บท 16: Chapter 4: Part Two
Part Two
"I have taught you many ways to kill a mortal, Kratos. Flesh that burn...bones that break. But to break a man's spirit, is to truly destroy him!"
- Ares, God of War
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Tenten had left Konoha that very night. They could have taken a boat down river to the coast, but Ame and Iwa ninja patrolled the river, forcing them to take the long way around, which meant heading North, traveling incognito as not to attract any unwanted attention from unfriendly ninja. Their destination was a small port in Lightning Country, where a ship would take them to Azura.
The trip had taken them two weeks just to arrive at Azura. This was Ino and Tenten's second time returning to Azura, as was Tenten's, since they were part of the original recon team along with Neji Hyuuga, Sakura Haruno, Maito Gai, Rock Lee, Asuma Sarutobi and Sasuke Uchiha when Whirlpool decided to host a Taijutsu tournament. It was also there where the big revelation was revealed that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki was the Damiyo of Whirlpool and the former Hyuuga heiress was his wife.
Of course Sasuke went through the tournament, and like an idiot, called out the Whirlpool Damiyo, declaring his superiority over him as an Uchiha Elite, despite having lost to him twice. Normally, Naruto would remain on the sidelines watching, but decided an object lesson in humility and humiliation was in order. Sasuke did not stand a chance as Naruto decimated the Uchiha prince, proving to all those present that he was the wrong Damiyo to piss off. Things went from bad to worse when he activated his Curse Seal in violation of the rules.
Naruto's response? A chakra-powered open palm strike to the chest (ala Wesker's Cobra Strike) which sent him to the tournament walls and a lifetime ban of showing up in Whirlpool, on pain of death. The Uchiha's ego once again gave Konoha yet another black eye.
Aside from the confrontation with Naruto and Sasuke, Neji confronted Hinata once again, while she was with her and Naruto's children. Ino and Asuma had witnessed the resulting beatdown from the sidelines. Apparently, Neji had forgotten that attacking the wife of a Damiyo was a very bad thing...especially after threatening harm on her children.
Ino shook her head. The beatdown she had given Neji the first time around when they were missing-ninja was bad enough, but Hell hath no fury like a woman protecting her children. Neji was sent to the Neo Uzu jails for the duration of the tournament for the attempted assault on the Whirlpool Damiyo's wife and children...after Hinata had beaten him within an inch of his life. Like Sasuke, he too got nailed with a lifetime ban for his attack on the Damiyo's wife.
And now, they were on a boat, heading for Azura, where the Namikaze family would be for the duration of the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament, with the fate of Konoha hanging in the balance.
Tenten was out on deck. That's where Ino found her, hunched over the railing, puking her guts out. Ever since the start of the mission, Tenten had been puking every morning. Ino thought she was sick, but it was Shikamaru who figured it out.
"You really are a troublesome teammate," Shikamaru had said. "Tenten's pregnant. Neji's the father."
Ignoring the catcalls of the other male ninja, Ino approached Tenten. "You okay?"
"Not really," Tenten replied.
Ino bit her lip. "How long?"
"Excuse me?"
"Shikamaru figured it out. How long have you been pregnant?"
"Three weeks. I only found out after the hospital blew up. I think Neji knew."
Tenten was one of the ten survivors of the failed rescue attempt of the Fire Lord. It was Neji who had found out from using his Bykaugan that they just walked right into an ambush.
Then the killing began.
Cell Nine remained together with their flamboyant sensei and were delivering major losses to the Ame forces. Then Hanzou stepped in, and according to Tenten's report, things went to shit fast.
Maito Gai was the first to fall. Then Rock Lee. Tenten would have been next, but Neji attacked Hanzou from behind, and earned a broken neck – Neji's head twisted back a complete 180 degrees – for the effort. His uncle was the next person to fall at Hanzou's hands. Kurenai was pinned to the wall with countless kunai and Asuma was hacked apart by katana-wielding Ame ninja.
Shino and Shibi were incinerated using Fire Jutsu. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had fallen one by one. With the deaths of the elder trio, they were unable to reconcile with their children. Kakashi and Sasuke double-teamed Hanzou. Tenten saw that match. Hatake lost his head, and Sasuke had his back broken and eyes gouged out. Five of the Konoha Jounin fought Hanzou en masse, two of them being Tsume and Kiba Inuzuka, already injured, allowing the other nine to retreat with Sasuke. Hanzou decided to let them go, rather than to kill them all.
"Tenten...I am so sorry..." Ino whispered.
"How am I going to explain this to our child?" Tenten said, looking down at her stomach, which was covered up by her Jounin vest. It was flat now, but in a couple of months...
"You'll have to tell them the truth," Ino said. "That their father died like a true shinobi." Pausing for a moment, Ino removed the hitai-ate from her pocket. Looking into the metal piece with the insignia of the Lead carved into it, the blonde kunoichi ran her thumb over the symbol. "I was so happy when I received this. But now...I can see now that Shikamaru was right. Konoha's days are numbered."
"But if we get Naruto on our side, then we might have a chance," the weaponsmaster pointed out.
"Even if we did get Naruto on our side, Konoha is still doomed. Shikamaru explained it to Chouji and I. We lost too many high-ranking ninja ever since this war started. Our chuunin are as green as they come and we're basically the last of the Jounin. Konoha is done."
"It's all his fault," Tenten said. "That damned Kyuubi bastard."
"No. He's not the Nine-Tails reborn. He's a jinchuuriki – the human sacrifice," Ino explained. "While I despise Naruto for being that, he is no demon. Between him and the Uchiha, I would rather deal with Naruto."
"But didn't most of the Jounin – including your father – tried to kill him on separate occasions?"
"Didn't you?"
Tenten remained silent after that. She did tried her hardest to kill both him and Hinata when they were both missing-ninja. She wasn't expecting Naruto to beat her at her own game by becoming a master swordsman. She was just following orders from Tsunade and the Fire Lord. The only person who truly looked out for him was the Sandaime.
"You think that Naruto would forgive us? After all the crap we've put him through?" Tenten asked.
"You mean the beatings, the repeated assassination attempts, and being betrayed? I seriously doubt that. I wasn't too ga-ga over him, but after Sasuke's attempted defection to Orochimaru, I wasn't too nuts about him either. Naruto had the power to destroy Konoha, but kept it in check. Sasuke was more than willing to kill in order to gain power. So in a way, I kinda respect Naruto and wouldn't blame him if he refused to help us."
In Azura, Naruto sneezed.
"You okay?" Hinata asked.
Naruto nodded. I think someone is talking about me."
Town of Azura, North Whirlpool Country – the following day.
Preparations were underway for the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament. Ninja from the major shinobi nations and even the minor ones were starting to show up in preparation for the tournament. The town of Azura, a trading hub and popular tourist hot spot, would be full of people for the next three weeks. Even long after the tournament would end, ninja would remain for several more days before leaving for their respective villages. Nestled at the base of the Lahja Mountains, Azura was also known for its hot springs, to which several hot springs resorts were built to accommodate demand.
Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji and Tenten – all dressed incognito – walked down the town's main street. Civilians and ninja were checking out the sights, the restaurants and food stands were nearly packed. Their fake IDs had allowed them entry into Azura without any fuss. Ninjas who were traditional rivals and enemies were all gathered to see who was the strongest.
'You would have loved this, Lee...Neji...,' Tenten thought sadly.
Of course her deceased teammates were present at the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament in its first year. That was eight years ago. Since then Sasuke's actions in the Whirlpool Tournament and Neji's actions in his attempted assault on Hinata and her children, Konoha was not welcome in Whirlpool, given their blatant disregard for the Damiyo's diplomatic immunity status.
At the same time, ahead of the Konoha team...
The wife of the Whirlpool Damiyo knew how to turn heads, be it in her ninja uniform or in her chesogam dresses (the Chinese-style dresses you see Leifang fight in).
Currently, she was dressed in the latter. One thing about Hinata Namikaze was that she hated kimonos and yukatas, stemming from her time when she was forced to dress up in those as the heiress. It was while in Spring Country in the four years following their exile from Fire Country and Konoha that Koyuki took her to a dress shop in which they specialized in chesogam dresses.
She instantly fell in love with the dresses.
Hair done up in a bun and secured in place with a pair of lacquered chopsticks, she walked the streets, turning plenty of male heads as she walked by. The chesogam was black with red trim, complete with a red rose motif, and showed plenty of toned leg. It was a known fact that the Fox Sage's beauty was matched with her talent, and any attempts on her life was a one-way ticket to the hospital, or worse.
Speaking of their children, they were back in Neo Uzu, with Kitami watching them for the duration of the tournament.
Her husband, the Damiyo of Whirlpool was in step beside her, dressed in his formal attire – white shirt, black longcoat, vest pants and boots, Hinata's arm looped around his own. Unlike most Damiyos, Naruto could relate to the ninja, as he was still one regardless of being of noble birth. He knew what it was like to start out with nothing, survive backstabbers and betrayals left and right. Ninja who knew of his exploits – be it as a Konoha ninja to the Damiyo of Whirlpool – good and bad, respected him. The Damiyos also respected him for his abilities to rebuild a ruined nation into one of the most powerful in the elemental countries.
What the populace didn't know was that the Damiyo of Whirlpool and his wife were in fact, Shadow Clones.
Unknown to the four Konoha ninja, Naruto and Hinata were already onto them, hence the kage bushin that was leading them to Naruto and Hinata's Azura residence. Since they had arrived the previous night, they were spotted by Anko, who in turn notified Naruto and Hinata. Originally, Naruto had thought that they would not ask for help, but upon finding out that they were here, he told Hinata that she was permitted one 'I-told-you-so.'
His mind was already made up in regards to Konoha. This was their own mess, and he did not want to get involved. But since they made the trip, might as well not disappoint them with an audience.
Damiyo's Summer Residence.
Shikamaru suspected that something was up. This was too easy as they followed the Damiyo and his wife through the streets, down a private walkway, and into their Azura residence. From the look of things, the home was designed like the destroyed Namikaze residence back in Konoha, only smaller. It was complete with a training hall and a lodge. Shikamaru and the others noticed that there were no guards, but suspected that Naruto didn't need any, as he was a fuinjutsu master.
Shikamaru's concerns were then verified as they followed the former Konoha ninja into the compound's courtyard, where they stopped, turned around and faced them.
POP.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, "Shadow clones."
That was all he managed to say before he froze in mid-step, as did his teammates.
Shikamaru's reason? The fact that there was a katana blade resting up against his jugular. Turning his eyes to the side, it was a less-than-amused Damiyo of Whirlpool which held the blade at his throat. His teammates were no better off. Yahiko and two extra ANBU held both Chouji and Tenten at sword-point, while Hinata's Chakra Scalpel was ready to sever Ino's carotid artery.
"Shikamaru Nara...I'd expected better from you," Naruto drawled, not moving his blade from the lazy Nara's throat.
"You knew...you knew that we were here." It was a statement, rather than a question from the last Nara.
"What business does Konoha want with me?" Naruto asked.
"Could you please lower your weapons?" Shikamaru asked. "We come in peace."
"For your sake, I hope so," Naruto replied as he lowered his katana, while ordering Yahiko and the ANBU to do the same. Hinata dispersed her Chakra Scalpel and took her place at her husband's side. On Naruto's command, the Neo Uzu ANBU dispersed, but remained in the shadows. Sheathing his weapon but keeping his grip on the scabbard, Naruto and Hinata stood within double-arm's reach of his former teammates.
Shikamaru slowly went down to one knee, with the other three following suit. This was the hardest thing that any of the Konoha ninja could ever do – ask the dead last, now one of the most powerful men in the shinobi world for help. Had it been Sasuke, he would have scoffed at the thought of asking the dobe for help.
"Lord Damiyo," Shikamaru began, "on behalf of the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju and of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, we come seeking your aid. Amegakure no Sato has invaded Fire Country. The Fire Damiyo has been taken hostage and is being held prisoner inside his home. The Fire Capital has been occupied by Ame forces."
"Why come to me?" Naruto demanded, already knowing the answer. "Why not send a rescue force to the Capital and free the Damiyo? And what happened to the Rokudaime? Why is the old hag Hokage again?"
"We tried...and failed," Tenten replied, her voice cracking. "Two hundred jounin-level Shinobi...nearly slaughtered down to the last man. I was there when the ambush was sprung. Most of the Konoha 11 was wiped out, as well as several clan heads." She looked at Hinata. "Your father and cousin were among the casualties, Lady Hinata."
"You are mistaken," Hinata replied coldly. "I have no father. I have no cousin."
"How could you be so cold?" Tenten demanded, rising to her feet. "They were your family! Neji was my teammate!"
"You seem to forget that my father wanted to place the Caged Bird Seal on my forehead because I wasn't the perfect little Hyuuga he wanted," Hinata snarled. "And you also forgot that Neji tried to kill me out of spite during the Chuunin Exams? Have you forgotten about that incident? I sure as hell didn't."
Naruto placed one hand on Hinata's shoulder. She calmed down. "What about the Uchiha? I heard he was elected Rokudaime."
"Sasuke's dead," Chouza deadpanned. "His eyes were ripped out and his back broken by Rashoujin Hanzou. When Kakashi tried to intervene, Hanzou killed him. Tenten and eight others took Sasuke back to Konoha, where the village was already under repeated attacks by the smaller villages. One of the attacks was directed at the hospital, where it was converted into a triage center. Grass ninja, armed with exploding clones and exploding tags...leveled the entire building. Sasuke Uchiha...Shizune...Sakura Haruno...all dead."
"..." Naruto remained silent.
"I will admit that Konoha has been hit pretty hard ever since you were banished," Shikamaru continued. "Ever since Ame invaded, the Leaf has been under constant attack. We manage to fight off the attacks, but our numbers are being depleted. Our Jounin forces are down to less than 300, and our chuunin have not known battle until now. Sooner or later, we will no longer have the numbers to fight back."
"What does this have to do with me, Nara?" Naruto asked, obviously irritated.
Shikamaru decided not to tell Naruto of Hanzou's demands. He instead told him of what Tsunade wanted him to tell Naruto. "The Godaime has promised to acknowledge you as the heir to the Namikaze clan, offer you clan status in Konohagakure no Sato and all of your past crimes will be pardoned."
Naruto looked at Shikamaru long and hard, before replying, "You lie."
"Excuse me?"
"I said, 'You lie,' Nara," Naruto repeated, killer intent radiating from his body, affecting the four ninja. "Even without the Rinnegan, I can tell that you are lying. Please don't lie to me, as it insults my integrity as Damiyo. The old hag never agreed to those terms you presented to me, didn't she?"
Silence, as Nara looked down.
"I thought so," Naruto said as his eyes reverted back to normal. "You should follow village politics more, Nara. As Damiyo of Whirlpool, I have automatic diplomatic status, as does Hinata, which means the entries inside the Konoha Bingo Book are null and void. Second, clan status in Konoha means nothing to me, as I know that is also a lie. Sasuke and Neji found that out the hard way when they tried to attack Hinata and myself."
'That's for sure,' Ino and Tenten thought. Ino remembered the confrontation between the former Cell Seven Teammates on the eve of the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament years earlier. Sasuke had not been impressed with Naruto's rise as the Damiyo of Whirlpool, and still claimed superiority over the former jinchuuriki. Naruto simply got under his skin by saying that if he could not beat him, then killing Itachi was out of the question.
That remark made Sasuke furious.
"Dobe! Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?" Sasuke had demanded.
Naruto's response was cold enough to send chills down Ino's spine. "Do you?"he responded. "Look at where I am, Uchiha...and look at you. You claim superiority as an Uchiha Elite, yet you can't beat me. You couldn't beat me at the Valley of the End even with your Cursed Seal, nor could you beat me in Tea Country despite your Sharingan. The fact that you are still alive is because of my grace. That, and your inability of trying to kill your elder brother amuses me. Don't make me think I made a mistake, Uchiha, because I have absolutely no problem in ending the Uchiha line once and for all."
Ino spoke up. "We received a visit from Rashoujin Hanzou. He said that he would spare Konoha if you fight him one-on-one in single combat. Win or lose, he will spare Fire Country. That's why we're here."
Almost immediately, upon hearing that, Naruto knew what Hanzou was planning. 'So that's his game...lowering Konoha's guard by giving them an impossible task to complete, then strike when they least expect it. By the time these four return to Fire Country, Konoha will already be under attack by Ame and Iwa forces.'
"No."
"No?" Ino repeated.
"No," Naruto repeated. "Why should I fight for Konoha when it is well-documented that they fail to keep their end of the bargain our of pure spite? I should know. I fought in the invasion when Suna and Oto invaded Konoha, stopped Gaara from destroying the town...and was denied Chuunin. I brought that drunken hag back so she could be Godaime Hokage...and was denied Chuunin."
Now, Naruto was starting to get angry. "And last...I brought your damned Uchiha back and what do I get? Banishment, with your parents and the Fire Lord trying to steal my legacy! What was rightfully mine from the beginning!"
The four ninja winced at Naruto's voice.
"Oh, but there's more," Naruto continued. "So much more. Old Man Sarutobi tried his best to protect me, that I will admit, but he could not stop the abuse."
Ino and the others watched as Naruto's eyes changed from a vibrant blue to a light purple with a ripple-like pattern. Hinata stepped to the side, while Yahiko and the others backed away. Whenever Naruto unleashed the power of the Rinnegan, bad things happened to those who caused his ire, which is rare, but oh was it a sight to behold.
Now the four Konoha ninjas were on their knees, unable to move as they stared helplessly into the eyes of their former teammate. They watched as Naruto began to perform handsigns. "You want to know suffering...you haven't seen what I've seen...experienced what I experienced...I will draw you into my mind...into my memories...give you a taste of what I have experienced back in Konohagakure..."
It was a jutsu that Naruto had created along with Kitami's aid. It was similar to that of the Mind Transfer Jutsu that the Yamanaka was famous for. However, instead of Naruto transferring his mind over to the four ninja, he instead pulled them into his consciousness...
Into his memories.
Within Naruto's subconsciousness...
Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji and Tenten had heard the reports of Naruto being abused. But now, they were seeing it through his eyes as he was beaten mercilessly by the villagers and ninja of Konoha. Naruto's shouts of mercy were immediately drowned out with cries of "Demon! Monster! Kyuubi bastard! Kill the Demon! For the Yondaime!"
And things just got worse from there.
Naruto made sure that the ninja could see everything, feel everything, know what it was like to be an outcast, to be spit upon. There was no escape as Naruto opened up memories thought to have been suppressed, but resurfaced thanks to the Nine-Tails unlocking the mental blocks that were put in place. To drive his point home, Naruto showed them the numerous assassination attempts made not only by their senseis, but also by their parents.
"We must kill him before my father finds out that something is wrong!" Asuma Sarutobi, slashing and punching with his chakra-laced trench knives.
"It is very troublesome, but a demon like you is better off dead." Shikaku Nara, as he tried to strangle the young Naruto with his own shadow.
"It is most un-youthful in letting a demon live amongst us! I will avenge the Yondaime and kill this beast!" Maito Gai, unleashing brutal Taijutsu strikes on Naruto.
"This little bastard killed Kushina! He must die!" Tsume Inuzuka, unleashing her Gatsuga.
"You fools. Breaking his bones will leave a trace! I will kill him by destroying his mind." Inoichi Yamanaka, attempting to fry Naruto's brain.
"Drive the demon to madness. Only then will he fall." Kurenai Yuuhi as her red eyes glowed with unleashing her most powerful genjutsu on the helpless boy.
"The brat is not the son of the Yondaime." Hiashi Hyuuga, as he nearly succeeded in killing Naruto with his Jyuuken.
"It is imperative that the boy must die for Konoha's sake." Shibi Aburame, as his bugs tried to destroy Naruto's chakra system.
"In dealing with the Kyuubi spawn, there is no such thing as overkill." Chouza Akamichi, as one oversized fist sent Naruto flying into a wall.
"He killed Minato-sensei and his wife. For that, he will suffer." Kakashi Hatake, as he unleashed torrents of flame upon the boy, ignoring his screams.
"The boy is to be banished. He caused the death of Kushina. For that, I will never forgive him." Tsunade Senju, on the eve of Naruto's banishment.
"So we are in agreement? Once he is dead, all we need is a sample of his blood to get past the seals Minato set up surrounding the Namikaze Estate. Afterward, we will split everything inside from Jutsus to cash. Since Kushina was the former Damiyo of Whirlpool, she was loaded!" Jiraiya, also on the eve of Naruto's banishment.
"So long as you remember to give me my cut for allowing this. Once this is over and done with, destroy all records of the Kyuubi boy. Birth certificate, ninja registration. Everything. It will be as if he never existed." The Fire Lord.
"What about the Uchiha?" Danzou.
"He will be cleared of all charges. I think teaching him some of Uzu's jutsu and giving him the Namikaze Estate to recover will be more of a gesture to convince him to stay. Especially if we teach him the Hiraishin." Again, the Fire Lord.
Just as quickly it began, it was over.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Tenten found themselves back in Azura, freed from Naruto's mind. As expected, Tenten threw up, while Ino looked catatonic. Chouji was visibly shaken, while Shikamaru whispered, "Troublesome...so very troublesome," over and over again.
"Now do you understand?" Naruto demanded, Rinnegan still active, longcoat fluttering in the breeze. "They tried to erase the abuse that they did...but having the furball sealed inside your gut does has its advantages. I found out the abuse the elder Jounin did to me while I was in Spring Country. When the elder Jounin came after me...I repaid their treachery in kind. You thought I was being cruel. I called it justice."
"Gai-sensei...why?" Tenten moaned, as she felt her torso burn with the phantom pain of Gai's brutal attacks. Her impression of her sensei had dropped a lot when he was more than willing to try and kill an innocent boy.
"Asuma...my God...what have you done? Dad...why did you do this?" Ino whispered as she sobbed softly.
"..." Chouji was silent.
"Troublesome. Dad, you fool..." Shikamaru muttered as the full totality of what they experienced had hit them.
And at last, they understand why Naruto would not help them. They thought it was out of pure spite. But he was justified in not helping them. Justified in wanting to see the Leaf Village burn to the ground.
"This is a mess of Konoha's doing," Naruto continued as his eyes returned to normal. "This is the mess of the Fire Lord. My word is final. I will not come to Konoha's aid. The Will of Fire is gone, extinguished by the hands of the corrupt villagers and of the shinobi council. Had you decided to honor my father's request, I would be more than willing to fight for Konoha. But I refuse to fight for a village who will reward a traitor over a hero."
"What about us?" Shikamaru asked.
"Killing you would be pointless, so your lives are yours still," the Damiyo replied. "But I want you gone by tomorrow morning. I have eyes and ears all over Azura, and I will know." Summoning the ANBU, he ordered them to take them back to their hotel for the night. Come the morning, they would be on the first ship back to Lightning Country.
Shikamaru and Chouji helped the two catatonic women out of the compound, assisted by the Neo Uzu ANBU.
The Azura Inn – later.
Shock was the predominant expression at the revelations which Naruto had revealed to the four Konoha ninja. For a long time, they had been kept in the dark about the abuse and about the events leading up to his banishment. Shikamaru knew some of the details, but Ino thought that the lazy Nara was yanking her chain.
They were wrong on all counts.
Naruto was banished from Konoha merely for doing his job, which was to bring back the Uchiha. Banished because of the bigotry he faced as a Jinchuuriki, out of blatant favortism towards the last Uchiha, and because of greed, plain and simple.
What was worse was that their senseis and their parents all had a hand in either trying to break Naruto or to outright kill him.
Shikamaru looked outside the window. The inn overlooked the sea. He also knew that there were Uzu ANBU nearby, on Naruto's orders. They were not prisoners, and were free to leave, but further contact with the Whirlpool Damiyo was forbidden.
Shikamaru reached inside his vest and pulled out a picture of Asuma and of his team. The picture was taken shortly after completing the shinobi academy. Such a stark contrast from seeing their laid back, chain-smoking sensei to the man who tried to kill Naruto as a child.
The pain that Asuma had done to Naruto was directed at him. Shikamaru felt every slice, every broken bone that Asuma had given him.
Without giving it a single thought, he gripped the picture and ripped it into several pieces.
Tomorrow, the team would leave in the morning. Upon returning to Konoha, they were going to have a long chat with Tsunade and Jiraiya, war be damned. Shikamaru was starting to see, as well as his teammates and Tenten, that Konoha had a lot of skeletons in their closet aside from the Uchiha Massacre and the Hyuuga-Kumo Incident.
Shikamaru looked at his hitai-ate. Despite his lazy nature, he was a Konoha shinobi through and through. Now, his faith in the Leaf was visibly shaken. The idea of abandoning Konoha was starting to get even more attractive after what he had just witnessed. He also knew that the others were starting to feel the same way.
And if they fail to get the answers they deserved, then there will be four more missing-ninja added to the Bingo Book.
The following morning...
Final preparations were made in the town of Azura, as the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament was starting the next day.
Inside the Damiyo's Residence, Naruto and Hinata were chatting over breakfast when it was interrupted by the arrival of an Neo Uzu ANBU. He was not alone, as there was an Ame courier ninja beside him.
"What is it?" Naruto asked, annoyed that his time with his wife was being interrupted.
"Forgive me, Lord Damiyo, but there is someone from Ame here to see you," the ANBU replied.
The courier ninja bowed to the Damiyo and his wife, before producing a scroll. "Lord Namikaze...Lady Namikaze...General Hanzou sends his regards."
After handing over the scroll, the Ame ninja and the Uzu ANBU left the couple alone. After making sure that the scroll was not booby-trapped, Naruto opened it. Inside was a copy of the surrender document signed by the Fire Lord, along with a small note attached to the the document.
Naruto scanned the note before passing both items over to Hinata.
To Damiyo Namikaze:
By the time this document reaches you, my forces and Iwa will have launched our assault upon Konohagakure. The terms of surrender makes everything legal and binding. Just thought you would like to know in case you wish to piss on the ashes of the Leaf once we are done here.
With respect, General Rashoujin Hattori Hanzou.
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