บท 1: Chapter 1
'It was a quiet and stormy night. The low fog brushing the ground and the full moon bouncing off a small river where a normal family lived all alone. The house was old, almost ancient. They hadn't been the only ones to live in that house. In fact, the grandparents of the father and his grandfather before him lived in the house. It had always seemed strange. Cattle up and disappeared, never to be seen again. Doors opened by themselves with the locks that had been on them gone as if they weren't there in the first place and in the dead of night if one listened closely enough they could hear howls or was it screams of pain that filled the silent night. It wasn't one's of wolves, but ones that sounded distinctly human.'
"Letter for Minato!" A voice yelled out.
Minato jolted out of his book, surprised as it had been quiet for so long. It hadn't stopped him from grabbing the thrown letter out the air and watched silently as the messenger walked off.
Minato put a hand to his heart to calm down the rapid beating and was thankful it hadn't taken long. He sighed and set down his book, closing it. He ripped open the letter after seeing that he had gotten it from Kushina.
It hadn't been that notable. She was only giving him details of how her life had been going ever since he had first left after winning the Chunin Exams and becoming a Chunin. That had been two years ago. He was now an almost 16 year old Chunin who had been stationed in the bogs of Kiri for all those two years they had been apart and he could say that his side was just as unremarkable. The days went by in a daze and most of time he knew neither the day nor what they of the week he was on. Most of time all he did was clean and sharpen his weapons, do chores around the camp, come in for role call, and train. They was the occasional attack whether they would be the ones attacking or defending but for the most part, it was actually pretty boring.
When he wasn't training or doing anything else, he managed to keep himself occupied by reading. Which was what he had been doing before receiving a scare that had sent his heart into a frenzy. Maybe reading a horror book wasn't the best when he was in the middle of a war.
He smiled after reading her latest escapades and slipped it into his pocket to be put under his bunk bed like he did with all the others. Kushina was a close friend of his and he hadn't really received any other letters from anyone other than his Sensei but those were more sparse than fabric softener being found on the front. But Minato knew it wasn't the fault of his Sensei. He had been placed on a front that received the most action from the war and Minato had even heard rumors that his master, along with his teammates were now Sannin. Whatever that meant. Minato thought it sounded kind of cool though.
Someone entered the small tent he was in just as he went to open up his book.
"Oi, Minato." A voice dragged. Minato turned to see that it was Shikaku. "What are you doing all by yourself. The guys want to have some grub before we start training. You in?"
Minato waved him off. "I'm fine. I'm not really hungry." Well that wasn't true but he was perfectly content on having some alone time to read his book. Alone time was sparse in a camp full of soldiers that hadn't seen much combat.
"Eh," he shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll catch up with you after dinner." Minato thought he looked like he wanted to say more but waved it off. It was probably nothing.
"Well," he muttered to himself, opening up his book and straightening himself to get comfortable. "I gotta couple of hours to read you."
XxX
Minato yawned as he walked out of the small privacy tent and stretched. It was a bit warmer since when he first came in but his mind hadn't changed about the whether since he left the Land of Fire.
It sucked and he hated it.
On its warmest days, it was still too cold and too much breeze that removed most of the warmth the sun tried to get down to earth. His normally vibrant skin had turned a bit paler due to the weather and he hadn't been the only one effected by the weather. Lots of his bunk mates had gotten sick numerous times and at one point more than half the camp was sick because of the weather and the different diseases it brought along.
He looked up at the sky, squinting through the mist that had gotten a bit thinner due to the heat and was able to see the sun's position in the sky to determine what time it was. It was a little past noon and he decided he would visit the medical tent to take care of a friend. There was really only one trained medical professional at the camp and others were only trained in first aid, so most of the time those who knew that often helped a Shinobi recover enough after a surgery so that they could be sent home. While there were rotations so that everyone would go at least once a week, Minato had always went on is own accord.
He liked trying things new as well as helping where he could. It was kinda perfect in a way.
He walked through the camp uneventfully and went straight to the back. A familiar, broken man came into view. He looked worse and worse everyday and was told it was a matter of time before he died. He had been caught in an unfortunate accident with a trap that had been hidden in the water when a unit he had been in was assigned to explore the region around them. It was a trap, a real good one. And with ease, a poisoned saw had amputated his leg and he almost drowned when he fell into shock from the pain.
He was a good friend of Minato's and to see him get worse everyday wasn't the best thing to look at. Minato figured he'd rather die with his comrades than alone. At least that was what he felt like.
"Hey, man." Minato said awkwardly, sitting down just as awkwardly as he spoke. "Um, how are you doing?"
Minato winced when the man coughed. He hadn't meant to ask that. The cough quietly turned into a hoarse laugh and Minato wondered just how he was able to smile in his condition.
"You always seem to make me laugh, Minato." His voice was hoarse and scratched. It didn't sound like him. "That's such a gift. You should keep it around. But to answer your question; like everyday a little worse than the day before. This probably might be my last week." He joked.
Minato frowned. "You shouldn't really joke about that."
"Heh, I know." He almost chuckled. "I just really try to lighten the mood around here. These guys don't really laugh much."
Minato briefly glanced around him. He could see why. Most of the Shinobi in here were not going to make it, and if they were it they weren't ever going to be the same again. Minato always wondered if all of this was necessary.
"Yea," he muttered.
"You should lighten up too, Minato. Things aren't good here but they could be worse, right?"
Minato smiled a little. "Yea, I guess."
"Oi!" A voice called his attention and he turned to the medical tent to see a very flustered Shinobi. "The commander calls for our attention! An invasion of Mist Shinobi are on its way here!"
Minato was shocked for a second. They were about to be attacked? But their base had little strategic value in the overall war. Were they trying to prove a point?
"Go on, Minato." The man egged, slightly pushing the Chunin with a weak arm. "They need you more than I do. I'll see you again, ok?"
Minato nodded. "Yea." Minato ran and followed the Shinobi who he recognized as a Chunin that had been relatively new. Hundreds of Shinobi lined up before the commander that hadn't seem to be at all worried.
Their was a grim silence that hung in the air and Minato could see some of the Shinobi shaking a small bit and he honestly pitied them. Most of the Shinobi here hadn't seen much combat and most were just transfers from reserve forces or support forces.
Some of them were going to see combat for the first time ever.
The commander stepped onto a small platform, sending a searching eye across the crowd of assembled Shinobi. He looked like he didn't like what he saw.
"We've been afforded this time to assemble thanks to a very decisive action by our leading Sensory Specialist." Minato looked over to see the man looking as grim as the soldiers down here where he was as he stood motionless behind Danzo. It wasn't a look that suited the man. Minato remembered him being much more jovial. "Saying that, I'll say this. Each of you have your duty to the Hidden Lead Village; our home. So, I declare that if we lose this territory it will be the blood of you brave men. I order a no retreat. This battle shall either be our victory or our death."
A deathly silence washed over the gathered Ninja, so much so that if a pin drop the sound would echo. Minato gulped, he could feel his stomach drop and almost heaved when he saw fellow comrades drop to their knees and throw up in terror. Minato tried to keep himself under control but the feeling of his heartbeat picking up and his breathing as well only served to cause him more stress. The atmosphere itself wasn't helpful.
"May Kami be with you." With that, the man turned around and walked off the stage, being directed to a horse drawn carriage that would see him escape the human carnage that was on its way.
'That bastard!" Someone muttered behind him. "He's going to leave us to our deaths and not even lead us into battle!"
"This is insane! We're going to die!" Someone else muttered.
And as each person spoke, Minato's heart beated faster and faster.
"We're dead. We're so freaking dead."
"He-he's leaving us here?!"
The carriage rode off after the commander got settled and once it was almost out of sight, Minato broke from the crowd of soldiers, running for the barracks where he would grab stashed weapons and seal away all his letters he had. If they were about to be overrun he would not have his items destroyed.
He made it there in no time and immediately sped to his bunk which was under another. He threw off his mattress and found the letter underneath it as well as a chest that had been under his bed. He slid the chest from underneath and preformed three hand seals in quick succession.
Seals spread around the top of the chest and it popped open. He quickly went to stashing his personal items inside of it and taking out two of his ninja pouches before strapping them on the back of his waist securely.
He closed the chest when he was done and did another set of seals. This time it was a different jutsu and seals spread underneath the chest and began to suck it inside. He began to straighten his flak jacket and Leaf headband when he could help but think...
Was this all worth his life?
This outpost had little strategic value other than the fact that it was to watch movements of a country that had previously fought against in the last war. Their main opponents were the Land of Lighting and Amegakure. Of course the Mist were rumored to be plotting against the Leaf but Minato hadn't seen anything too incriminating in all of his two years of being here until today.
Of course he would happily lay down his life for his Village but... this was not for the safety of his village. This was simply a battle out of pride. It seemed to him that this was not an order from the Hokage, but rather, one from Danzo. That old man probably wanted to show the Mist that nothing could vex the Leaf into surrendering.
And that pride would become their death.
"Minato!"
A voice jolted him out of his thoughts and he turned behind him to see Shikaku running to him. He looked a lot more lively than he usually did; not in the good way however.
"Enemies will be here in an estimated 20 minutes!"
Minato was surprised. That was more than enough to prepare a defensive measure. And it seemed Shikaku wasn't the only one who thought so.
"We can set up a defensive measure to counter their numbers. But it'll take the cooperation of the entire camp and I just don't think that's possible." Shikaku's face clearly looked exasperated and tired and the battle hadn't even begun yet. "We don't have any veterans to lead us, nor do we have any communication back to the Village. For some reason, it's down."
"I knew it!" Minato called out. "This wasn't an order from the Hokage but rather Danzo himself."
Shikaku grimaced. "Then that would mean he's sacrificing us to get you killed."
Him killed? Minato blinked. "What does that mean?"
Shikaku sent a face that looked like he was ready to kill. "I don't know where you've been but ever since you were under Danzo's command, he's been trying to off you."
"Off me?"
Shikaku nodded gravely. "You're favored by the Hokage to become his successor and I've been told by veterans that Danzo has wanted the position even longer than the Third's had it. That means he's using this invasion as a convenience to send you to your death and the rest of us are just sacrifices."
Minato closed his eyes briefly and took a long slow breath. "That's fine then."
Shikaku looked at him strangely. "What are you talking about?"
"If he wants to get rid of me, then I'll show him that I can't be gotten rid of." A look of utter determination appeared on his face. "I'll make it through this battle!"
Shikaku looked at him like he was a madman. "Minato this isn't a book! You're not invulnerable! The only way you'll make it out of this is if you desert the Village."
"No." Minato quickly said. "I'm fighting. And I'm surviving."
Shikaku's face hadn't changed. "I don't think you're fit to be out here anymore. But there's no time right now." He sighed. "We have to rally up the whole camp and set up for an invasion. If we truly are going to die, I'd rather go with a fight."
Minato nodded in agreement and the two ran off as the enemy got closer and closer.
XxX
It took more than half that estimated 20 minutes for an defensive line had been half hazaradly thrown together but it was something Minato thought. It certainly beat having no defense at all and a scrambled military.
But tension was still high and tears were still shed. At this point all of them could feel the approaching army but no one could say a thing to help comfort. It was just silence as they waited for the approaching army.
And what a sight it was.
Hundreds upon hundreds in formation ran, raging at then like a bloodthirsty sea that seeked to drown them. Each Konoha Shinobi then drew weapons and waited until they got close before leaping back from their defensive barriers.
A war insued. The Shinobi clashed and immediately both sides begun taking casualties.
Minato stepped away from the crowd and drew his Kunais when he saw he had gained two enemies attention. They launched at him like bullets but he repelled them both with his Kunai but they were relentless and he soon was in a taijutsu clash.
Minato blocked them again and pushed one back as the other tried to punch him in the face. He grabbed it and twisted his arm before flipping him over onto his back. His partner rushed back in and tried to hit him but Minato avoided it and leapt over him, before getting low and practically snapping his leg in two from a hard kick to the front of his knees.
Minato liked behind him, sending a build up in chakra and saw three Mist Shinobi in the air with puckered lips and heightened chakra.
"Water Style: Water Bullet!"
Minato leaped side to side, evading the attack and gaining distance on them before launching both is Kunai between the trio. They soared past them but before they could even hit the ground, he appeared behind them and struck one down to the far right with his Kunai. The other two looked at him in surprise and he teleported between them, using another Kunai to stab the one behind him in the next and swung his foot to knock out the one in front of him with a kick to the back of his head.
He took a quick look around. One on side of him another Chunin was quickly getting overwhelmed by fighting multiple enemies but on his right was another comrade trapped under burning debris. He chose fast.
He pulled out one of his specially marked Kunai and threw it into the rubble that had the man trapped while he ran to help his comrade fight. He struck fast, leaping over behind the enemy, stabbing one in the back which caused the other a mistake into looking at him and his partner stabbed him in the throat.
They went back to back as more Ninja junped into the fray and rushed them. "We have to stick together." He reminded Minato.
"I know." He said back. Minato deflected an overhead strike by a sword, able to put a Kunai up in time. Two more enemies appeared on either side of him and rushed with swords outward.
Minato used his rather impressive upper body strength, lifting through the man's sword weighing him down and grabbed his arm before tugging him forward. The man died in shock as his comrades stabbed him on both sides, killing him almost instantly.
"You bastard!" One yelled able to get his sword free. The same could not be said for his own comrade. He ran at Minato and they clashed fiercely. Minato was patient, finding a rhythm in the man's movement. Block, dodge, parry, block, dodge, parry. He waited patiently. For that one opening in strength that would allow him to cut this man down once and for all.
Finally, he received it. Just not the way he was expecting to.
A fast line of a shadow raced behind the man and snagged him and Minato didn't even think twice before slicing his throat, almost cutting his head off.
"You ok, Minato?" Shikaku asked running up to him. "This isn't going as planned at all. They overran the wall in one fell swoop."
"I know. I saw it. But we have to keep moving and fight. We were ordered not to surrender."
As they talked their comrade went to free their other comrade from underneath the flaming rubble.
"Not to surrender!" He yelled incredulously. "Look around you, Minato! We can't win like this! Surrendering is the only chance for our survival."
"An order is an order, Shikaku. And we have to follow them." Suddenly a large explosion cut through their conversation and almost knocked them to their feet.
"What the hell was that?!" He heard Shikaku yell.
Minato gazed over at their tent area but saw near an ocean of fire that blazed with extreme heat and sent nauseous smoke around the entire camp. "They must've set our supply tents and medical tents on fire."
"But they shouldn't know where those are. We've hidden all the supplies and everything underneath the ground."
"We could've had a rat." Minato suggested. "Regardless we need to split up. You have to stay here and take care of the enemies here. I'm fast. I can save our men from that fire."
Shikaku just stared at him before lowering his head, rubbing it while sighing. "I won't even try to stop you. I know it won't work, you're too damn stubborn for that. Just be careful. The Leaf needs you for more than just this battle."
Minato nodded. "You got it." He turned and raced at the fire that was getting worse and worse. He grabbed a sword that had been impaled in a corpse as he ran to the middle of their camp. He used his less dominant hand to cover his nose, trying to fight through the smoke. His eyes water, burning from the smoke but he kept them open he could not afford to lose sight.
He coughed violently when he was in the edge of the fire and a fire it was. Even this far away, he could feel it like it was right up beside him.
"How am I going to make it through this fire?" Minato muttered.
"You won't!"
Minato looked up in surprise before leaping out of the way of explosive Kunai that exploded on impact with the ground. He skidded to a halt before leaping back to dodge a sword that would've sliced him clean in half.
The man was fast, he rushed again, forcing Minato back severely steps as Minato ducked, dodged, and blocked fierce strikes that would've cleared his head off his shoulders if he were even a second slower.
Minato was able to gain distance again but his lungs were burning. He couldn't breath all that well in the smoke and inhaling too much could cause him to pass out. But he wasn't breathing enough to fight.
The man was dressed in a traditional yellow and black Kimono but it was open and loosed fitting. Gear and armor flooded the clothing and he had found small eyes with a fish sort of look, which wasn't uncommon in Kiri. He wore a mask that would filter out the smoke but Minato could see his face quite clearly
The man smirked. "You're good, boy. I want to know the man of the man I'm about to kill. Unlike these other pissants you deserve it."
"Minato. Minato Namikaze." He said slowly, only using this as a distraction to catch his breath.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Oh, the feared Yellow Flash, huh? I never would've thought you'd look so girly as you do. Nevertheless, it's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled a bit crazed like. "And wouldn't you say our meeting is perfect in such a grand place?"
Grand? Their camp was damn near ashes. He would rather meet an enemy ninja on a diplomatic mission instead.
The man saw his face and chuckled. "Oh, not a fan, eh? I would've never taken the likes of you as a critic. But I suppose everyone is these days. But forget about that; where are my manners? The name is Rinoichi Kumueta; a member of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist."
Minato narrowed his eyes and lowered his left arm. He need all of his limbs to survive against the tower of the man that was his opponent. He realized that the only reason he survived was because he was faster but he wouldn't be able to kill the man like that. Then there was the large fire that he hadn't been able to do anything about.
"Oh, you getting serious now? Well fine be me!" Suddenly, he released a ton of chakra and his body mass that already towered over Minato increased and Minato's throat ran dryer than the air around their camp. He dropped his Katana and a cloud of smoke erupted from his hand that had just been holding it.
Minato waited till it cleared and gulped audibly when the legendary explosive sword was in his hand.
The Shibuki?! The legendary sword?! Wait, this must be how he was able to blow up so much of the camp all in one go. He raised his katana before him and grabbed his special Kunai in his other. He even secretly marked the katana he was holding.
"Heh, I like that expression. It makes me feel... excited." He raised the Legendary sword above his head, smiling like crazy the entire time. "Let's see if a little Yellow Flash can outrun my explosions!"
He swung the weapon and the scroll unraveled fast enough to cause Minato to openly gawk at it. It almost wrapped around him but he realized it and leap into the air. He threw the his Kunai at the man's head but he dodge it by moving his head.
Minato smirked.
Suddenly, Rinoichi couldn't see the blonde anymore but he felt something weird. He looked down, finding the end of a katana through his body and he smirked.
"So it is true. You're so damn fast but I'm more durable then you thought." Minato could only raise his eyebrows before the back of a large fist smashed into the face, breaking his nose on impact.
He fell on his back several meters away, clutching his broken and bleeding nose, feeling as if he had gotten hit by a large, moving brick wall.
What the hell?! How did he survive that?!
He ignored the crushing pain on his face and stood up slowly. Blood leaked onto the ground and he began to breath from his mouth, finding breathing from his crushed nose both painful and caused even more blood to leave his body. Even on his feet, his knees were shaking. He couldn't take another strike like that, in fact he didn't think he'd be able to finish this battle.
"Don't tell me a single hit has knocked out your nerve, boy. Make this fun for me even a little before I collect your bounty."
Minato sucked in his breath through his teeth, rubbing the blood off his face. He was much stronger than Minato and tougher. Nothing Minato normally used would work but maybe his other Ninjutsu would.
He held up his right hand, chakra building up in it. "If you want fun I'll bring it right to you." Chakra formed in palm and began to spin rapidly, the longer it was in creation the faster it got.
"What's this?" The man got low. "You plan to ram me with chakra? I already told you that I'm more durable than you think boy."
"Let's just see then." Minato ran at the man and the man planned to meet him in the middle both yelling a battle cry.
It seemed to slow don't before Minato's eyes. They got closer and closer until they were mere centimeters from each other. Suddenly, Minato appeared above him before slamming the technique into his back, having used the mark on the katana's handle to get behind him.
"Rasengan!"
The original technique slammed the man into the ground, causing a large crater and an explosion that rocked the immediate area.
Minato laid on the ground, attempting to catch his breath and trying to filter out the smoke. He turned to see the Swordsman a couple of meters away from him, completely unmoving.
"How?" He said hoarsely, blood escaping his mouth
Minato slowly got to his feet, holding the arm he had used the Rasengan with. He still wasn't used to the recoil of it. "I could tell that the only reason you survived was because u pushed chakra around your body to stop bleeding and move around your organs in your body. From how close I was, I could sense it. So all I had to do was let you pull all of your chakra to the front of your body and then attack your back in a split second. And it worked."
"Dammit." He began to fade. "I can't believe a cute brat like you killed me."
He died.
Minato took in a couple of more deep breaths. Rest In Peace. He turned around and walked back over to the edge of the wall of fire that had surrounded the camp but was considerably less hot. Still it was nothing to play with.
He sucked in the pain in his hand and preformed a couple of hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu!" He slammed a palm into the ground and puff of smoke erupted soon after.
"Gamabunta-sama, can I please get your help? I need to get rid of these flames. They're burning down my camp."
The large toad grunted. "Dammit, kid. I just got out of a battle with Hanzo the Salamander. I don't have the chakra."
Minato eyes raised wide. "Wait! Is Sensei okay?"
"He should be. Or at the very least he isn't dead."
Minato sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I don't need a ton of chakra from you. I can provide most of it. I just need Water Style to help with the flames. I don't have any powerful Jutsu enough for it and I only need this. Once the flames are gone you can leave. I just need a little help."
The large toad hummed and Minato gulped. "I suppose I'll help you, but I want a favor done myself, understand?"
"Yessir. Anything." Minato nodded.
"Good. Now has that fool Jiraiya taught you the Toad Collaboration Technique?"
Minato blinked. "Uhm, no sir."
Gamabunta sighed. "Then you'll have to learn. Fast. I only have the chakra for one attack that can extinguish this fire in one and it'll take most of your chakra syncing with mine to make that happen. With this we'll put that prodigious talent of yours to work."
"I'm ready for anything."
"Heh, wipe your nose boy and stop holding your arm. Stand like a man and we can do this."
Minato stood straighter let go of his arm and wiped his nose. "I'm ready sir."
The toad boss smirked. "I like that fire, kid. Let's do this. Hop on my head." When Minato did as instructed, he continued. "Alright. Now, mold your chakra and convert it into Wind Style. You can use that can't you?"
"Yessir." Minato did as instructed. This was the easy part.
"Now you have to pass it to me and do it carefully. As I said, I only have the strength for one shot. You can't mess up, kid."
Minato closed his eyes, letting chakra circulate his entire body. He could feel that it would work. He let his chakra run down to his soles and combine with the Toad bosses chakra.
"Water Style: Water Bullet!" The toad yelled. A large ball of water the size of an Hokage head stone plunged into the flames and spread like crazy, extinguishing the flames. Steam rose from the attack and Gamabunta desummoned right after, no longer having the strength to stay.
The air cleared after a bit and Minato could finally see if his idea had worked. "Good. Now we have to find a way to drive them out." Suddenly, his entire body thumped and he could feel his mouth going dry, his eyes watering, and the could hear his heartbeat slowing down. Poison! He thought but soon after fell on the ground and never got back up.
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