Chapter 48: Attack On Sand Village
Back to the Sand Village...
"Akatsuki, a shadowy band of a dozen or more ninja, each one a top-tier threat according to the Bingo Book. Among the identified members is Itachi Uchiha, a Leaf Village native who wiped out his entire clan in a single night," Yura briefed.
"Also, there's Kisame Hoshigaki, a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen from the Mist Village. And Orochimaru, the culprit behind our late Kazekage's death who nearly brought the Leaf to its knees. Rumor has it, he was once a part of them," Yura added.
Back in Konoha...
"So, any idea why they're stepping into the light now, what they're after?" Kakashi asked Jiraiya.
"While their ultimate goal remains a mystery, it's pretty clear they're after the fox spirit in Naruto for some sinister reason. That's why I've been alerting all our allies, warning them to tighten security and stay alert," Jiraiya responded.
Back to the Sand Village...
The room fell quiet for a beat, and then Baki voiced his thoughts, "I see. I've heard rumors of this as well. So, they're finally making their move!"
"We got this intel straight from Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin. So, ahead of this meeting, I had already ordered for the village to be fortified and had the Anbu Black Ops keeping a watchful eye. No matter how crafty these ninja are, they won't catch us off guard. We know they're fond of their black attire with red cloud clouds; if our lookouts see such a cloak, they've been instructed to engage immediately," Yura relayed, sparking a flurry of chatter and murmurs in the room.
"That's settled then. This meeting is adjourned."
After the meeting, Gaara remained seated in quiet contemplation as the others began to filter out of the room.
Meanwhile, outside the Sand Village...
Two individuals dressed in identical black cloaks adorned with red clouds approached the Sand Village, donning hats similar to those worn by Itachi and Kisame.
"It seems the one we assigned to this location is already here. As for the one we sent to Orochimaru, he'll have to wait. Unfortunately, this traitor has been leaking information about our plans," one of them remarked.
"Well, we can't do anything about that now. But even I am uncertain about what will unfold once the jutsu is unleashed. Are you confident that what you have in that pouch will be sufficient?" the other ninja inquired, gesturing towards a pouch held by his companion. "Remember, our adversary possesses the Jinchuriki host."
"Every jutsu I create is a masterpiece. However, just to be safe, I've brought along my ultimate creation. We can't afford to take any risks when facing the One-Tail," the man replied, opening the chained bag he carried. A radiant glow emanated from within as he chuckled.
Meanwhile, Gaara sat at his desk as the Kazekage, engrossed in writing something of great importance. He tilted his head, briefly glancing at something in the room.
Meanwhile, in Konoha...
Naruto and Hinata continued their sparring session at the training field. Having returned from a mission the previous day, they now had some free time.
"You're improving, Hinata," Naruto remarked, effortlessly evading her attacks one after another.
Hinata replied, "Well, that's because you're not even putting in much effort..."
Naruto smiled slightly and retorted, "I am trying, you know. What gave you the impression that I'm not?" They continued their friendly competition, pushing each other to their limits.
Back in the Sand Village...
Two members of the Akatsuki made their way towards the village, catching the attention of a ninja stationed at the village gate.
"Black cloaks with red clouds... it must be them, the ones Yura warned us about," the vigilant ninja stated, glancing at Yura, who stood beside him. "Yura, the ones you've been anticipating have arrived."
Yura calmly replied, "I see. No need to worry. It won't take long."
The two Akatsuki members neared the village gate, but Yura suddenly positioned himself in front of them. The sight was unsettling, with Yura covered in blood and his attire stained with the evidence of a recent battle.
"Well done, Yura. You remember me, I presume," one of the Akatsuki members acknowledged.
"How could I forget, Lord Sasori," Yura replied, kneeling before the Akatsuki members.
Back in Konoha...
Naruto and Hinata paused their sparring session, both feeling exhausted. They sat under a nearby tree, engaging in conversation.
"So, you've also learned healing?" Hinata inquired.
Naruto explained, "It's not the same as the healing techniques used by Grandma Tsunade and other Medical Ninjas. It's a different approach, requiring precise execution... I tried it on Shikamaru once, and it worked."
"That's impressive," Hinata praised.
Back in the Sand Village...
The two members of Akatsuki, Sasori and his partner, stood facing Yura.
"Yeah, Sasori, the guy clearly remembers you. If not, the jutsu wouldn't work as intended," Sasori's partner chimed in.
Guided by Yura, they started their march towards the village, trailing past the fallen Sand ninjas.
Once they arrived at the village entrance, Sasori's partner lifted his hand, revealing a mouth-like structure with teeth in his palm. From it, he extracted a small chunk of clay, gripping it in his clenched fist.
With a victorious grin, the Akatsuki member, Deidara, held out a tiny clay bird. He let it fly away.
"Just watch and learn, Sasori," Deidara yelled, swiftly executing a series of hand signs. The clay bird expanded with a cloud of smoke, and Deidara hopped onto it.
"It's my show now," Deidara announced, finally unveiling his face as he tossed off his hat. He turned to Sasori, who stayed grounded and asked, "How's my masterpiece, huh? Awesome, right?"
"Just don't make me stand here forever, Deidara," Sasori responded, unfazed.
Deidara laughed, his gaze now set on the village beneath. The clay bird glided in the sky, carrying him over the Sand Village.
"Let's see how much the Jinchuriki host of the One-Tailed Shukaku, Gaara of the Desert, can handle," Deidara mused, eagerly flying over the village on his clay bird.
As Deidara lingered above the village, he observed the defense system and the sand ninjas from his aerial view.
"Only three guards in the sky...," Deidara counted, chuckling lightly. "I can't help but admire the architecture of this village, it's so... artistic. Just another reason why it's worth wrecking," he added, laughing again.
Deidara retrieved three clay spiders from his pouch, "Time to stir up some fun," he said.
Meanwhile, Gaara was in the Kazekage office, pensively looking out of a round window.
Deidara released the spiders from above, performing the same hand signs, causing the spiders to enlarge mid-fall. Each of them landed near the three guards he had spotted earlier, and Deidara chuckled once more.
The spiders crawled up to each of the three ninjas...
"Where did this freaky thing come from?" one of the ninjas exclaimed as a spider landed on his face, causing him to scream.
"They're not freaky, they're flawless," Deidara retorted.
"These fools have zero taste for art," Deidara said as his spiders covered the ninjas' faces. "Art needs to be felt... and true art is an explosion," Deidara added as all three spiders detonated on the ninjas' faces.
After a smooth landing, Deidara dismounted his clay bird onto a rooftop in the village.
"Got in without a hitch..." Deidara mused, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. However, his confidence wavered as he looked ahead, spotting Gaara standing firmly in his way.
"You're not going any further." Gaara stated, his tone as steady as the sand he commanded.
Deidara's smirk widened into a grin, unfazed. "Well, well, looks like we have company."
[A. N: You got how that fight turned out, right? Nothing really shifted. It's because the two clashing pretty much mirror that one ninja we all know too well, and the others around? They're just as predictable. So, no point dwelling on it. Let's push forward to where things actually get interesting.]
Back at Konoha...
Kakashi and Jiraiya confronted again...
"So I'll leave Sasuke in your capable hands, as we agreed already. We need to be prepared, the Akatsuki are beginning to move again, I'm gonna head out and see what I can find out about them." Jiraiya said as he looked towards Kakashi, who simply nodded.
"So long..." Jiraiya said as he vanished from the place with a puff of smoke.
"I guess , I'll finish reading this..." Kakashi said as he continued reading his Icha-icha novel.
The following dawn...
Once more, Team 7 - Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi - made their way to the mission assignment desk. After a separation of three years, the crew was finally back together for a joint mission.
As they gathered around the Hokage's desk, Tsunade made a declaration. "Naruto, this could be your last outing as a quartet, seeing as having two jounin on one mission or in one team isn't the most efficient strategy. So, you'll be leading other teams of lower-ranked ninjas."
Before she could add anything else, the mission assignment room door slid open. "Lady Tsunade," a woman entered, holding a piece of paper. "There's bad news," she stated.
"What's the matter?" Tsunade inquired.
"Urgent message from the Sand," the woman replied, passing the paper to Tsunade.
"The Sand?" Tsunade repeated, taken aback as she examined the paper.
She was lost for words. "I can't believe it..." mumbled Iruka, who was standing next to her.
"Uh, guys... are we out of the loop here?" Naruto questioned, noticing their shocked expressions.
"What's going on?" Sakura chimed in. Sasuke had wanted to ask the same question, but Sakura beat him to it, so he just nodded in agreement.
"The Sand's Kazekage has been captured by the Akatsuki," Tsunade revealed.
The news visibly shook the team, but they quickly regained their composure.
"So, they've made their move already, huh!" Naruto responded. "It's a shame they didn't come for me first," he added nonchalantly.
"Indeed. Our intel on Akatsuki's movements is unparalleled, giving us an edge in understanding the group more than any other village. The Sand has called for our aid, and so, Team 7, your new assignment is to head to the Sand village to aid them bringing back their Kazekage." Tsunade briefed them.
[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]
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