannin never could figure out if the leaders of the bandits really were rogue nin or if they were just random folks who had gotten their hands on a few shinobi tricks somehow. It didn't matter in the end. They all died silently and without a fight like most of the camp.
It was a long night for all of team seven. By the time the sun was rising they had cleared the camp and the hostages had been extremely grateful if a bit unsettled by the blood appearances of the three children. Still, with the returned supplies they had been transporting and a few livestock that had probably come from other caravans that had been hit the traders were soon underway to the capital once again.
Team Seven however still had a mission to complete as well as a need to report the whole incident so noone was too concerned about their extremely late arrival to the fort.
When they arrived around noon the little genin were exhausted. Jiraiya couldn't blame them. He definitely wanted to lay down for a nap himself. He didn't think the outpost commander would mind if they did just that. Jiraiya hoped to set out the next morning.
Despite the quick nature of the entire thing, each of the genin was miserable for the debriefing and transfer of the supply scrolls. They hadn't talked at all on their way to the fort and by this point the looked more of the mind to cuss their sensei out than to thank him as he gave them each a bedroll to sleep on.
The jonin had laughed lightly as they went out like lights, curled up together, well Minako had insisted in a terrifyingly polite tone that Issei remain at least three foot apart from her and Naruto. Still she and Naruto had been curled up together and Issei looked comfortable himself so Jiraiya was happy to catch some sleep as well.
They all slept through the night and joined the guards for breakfast in the morning. By now the story of what they had done with the bandits had passed around a bit and the kids were congratulated on their first 'real' mission. They didn't really know what to do with so much praise but were happy to be treated so warmly by their comrades.
It didn't take long for conversation to carry on from the topic of the bandits into more important discussion. All sprouting from the existence of such a bandit group right along one of the main roads of the country.
"If we weren't so spread out, bandits like that would think twice about trying something. I never would have imagined the central highways having bandit troubles, always considered that a provincial issue." One chunin commented.
"Well what do you expect? We might be winning but the war is still going on and the front lines grow longer every damn day. I just wish the shit was over. I haven't been home for more than two weeks at a time in the last four years. I have a kid who barely knows me now." Another man complained.
"It won't be long now though, right? I mean Lord Third sent out those messages last week about how well the war was going now and how victory was imminent and all that." A kunoichi jumped into the conversation.
"We're only this well off cause of the Hidden Whirlpool. The Uzumaki and the other shinobi in the Land of Eddies took nearly all of Kiri and Kumo's standing armies with them. They've been on the defensive from us ever since." A jonin chimed in.
"The Stone and Sand have been ripping one another apart throughout the buffer states on their borders. I heard that there was a massive battle where some Suna kid butchered countless Iwa nin. A real bloodbath." Another chunin commented.
"Yeah, Sasori of the Red Sands is what they are calling him. Evidently he stained an entire section of the desert red and it dyed the sand permanently darker than the rest of Wind Country." Another chunin piped up.
"That sounds like a load of horseshit-ow!" Another shinobi began only to get smacked by the kunoichi beside him as she motioned toward the genin.
"They just wiped out like a hundred bandits…you really think that me cussing in front of them is a big deal?" He asked.
"They're still kids. Watch your filthy mouth." She said simply.
The majority of the room ignored the pair as they fell into squabbles. They had often teased them about becoming a couple but really it was annoying how often they sounded like an old married couple.
"Heard that Rain country is off limits to every side now. Hanzo finally unified the country and sealed up the borders. Said no foreign shinobi in or out." A jonin commented to his fellows as they continued to discuss the various fronts in the war.
Naruto noticed the slight frown on his father's face upon hearing the news of Ame. He knew that his parents and Orochimaru had received their moniker from Hanzo himself while in Rain country near the beginning of the war, but he wasn't sure what all that had entailed beyond the man sparing them and giving them the title of Sannin.
"Da-Sensi, are you alright?" He asked quietly so not to draw attention toward them both.
"Huh, oh yeah. I just have a lot of memories of Rain country I guess. Did you know I had a team of students there before you guys?" Jiraiya asked getting the attention of Minako and Issei with that new information.
"Wait, you taught genin before us? I thought we were your first students." Issei said.
"You were my first students from home. My first actual team I guess. My students in Ame were a group of orphans I found and spent a while training to have a chance to survive. The war has been especially hard on Rain country. Never forget that the minor countries suffer way more than the rest of us whenever a big war like this one kicks off. There have hardly been any battles within the territory of the big five nations at all. Almost all of the battles have occurred in minor countries. I mean look at Uzu, it wasn't even the first minor country to be destroyed and it probably won't be the last." Jiraiya lectured.
"Damn. It sounds bad but thank kami I was born in Konoha." Issei said with a thoughtful frown.
"Hah, yeah I thought the same thing while I was on campaign in Ame. Life's rough anywhere you go during a war, but Konoha is a bit better off than just about anybody else." Jiraiya had a hint of pride in that statement.
"Anyway that's enough of that. Finish up your breakfast we need to get home on the double. I'm sure Naruto's mother is already pissed we are taking an extra two days to complete the mission." Jiraiya said, hiding his actual fear of what awaited him back at Konoha.
"Oh, that's right. I really will miss you dad." Naruto said as he turned back to his food.
"You are really cruel to your old man you know that Naruto?" Jiraiya lamented.
"Not as cruel as mom will be." Naruto simply said, causing the man to shiver slightly.
"Where are you learning this kinda behavior at?" Jiraiya asked.
"Auntie Orochimaru. She said it makes me a better shinobi to act cold. I didn't get it at first but she told me to just watch how she interacts with people. So I'm doing what she does with you." Naruto said with the innocence only a child can hold.
"So I get that I'm not from a clan, but that's not normal right?" Minako asked Issei as they watched the interaction between Naruto and Jiraiya.
"I mean I don't think anything about the Senju family can be considered normal." Issei said with a shrug.
"Good point." The girl replied as she watched Naruto stare up at his father as the man lectured him on how he shouldn't act at all like Orochimaru but should instead act like his gallant father. She had to giggle when the boy simply said he would have to think about it and went back to his breakfast.
She could feel the grief and guilt from the night before ease just a little bit at the sight of her team. That was part of why she was able to do something that she might normally consider so heinous. For the family she had gained in team seven. Even if it had moments like the night before, she couldn't wait for her next missions with her team.
Alrighty then kiddos there is the update for Senju Scion. We got to see lots of little details surrounding the main story piece of team Seven's first official mission, which in team seven tradition turned into something else entirely.
We now have a better idea of the political situation of Konoha, Danzo up to his usual tricks and Hiruzen being too soft with his old friend once again. We also got to see just a small amount of the greater situation of the war. Konoha is right on the edge of victory, thanks to their Uzu comrades' sacrifice. Not to mention a brief moment in regards to prophecy, and Jiraiya's point of view on his relationship with his son.
I hope you liked it and be prepared for more.
Till Next Time