Chapitre 5: Chapter 5: Chains of Hatred I: The Arrival!
The day following the incident with the Scroll of Forbidden Seals saw a number of interesting changes. ANBU Combat Platoon #5, codenamed "Epsilon Team" had successfully intercepted and secured both the Scroll of Forbidden Seals and Sarutobi Konohamaru. Umino Iruka suffered light wounds during the course of the night but no permanent damage had been done. Uzumaki Naruto, ANBU Agent codenamed 'Ferret' and assigned under "Sigma Team"- the Hokage's Personal Assistant and Guard- also suffered light injuries but as usual they were gone by the morning, superficial enough for his innate stamina and longevity to heal with ease. As the sun rose, the blond-haired ANBU agent found himself standing motionless next to the Third Hokage as the old man a group of elite Jonin sat around a large wooden table, discussing the Shinobi profiles on top. There were eleven seat overall, although one was conspicuously absent.
Naruto was still in a bit of a daze from the morning's intense training. Usually he was up at 0700 hours, where he would wake up the Third Hokage and Konohamaru and get them ready for the following day. Breakfast was usually an interesting affair but for the most part he would succeed. Today, however, he had been slapped in the face with a freezing splash of water at 0500 hours and had woken up to see the God of Shinobi glowering down at him, decked in his full armour-plated combat uniform. Naruto hadn't even had time to mutter and 'eep!' before the old man had grabbed his hand and dragged him to a training area. Wet, cold and quite hungry, Naruto had been forced into one of the most gruelling training sessions that he had participated in to date.
It had been painful.
"And that's that," Sarutobi concluded cheerfully. He puffed on his pipe, his conical hat keeping the full force of the sun's glare out of his eyes as it slowly rose over the Hokage's Monument. "We'll conclude this at a later date."
Naruto was closest to the window where the fresh breeze was somewhat calming him down, although his face still scrunched up into a pout behind his still-damaged mask. That was probably why he saw the burst of movement first. He started, a kunai flipping up from his belt and into his hand in an instant, but a quick burning sensation coming from his tattoo saw him roll his eyes and put it away. A swirl of leaves and a puff of smoke filled the room as the latecomer entered with a dramatic Body-Flicker.
"Kakashi," Sarutobi intoned. He placed an elbow on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "You're late."
"Sorry," Kakashi drawled, not looking it at the least. The tall, slender man still looked quite similar to the last time Naruto had seen him, with gravity-defying silver hair, a mask that covered half his face and a droopy eye that seemed to radiate laziness. "My usual restaurant was filled with ponies so I had to travel to Bird Country to get my breakfast."
"I see," Sarutobi murmured. "You couldn't have chosen a different restaurant?"
"Oh, no!" Kakashi sounded positively scandalised. "My pancakes need to be cooked in a very specific way."
Sarutobi nodded gravely and Naruto cocked his head, wondering if there was some kind of code being said between the two or if the old man was just playing along. Kakashi's eye flickered to Naruto and the young ANBU saw a quick crinkle as the silver-haired man smiled. Fingers flashed for a second and Naruto grinned and gave a slight wave as Kakashi, practically slouching all the way, made his way around the table and dropped into the empty seat.
"So what are we all talking about?" Kakashi asked cheerfully.
Some of the other Jonin chuckled as Sarutobi sighed.
"We were just wrapping up the Genin team placements," the Third Hokage grumbled. He shifted a few of the papers on his desk.
"Ah," Kakashi said with dawning comprehension. "I assume that I have Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Sarutobi Konohamaru then?"
There was an awkward pause at the table. Some of the other Jonin shifted in their seats and none of them dared to look at the Hokage. For the most part, the old man remained still but there was an undercurrent of something dark as he finished sorting his papers and puffed on his pipe.
"Sarutobi Konohamaru did not pass the Graduation Exam," Sarutobi murmured. "Therefore, he is ineligible for Genin team placement. The rules cannot be changed on a mere whim."
"Really?" Kakashi replied quietly. "From what I've heard, didn't Konohamaru play a large part in an S-rank operation last night? Surely Ferret told you, since he was the one who led it." He shrugged carelessly even as the masked ANBU by the Hokage's side shifted at the knowing look in the silver-haired man's eyes. "I would have thought that any Academy Student able to play such a vital role in the defence of the village would need to be inducted into the Shinobi programme so that his talents could be put to use."
Many of the other jonin looked visibly surprised. The Third Hokage heaved a great sigh, briefly closing his eyes, and fixed Kakashi would a stern look.
"I see you've been snooping around again," he grumbled.
"Snooping? Me?" Kakashi laughed it off with a wave of his hand. "I just heard a few things on my breakfast trip to Bird Country this morning." He leant forward in his chair, somehow slouching in a way that made him come off as both lazy and intent. "I'll take Sarutobi Konoharmu as part of my genin team. Don't worry, Hokage-sama, I'll take full responsibility."
The Third Hokage was silent for a few moments before he reached into the pile of scrolls sitting in front of him and opened one up. He picked up the stamp off the table and slammed it down on the scroll with a resounding thump.
"Very well," Sarutobi said gravely. "It's on you, Kakashi."
Kakashi shrugged.
The meeting finished shortly after and the Jonin began to leave the room. Naruto remained motionless, oblivious to the flickered and curious looks that many of the elite Shinobi gave him. His gaze was focussed totally on Kakashi, who remained slouched at the table reading his book. As Sarutobi rose, chatting quietly one of the Jonin, a tall dark-haired woman with striking crimson eyes, Naruto adjusted his mask over his face and walked towards Kakashi. The other Jonin blinked and lowered his book.
"Oh, hello," he said lazily. His one exposed eye stared at him blandly. "How's it been, Naruto?"
"Captain," Naruto greeted stiffly.
"Mah, mah," Kakashi interjected, placing his book back in his green flak jacket. "You probably shouldn't call me that- I'm not a Captain anymore." He cocked his head and brightened. "So tell me- have people been missing me?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "Well…" he trailed off.
Kakashi winced. "That's mean," he said with a pout.
Naruto chuckled. "Actually, Captain," he said, his eyes darting around the room. "I'm wondering if you can do me a favour."
"Oh?" Kakashi's one eye rose in interest. "What could a measly Jonin like me do for a big strong ANBU like yourself?"
There was a pause.
"Save me!" Naruto suddenly wailed and he darted forward, grabbing onto Kakashi's flak jacket. "Help me, Captain! He's gone insane!"
"W-what?" Kakashi spluttered, trying to pull back from Naruto but the boy's grip was too strong.
"The old man!" Naruto moaned, sobbing dramatically into Kakashi's flak jacket. The older man rubbed the back of his head nervously as he glanced around, noticing how many of the exiting Jonin were eying the two of them incredulously. Naruto suddenly pulled back. "He's gone bonkers!" he declared firmly.
"I'm sure it's not that bad," Kakashi mumbled shiftily.
"You have no idea!" Naruto hissed.
Suddenly, the boy yelped as a hand grabbed him by the back of his armour. Kakashi looked up as the Third Hokage, one hand filled with paperwork, grabbed the blond and effortlessly yanked him away from Kakashi. Naruto howled as Sarutobi dragged him across the floor, the elderly man's eyes almost closed with boredom.
"It's time for some more training, Ferret," the Hokage grunted.
"Captain!" Naruto called out desperately before both he and the Hokage disappeared in a flicker of movement.
"What a creepy kid!" Kakashi laughed nervously as the other Jonin gave him some strange looks.
He smiled behind his mask, his eye curving up. He pulled out his little orange book and promptly stuck his head in it and became lost to the world. Still, he felt extraordinarily pleased for some reason. It was a bright sunny day. The sky was blue and there was a nice breeze blowing throughout the village. Seeing Naruto again had been entertaining and had lifted Kakashi's spirits. Perhaps he wouldn't fail this next team after all.
Weeks later, the Third Hokage had slowly reduced the intense workload and training he had placed on Naruto. As a member of the former Uzumaki clan, which had been known for its stamina and longevity, and the current host to the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Naruto was used to aches and bruises disappearing quite quickly. With the sheer amount of chakra that was pumped into his chakra circulatory system there wasn't much that could actually keep him down.
The Third Hokage, however, was one of those few things and his training left Naruto battered, bruised, exhausted and weepy.
Today had been such a relief. The Third Hokage had allowed him to sleep through the morning and he had awoken at 1000 hours. Konohamaru had even managed to make himself a quick lunch before he attended to his Genin duties and all of the washing had been done and hung up. Naruto wasn't quite sure what was going on and a part of him was quite relieved when he saw that the kitchen looked like an explosive tag had gone off in the middle of the bench. Too much change was not good for him and the thought of either Sarutobi actually becoming a responsible member of the household was just too much to bear.
The afternoon had been just as relaxing. The Hokage had been called away on 'Village business' and he had instead sent Naruto to the Mission Assignment Desk on his behalf. Naruto had enjoyed a rather easy day of sorting through the relaxing and even enjoyable paperwork- enjoyable, at least, when compared to getting your face kicked in by an angry Monkey King. At the moment, Naruto was handing out an assignment to a group of four Chunin, each who nodded respectfully at him before they left.
"Right!" Naruto called out cheerfully as he finished the scroll with a extravagant flourish. He shifted his head and his white-porcelain mask gazed at the Chunin sitting next to him. "Yo, Iruka, when you're done with that would you place it in Outgoing for the mailroom? The client wants the receipt as soon as possible."
"Of course," Iruka said politely as he waded his way through the sheer volume of paperwork that lay on his table. As always, the appointment of new Genin Squads brought in a temporary but substantial increase of business. Clients were always interested in seeing new faces and many of them hired a genin squad just to get a glimpse at the abilities of the new workforce.
Who knows- perhaps one of those Genin would rise up and become Hokage one day?
Naruto was scribbling furiously on a mission request and he outlined exactly why the Village Hidden in Leaves was refusing an assassination request a rather noisy and annoying dog that had been keeping the grumpy old lady up all night. As he finished up, he signed his name and printed underneath it 'ANBU Representative of the Hokage' and passed it to a nearby Chunin whose arms were loaded with scrolls.
"Okay," Naruto sighed. He fiddled with his pen, placing it on the table, as a couple of familiar presences entered the room. "Yo, Captain."
"You know, you're going to get me in trouble for impersonating somebody I'm not", Kakashi said idly, rubbing the back of his head as he put his book away. "You really should stop calling me that."
"And you really should stop reading smut in public," Naruto declared flippantly. "But since we both know that neither of us will change shall we get to business. What kind of mission can I get for Team Kakashi today?"
"Another D-rank mission, please," Kakashi said lazily.
Two of his three Genin sighed at that, their heads dropping low. Naruto grinned at Konohamaru and his teammate, one Haruno Sakura. The pink-haired girl had been the top of the class in academic bookwork and Naruto wouldn't be surprised to see her join Konoha's Communication or Cryptanalysis department one day- she certainly had the brains. Their third teammate was silent but Naruto read past Uchiha Sasuke's stony facade and saw the exasperation lurking in the boy's dark eyes. Naruto felt a little pity for the boy- he had certainly had a tough break and only his appointed psychologist knew what horrors tormented him underneath his pale and emotionless features.
Really, he wished the boy all the luck in the world on his quest to kill his older brother, Uchiha Itachi- and, honestly, he would probably need it to. From what he heard, Itachi was in a whole other league by himself. The last he checked, there was no immediate plans to hunt him down- although ANBU were always on the lookout- but should the chance appear a whole ANBU Combat Platoon was to be allocated for the task. Only Orochimaru had earned such infamy within the ranks of ANBU.
"Hey. Naruto!" Konohamaru demanded. He looked very small next to his two teammates. He thrust out a hand and pointed at the blond ANBU accusingly. "Give us a real mission for once! I'm sick of doing crappy chores and- urk!"
Naruto's hand blurred and a scroll slammed into the young Sarutobi's forehead. Konohamaru grunted as his head flipped backwards and he lifted off his feet by the force of the impact, falling back and sprawling onto the ground with a loud thud. Naruto flickered and stood over him, a fist clenched tightly as he waved in front of the boy's face.
"You have a lot of nerve coming in here and swearing at me after the way you left the kitchen this morning!" Naruto said darkly. Konohamaru whimpered as Naruto took in a deep breath and turned to Kakashi, striding past the gobsmacked Sakura and the somewhat-amused Sasuke.
"Actually, I have an interesting mission for you now," Naruto said, his dark mood vanishing as quickly as it had come. He flicked his foot at the scroll on the floor and it shot up into the air, where Kakashi promptly snatched it up and read it.
"Oh," Kakashi uttered in a surprised voice. He looked a little amused as he gazed at his Genin team. "A C-ranked mission, for us? Ferret, you're so kind."
"You've done your 25 D-ranked missions," Naruto said lazily as he walked back to his table. "This is a simple escort mission to the Land of Waves- a rather cranky bridge builder wants some security while he finishes his bridge. Apparently there have been some disgruntled locals stirring up trouble about it, afraid their jobs will go once it's done."
Konohamaru was sitting up staring wide-eyed at Kakashi as the Jonin considered it thoughtfully. "Hmm," the silver-haired man said. "I dunno…."
"Please, Kakashi-sensei!" Konohamaru begged. His eyes were wide and suspiciously bright.
"We have completed the prerequisites!" Sakura added quietly, looking just as hopeful.
Sasuke folded his arms and huffed under his breath but Naruto saw how the dark-haired boy watched his Jonin Instructor just as eagerly as the other two.
"Well," Kakashi drawled. "I suppose we could give it a try."
Naruto smiled at Konohamaru's scream of happiness. He smile faded as he felt another presence abruptly closing in and he only had a few seconds warning as a black-robed ANBU member appeared in the room. A white porcelain mask with red swirls on the cheeks and a small protruding beak gazed up at him.
"Ferret. The Hokage has summoned you," She intoned. Her spiky-ponytail swished as she turned her head and Naruto caught a glimpse of long thin needles bound within the hair.. "Umino Iruka, you have temporary command of the Mission Assignment Office. Serve your village well."
"I will," a startled Iruka said. "Thank you."
Naruto frowned but stood up from his chair.
"Enjoy your mission, Konohamaru," was all he said before he vanished in a Body Flicker.
Naruto strode through the bottom recesses of the Hokage's Tower, his mask concealing the sudden nervousness that had struck him. He had visited the ANBU Headquarters before, of course, but he had never been summoned so abruptly from the middle of an assignment before. The bird-masked ANBU escorted Naruto to a set of doors and gestured for him to enter. Inside was a rather bare room. In the middle of the room stood a table, where Sarutobi and a long purple-haired woman hidden behind a dog mask were seated.
"Uzumaki Naruto, registration code 012607, codenamed "Ferret", attached to "Sigma" Squad. Step forward." The Hokage's voice was not hard but there was none of the emotion behind it that Naruto was used to when dealing with the Third Hokage.
Naruto took a step forward and came to attention at the head of the table. Sarutobi didn't even look up at him as he pursued a large manila folder, reading something intently. It was the woman who spoke first and Naruto recognised her as Uzuki Yugao, Captain of ANBU Combat Platoon Gamma. He had worked with her previously in training drills and combat scenarios but other than that knew very little else.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Yugao said quietly. "You are a B-ranked Shinobi operating as "Sigma" squad in personal and work-related duties attactched to the Hokage's Office, correct?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Naruto replied immediately.
"Your Academy Scores were rather average- you almost failed Ninjutsu until the Third Hokage intervened," Yugao said. Her eyes were cool and her voice was flat, as if she had absolutely no opinion on what she was stating. "You were fast-tracked to Chunin at ten in an unprecedented manner- you had no Jonin Instructor of Genin team and worked with Sarutobi Hiruzen on your Shinobi skills. Your promotion came as you were prepared to take on more additional responsibilities in your position as the Hokage's aide. Shortly afterwards, you applied for ANBU and were administered the competency exam by former-captain Hatake Kakashi. You passed and were assigned to Sigma squad, which had remained dormant since the death of the Fourth Hokage. Is this correct?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Naruto responded quietly.
Yugao paused. "Your attendance is exemplary. You have completed 1135 D-ranked missions, 315 C-ranked missions and 42 B-ranked missions. These have come about in your role as the Hokage's Personal Assistant and your performance in the day-to-day duties that the role requires. You are congratulated on your performance."
Naruto almost gaped at the number of D-ranked missions but it did make sense when he thought about it. The sheer amount of chores and housework that he performed at the Hokage's residence was staggering and he supposed each one did add up. The C-ranked missions were probably related to his work as a messenger and general aide in the various departments of Konoha- today's work at the Mission Assignment Desk would have added to his score.
"However," Yugao cut into his thoughts. "Several weeks ago you were assigned a priority S-ranked assignment. Alone and without backup, you retrieved a stolen artefact, escorted the primary objective to safety and held off an enemy Chunin, whose weapon and Ninjutsu skills were quite highly rated for his rank. During this operation, you showed courage in the face of danger and exemplified all of the directives that the ANBU abide by."
Yugao's eyes flickered to Sarutobi, who nodded, and Naruto could was struck by emotion and could only grin in sheer happiness as the Third Hokage smiled at him proudly.
"Your latest combat tests reveal highly-advanced Ninjutsu skills. You have skill with multiple elemental affinities and have demonstrated advanced abilities in chakra shape manipulation," Yugao continued. "You are well trained in hand-to-hand combat and general weapon skills and your physical and mental abilities far outstrip those in your age group. It is with pride that Konoha recognises your abilities and achievements and promotes you to A-ranked status."
Naruto was grin threatened to split his face wide open and his heart pounded in his chest. Still, a niggle of doubt wormed its way through his euphoria. Was he truly ready to join the ranks of the elite? Compared to many other Jonin, he was still a child flailing away at enemies he couldn't see.
"This does not mean that you have been promoted to Jonin," the Hokage interjected quietly, as if he could read Naruto's thoughts. "Although I believe that that position will be available to you soon there are protocols that need to be followed."
Naruto took a deep breath and calmed himself.
"Starting today, you shall be attached to Gamma Team under the direct command of Uzuki Yugao," Sarutobi continued. He pulled out his pipe and lit it with a flare of chakra. He puffed on it twice and exhaled. "Your next assignment is a routine border patrol around Fire Countries South-Eastern borders."
"Yes, sir!" Naruto acknowledged.
Yugao spoke next. "Komachi!" The bird-masked ANBU member who had escorted him stepped into the room. "This is Uzumaki Naruto, codenamed 'Ferret'. He has just transferred in from Sigma Squad and will replace Crane on the next deployment. He will be attached to your squad and is under your direct command."
"Yes, Ma'am!" the bird-masked ANBU, Komachi, said. She turned to Naruto. "Ferret. You will gather your supplies and meet us in room 201 for briefing. Go!"
Naruto nodded and disappeared with a flash of movement.
The Village Hidden in Leaves was truly one of, if not the most, powerful Shinobi village in the world. Boasting of an enormous population of trained Shinobi, Konoha's economy was unrivalled by any other village or country. Part of that lay in its military doctrine. During the First Shinobi war and after the death of the Second Hokage the Third Hokage had been appointed as Command and Chief of all military operations within Fire Country and coordinated with Shinobi and the Fire Lord's Samurai. While the First War certainly ended to Konoha's advantage a truer description of the aftermath would be that nobody had won. Countries were in shambles. Entire cities had been destroyed or abandoned and a large portion of the skilled workforce had been killed.
Konoha had been hit especially hard. Over half of its trained Shinobi population had been killed during the war, amounting to four-thousand casualties. For a Village whose primary trade was based on mercenary work, the situation was unacceptable. That was when Konoha's doctrine had changed. Instead of a large standing army ready to fight conflicts, Konoha would create a small and elite force of Shinobi whose primary purpose was the defence and security of the Village and Fire Country. The First Shinobi War had shown that the only thing that happened when two large armies met was death and destruction. Shinobi's were gifted with the use of chakra and could perform unimaginable feats but were just as human as everybody else and could not function without supplies. Furthermore, those unimaginable feats allowed small groups of highly trained men and women to intercept and destroy enemy supply caravans with ease.
The Third Hokage had seen the end result and had analysed the military strategies that had been implemented by all sides during the war. He had concluded that the economic repercussions of losing a large portion of a working Shinobi population were too severe. It was a little known fact that Konoha had almost starved during the immediate aftermath of the First War and only the continued patronage of loyal customers saw Konoha rebuild and restructure. The Chunin workforce, numbered in the thousands, was strong but too valuable to waste on general military operations. Of course, that didn't mean that they were too invaluable to be used. Rather, during the next two wars the largest percentage of the Shinobi population saw themselves rostered on and off the different fields of battle.
The ANBU, however, stayed in battle from the very first moment blood was spilled right until the last remains of ink dried on the peace treaty. Their skill, mobility and ability to adapt to different strategies allowed them to strike deep in the heart of their enemies, causing massive damage with minimal casualties. This doctrine was proved to be sound during the Second Shinobi War, where the Third Hokage implemented a defensive strategy that saw the majority of the Shinobi holding at the border while elite teams of ANBU were sent into other lands and countries, destroying and decimating enemy supply lines and landing critical hits on enemy war efforts- to the point that by the time the army had reached Konoha's borders they were in no condition to face against Konoha's field of fresh and readied army. Konoha left the war with in almost-perfect condition. Casualties had been light, infrastructure within Fire Country mostly undamaged and coffers had been full as missions had been continued to be taken up.
The other villages had learned. The Third Shinobi War saw the ANBU meet their counterparts but, being the older of the elite groups, they were generally more experienced and adept at what they did.
In the current peacetime, there were six combat-ready ANBU Platoons with twenty-five Shinobi in each platoon. There were an additional four smaller Reconnaissance Squads, two Hunter Teams, a Medical Crew and a Communications Department- each group having a more specialised area of expertise for operations in and around Fire Country. At any one time, two of the six ANBU Platoons would be assigned to general border patrol. Many towns and cities hired small teams of Chunin for policing and other duties and they covered the main roads in and out of Fire Country. The burden of guarding the wilderness borders general fell upon the ANBU Platoons, who would split into small five-man squads and be allocated to different areas.
Uzumaki Naruto had joined one of those squads and it was not as exciting as he had expected an A-ranked mission to be.
"87, 88, 89…" Naruto chanted.
He was sitting on a large barrel nestled against the wall of a small wooden shack deep within the wilderness, his legs swinging out from underneath. He was watching with a snicker as one of his fellow ANBU members, a man by the name of Towa, grunted as he pulled himself up and above the frame of the doorway by the tips of his fingers of his left hand. Towa had to have been in his early twenties and wore his hair in a brown spiky ponytail. His mask was- well, Towa said it was a wolf but Naruto was having a hard time picturing it with the little pink swirls decorating the side of the mask.
"99, 100!" Naruto finished and let out loud cheer as Towa fell to the ground, panting loudly. He jumped off the barrel and lent Towa a hand, which the other man gratefully took. "You did it, and with no chakra either!"
"My fingers hurt," Towa muttered as he shook his spiky head. He shook his hand gingerly and winced. "That might hurt in the morning."
"You could always ask Komachi for some acupuncture," Naruto said with a wry grin and snorted when Towa shuddered.
"No thanks," Towa said with a groan. "I've seen what she does to the enemy with those needles and I don't want them anywhere near me."
Naruto nodded briefly at Frog, the large burly ANBU undoubtedly a member of the Akimichi clan. Frog waved back absently but continued focussing on Dog-2, a petite and slender person that the blond ANBU still couldn't tell if they were male or female. Dog-2's body shape and voice were completely androgynous. Frog towered over the other ANBU as the two played cards and made he or she seem small and fragile in comparison. Naruto had seen Dog-2 spar though and knew that they only 'seemed' small. Without a doubt, Dog-2 was the most vicious hand to hand fighter he had ever seen, going for all the weak points and soft spots without mercy.
"Yo, Squad Captain!" Towa called up to the roof of the hut. "I think it's time to swap shifts."
Komachi nodded and stood up from her position. Technically, the whole squad was on R&R shift after completing their 48-hour patrol along the South-Eastern border, however, protocol dictated that one member of each squad remain on watch-duty while the rest took their 10 hours rest and got ready for the next patrol. It was gruelling, hard and absolutely exhausting. After spending four shifts with his squad, Naruto couldn't have asked for anything else.
"You're on from now until 1200 hours," Komachi said. Her head cocked and she leaned forward. "Now, did you want me to look at those poor, poor fingers of yours?"
Towa jerked and Naruto chuckled. Komachi leaned back with a satisfied air around her.
"Shut up," he muttered. He was about to say something else when Komachi stilled and quickly raised a hand.
Naruto tensed and fell into combat position. Frog and Dog-2 joined them as Komachi scanned the nearby forests. She made a series of quick signs with her hands, ANBU code quick and to the point. Incoming- twelve.
The five ANBU blurred and moved into position around the small clearing, each picking a vantage point that would allow them to suppress an enemy's advance at carefully designed choke-points. His heart was beating furiously and he flexed his muscles, increasing his blood flow and peering carefully into the brightly-lit forest. He waited for what seemed like an eternity, unmoving and hidden amongst some rocks. Sweat trickled down his face but was almost instantly absorbed by his mask. He felt the spring-loader in the sleeve of his cloak bump against his skin, ready to drop the sharp blade into his hand at a moment's notice. Nearby, he absently noticed Towa placing his hand on the ground as he tried to sense vibrations or movement from underneath.
The twelve-year old boy waited. His mind was clear and his hand was steady as he prepared to enter his first life-and-death battle.
It did not go the way the ANBU wanted.
A series of sharp high-pitching whistling noises filled the air and something small and round literally plopped onto the ground less than a meter away from Naruto. For a split-second, he stared at the small led ball- no larger than throwing ball with a crimson tag wrapped around it, the strange squiggly Fuinjutsu staring back at him. A moment later, the ball exploded with a deafening roar of fire and the man-sized field of rocks where Naruto had been standing was blown apart. The ground shuddered and soil and rock was thrown up into the air.
Naruto reappeared on the roof of the cabin and jerked his head up, dirt and soot flowing off his robes. Appearing from the very top of the massive trees that littered Fire Country was the enemy. They were no more than a series of black shapes that dotted the clear blue sky, gliding towards them at great speed. Tiny little dots fell from them as they dove into the clearing and half-a-dozen explosions rocked the clearing as the ANBU Squad was forced from hiding. Naruto weaved some signs but the closest of the enemy raised something at him. The sun in his eyes, Naruto didn't take the chance and immediately jumped off the roof. A second later, a dozen kunai slammed into where he had been standing, punching through the wooden boards with ease.
He landed on the ground and his kunai appeared in his hand. Something whistled in the air and Naruto turned and blocked, sparks appearing as he deflected a series of kunai that burst from the trees and into the clearing. His breathing was harsh but his mind was curiously clear as he blocked the last of the sharp blades. The ground shuddered again as more explosions went off and metal clanged on metal in the distance as his fellow squad members moved to engage the enemy. Naruto would do the same.
Fire Release: Great Wave of Flame! Naruto reared his head back and warmth blazed from his throat as he spat a searing wave of heat in front of him. It surged past the trees and the leaves and grass instantly caught fire as great plumes of smoke began to rise through the air. A set of shuriken slipped into his hand and he clenched it as he formed the ram sign, stamping one foot on the ground. A wall of earth rose up behind him, the hasty earth construct intercepting a series of whistling kunai that would have slammed into his back. Naruto kept his eyes trained on the fire blazing in the forest as he levelled his shuriken. Something blurred as the ambusher escaped from the flames and the blond tracked it, waiting and waiting and - now!
Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique! The set of shuriken spun forward and glowed green. Suddenly there were dozens of them and they rained forward, slamming into the figure. Metal sparked on metal as the figure somehow twisted in the air but whoever it was had been struck and they dove to the ground. Naruto channelled chakra into his legs and darted forward just as an explosive sphere was hurled at his location, which disappeared into a ball of rising fire.
A kunai slipped into his hand as he converged on the enemy Shinobi. As he got closer, he finally got a good look at the attackers. They were dressed in purple flak-jackets and light-grey tunics, their heads covered with a hood and their eyes hidden behind goggles. A headband was strapped around their heads, the symbol unknown to Naruto. The strangest part about them was the large yellow contraption strapped to their backs, yellow armoured plates covering from their necks down to their legs and across to cover their arms. The enemy in front of him seemed to be struggling as he gripped the large contraption clumsily and was unprepared for Naruto as he appeared before him, a kunai swinging up to deliver a lethal blow.
He was intercepted by another enemy Shinobi, the man's goggles gleaming as he swooped down and swung something at Naruto. Naruto ducked and paused in his charge. He crouched and channelled chakra in his feet as the Shinobi hovering in front of him held a squat rectangular object at him. He jumped back just as there was a strange clicking noise and a kunai flew past him. The object clicked again and again and Naruto desperately swung his kunai through the air, batting away countless kunai as the strange machine shot them at him again and again. He swivelled his head- one streaked close enough to cut hair- and grunted when two slide past his guard and slammed into his cloak. His armour saved him as he landed on the ground, retreating from the furious barrage.
Shadow Clone Technique! A single shadow clone formed around him and together they formed seals. A moment later, one of them slammed his hands on the ground. Earth Release: Earth Flow River! The ground underneath that Naruto's fingers trembled and liquefied as the elemental chakra poured into it while a huge surge of chakra saw a rising river of mud surge towards the two enemies. The other Naruto inhaled and formed the tiger seal. Fire Release: Blazing River! Fire spewed from his mouth and the wave of mud and soil cooked and burned into as a wave of black-glowing tar swept forward.
The second Shinobi grabbed his comrade's hand and tried to rise above the dual-elemental technique into the sky but the contraption on his back groaned and Naruto watched as his wave of fiery soil engulfed the first Shinobi. His heart clenched at the terrible screams that the man emitted and he could taste blood in his mouth. His moment of self-reflection didn't last long as the second Shinobi, screaming something incomprehensible at him, hurled an explosive sphere at him. Naruto formed a sign just as the sphere exploded and replaced with the splintered remains of the barrel he had been sitting on earlier, drawing back closer to the rest of the squad.
The enemy had taken them truly by surprise. Nobody had been expecting such a devastating aerial assault and the technology and weapons that the enemy Shinobi were wielding were truly fearsome. The launchers in their hands spewed out dozens of kunai every few seconds and the explosives they hurled were extremely potent, sending soil and debris zipping through the air. Naruto was in a bit of a daze as his reflexes took over, dodging and deflecting kunai as he weaved in and out of the battlefield. Nearby, he saw Dog-2 surrounded by many of the enemy, the petite close-combat Shinobi unable to get into range to use, while Komachi and Towa were back to back, the squad captain using senbon attached to ninja wire to create an almost-impenetrable defence while the latter used wind techniques to cover her back. A Flier soared away from Frog as the man's arm expanded to incredible lengths, reaching through the air and catching the squirming enemy in his meaty fist. With a loud roar, the Akimichi brought his hands down and crushed the Shinobi against the tree.
In a twelve on five fight, they were already two ahead.
It wasn't to last long. Naruto weaved a series of signs as he ducked underneath a blazing trail of Kunai and slashed the air with his hand. Wind Release: Wind Blade! An almost-invisible blade of sharpened elemental chakra shot through the sky and struck an enemy Shinobi head on. To Naruto's horror, the wind blade slammed into the contraption on the enemy's back and broke off into two, a large slice of wind rushing over the other man's head and a small blade going underneath. He jumped back, shuriken whirring through the air as a Shuriken Shadow Clone technique forced three of the Fliers to veer off and away. He was about to follow it up when an explosion rocked the ground and Naruto was forced away from the searing heat. He landed nimbly and looked up in horror.
Dog-2 was weaving in and out of the attacks of four Fliers as they hovered above the ANBU, shooting dozens of Kunai at him. As a nearby rocked the ground, Dog-2 stumbled and the other Shinobi struck. Kunai rained down upon him and Dog-2 fumbled, parrying and blocking. Two streaked past the defences and slammed into his shoulder- he stumbled and another hit him in the thigh. Dog-2 staggered and one of the Fliers dove down at great speeds. He spiralled past Dog-2 and spun around, hand reaching up to grab something from the contraption on his back. With a roar that went unheard on the battlefield, he swung a gleaming blade and caught Dog-2 right in the face. The mask shattered and the ANBU collapsed in a crumpled heap.
Lightning Release! Static Pulse Shot! Naruto weaved through a series of signs and held up his left hand. Elemental chakra flared and crackled into existence on the palm of his hand. He swiped at it with his right hand and a bolt of crackling blue and purple lightning lanced forward with the boom of thunder. The Flier, just finishing his sword movement, was struck and went hurtling through the air in a cascading wave of electricity. The Flier righted itself after a few moments and soared off into the sky, apparently unaffected by the powerful technique.
The remaining four ANBU eventually pushed past the enemy and grouped up but they were still trapped in the clearing. Towa used his wind techniques to create currents of wildly whipping wind that circled around them, blowing away the constant downpour of kunai. Komachi used pinpoint accurate senbon needles to intercept explosive spheres, detonating them early as the containers were breached. Frog, his armour cracked and broken, panted behind them, desperately trying to stem the bleeding from his multitude of wounds. That left Naruto as the only one in position to launch an attack- his hands twisted together in the tiger sign, he spat out streaks of flame from his mouth, bullets of fire streaking through the air just as fast as the kunai streaked down. But the Fliers were too fast and quick in the air and they merely paused in their attack and soared away. This stoped Towa and Komachi from being overwhelmed but didn't give Naruto the time to pull of one of his deadlier combination techniques.
The ground shuddered underneath the relentless assault as the four ANBU held off the remaining enemy. Towa was beginning to look tired and the wind began to abate. Naruto gathered his formidable chakra and was just about to step in when a dark shadow came over the group. His eyes darted up and widened. A machine, five times bigger than the flying contraptions the enemy Shinobi were using, came to rest directly above them. Three dark figures sat on the golden machine as long white cloth flapped gently behind it and it made a curious humming noise as it floated there. Something clicked and a long slender tube slid out from the bottom of the craft. Naruto could barely make out a small muscular figure bringing his fists together when yellow light began to glow around him. Electricity sparked and the four ANBU paused for an instant as the Fliers flew off.
Earth Release: Underground Excavation! Naruto slammed his hands into the ground and chakra roared around him. The light grew brighter and brighter and a terrible screech filled the air as the ground around the small group gave way and collapsed around them. Earth began to grow overhead as Naruto desperately tried to mould the chakra as fast as he could. There was a sudden flash and a torrent of yellow light flared from above. Naruto, his ears ringing with howling wind and his gloves coated in mud, could only watch as large steam of light slammed down into his Earth technique. The last thing he recalled was a powerful tug and a giant shadow covering him and then all went black.
He awoke moments later, his entire body aching and sore but still in one piece. It was dark and dirt and stone were crushing him, he was struggling to breathe and he began to flail around urgently. His lungs burned, his mouth was dry. Chakra flared through him as he tried Earth Release: Earth Tunnelling Technique but it failed. White spots appeared in his vision and his breathing grew more and more laboured as his struggles started to die away. Suddenly the weight on him was getting lighter and lighter and whatever was crushing him started to shrink. The darkness around his vision receded as painful bright light hit him in the eyes and air rushed into fill the cavity around him. He sucked in a deep breath, then another and another, revelling in the smell of smoke and dirt and blood. He opened his eyes and squirmed, fighting against the rubble around him.
"Ferret!" Somebody hissed and Naruto jerked.
His eyes swung to the left where Towa was crouched in the mud. The other ANBU made the quick signal for silence and Naruto complied. His eyes drifted up towards the deep blue sky, where a flock of birds were passing underneath the clouds- no, wait. With growing dread, Naruto watched as dozens- hundreds- no, at least a thousand, black specks soared overhead, ignoring the splintered and burning remains of the ANBU outpost.
This wasn't just an enemy squad.
This was an army.
An invasion.
Naruto didn't need a map to know where they were going. As the last of the flying contraptions left his view and Towa crawled over to him and helped him up from the mud, he became aware of just what the huge weight on his chest had been. Frog, wounded and bloodied Frog, had shielded them all with his Body Expansion technique and what little remained of the ANBU made Naruto want to gag. His eyes burned as Towa pulled him out of the muck and gore and the two ANBU limped out of the large crater and back onto the forest floor. They collapsed, joining Komachi as she fluttered in and out of consciousness.
"We have to warn them," Naruto murmured after a few moments.
"How?" Towa asked. He sounded tired.
Naruto ignored him and staggered to his feet and pulled off his mask. He wiped a streak of blood across his brow and his hands flew in a series of seals. Summoning Technique! He slammed it down on the groundand a puff of smoke exploded beneath his fingers. When it dissipated, a small brown monkey appeared, blinking cutely as it looked around.
"I need pen and pencil," Naruto muttered. He patted down his vest. "Pen…paper…pen…paper…" His hand came to his utility belt and he suddenly recalled his field map. He whipped it out and laid it on the ground, pinning it underneath a rock. "Right!"
"Here," a soft feminine voice said weakly and Naruto's eyes shot up. Komachi was awake and threw him a red marker.
Naruto snatched it and regarded the map carefully. With trembling hands, he reached up and drew a big red X where the ANBU rest station had been. The words "Lv3. Emergency- aerial attack imminent!" followed suit with the number "~1000" circled. Komachi snatched the marker afterwards and Naruto drew back as she flipped the map around and began sketching down the disposition of the enemy forces. A crude Flier, kunai launcher, explosive sphere and the large bomber were drawn, the squad captain deftly writing down as much as they had learned about the enemy. She finished in less than a minute and folded the map up.
"Wait!" Towa called over from the other side of the clearing. He limped over and handed Naruto a headband. It bore the strange symbol on it, the one that he hadn't recognised. He hadn't even asked the others if they knew where it was from but judging by the look of the other two ANBU he doubted that they knew either.
Towa hesitated and then quietly passed over the two shattered remains of Dog-2 and Frog's masks. The white porcelain was dulled and grimy with soot and mud. Naruto took them all and wrapped the headband around the map and broken mask shards. He bent down and handed it to the monkey, who eyed him far more intelligently than a normal animal would.
"Return to Konoha as quick as you can," Naruto ordered. His hands squeezed into fists. "Get Enma to summon you there if you have to. The Third Hokage must be warned- an invasion is coming!"
The monkey let out a strange purr and disappeared in a plume of smoke. Naruto sighed and part of the terrible weight on his shoulders disappeared. He had done the best he could. Now, they could only wait and hope that the Hokage would get the message in time. For the sake of the village, he could only pray they weren't too late.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone