10Hello y'all, this is Forzarismo here with something new for y'all to read! I've honestly always wanted to write a Naruto fic and decided what the hell and just wrote one regardless of the many other fics I currently have awaiting new chapters! I hope you all enjoy this story and be sure to let me know what you think!
Chapter 1: Painful Realizations
I died, didn't I?
I'm pretty certain I did…
But if that's the case… why is there a forest in front of me?
Suddenly I am hit with an influx of memories, my chest and head suddenly feeling hot and clenching painfully to the point I am brought to my knees moments after getting up. Clutching at my chest and head, I can't help but let out a grunt of pain as the sensation begins to overwhelm me before suddenly stopping abruptly.
From that moment I became aware of who I was, or rather who I am now. Genbu Kusunoki, a fourteen-year-old samurai from the Land of Iron, one of many sent out to patrol the borders of our land, only to be ambushed by stone shinobi. The shinobi were outnumbered one to eight, but I know more than anything that in this world, numbers mean jack-shit. They slaughtered us, the fight didn't even half a minute as the two shinobi danced around us at speeds that I couldn't even comprehend before being sliced across the chest.
Suddenly realizing that I may still be injured, I quickly open my ruined kimono and see the large gash across my chest that should've been open and bleeding has now closed and scabbed, but then that leads to another question.
Where are my pinkies?
This body's recent memories show that I had all of my digits before the ambush, but just like with the gash on my chest, my pinkie nubs have already begun scabbing. Gently poking at one of my nubs, I immediately regret it as a jolt of pain surges from my pinkie through my arm and a yelp escapes my mouth. Looking around my surroundings I see that my now dead comrades and I have just been left to rot out here in the rain and upon closer inspection, it looks like they robbed us clean of all of our gear after killing us.
So I have just died only to be reborn in a body of someone who was near the bottom of the totem pole of his squad in terms of over capabilities, who they themselves have died and is currently crippled, and I have no gear to protect myself with…
Well isn't that just peachy?
Wait a second… Land of Iron? Stone Shinobi? I feel my heart drop at the realization of where I am.
Holy shit, I am in Naruto.
It's been a couple of hours since I left behind my dead comrades, and while I wish I would've been able to have buried them, I need to get back behind safe borders. I tried to see if any of them were alive, but unfortunately it looks like I am the only one to survive that onslaught, with all of them missing their pinkies too. The chances of getting attacked get higher and higher as time goes on so I am doing my best to head back as fast as possible while also not aggravating my tender wounds.
The only thing I was able to scrounge up was a single kunai and a two-meter thread of ninja wire, and while it may not seem like much, it's better than nothing. For the most part I have been avoiding the main roads as I sneak through the foliage doing my best to remain as quiet as possible lest I gain the attention of anyone unsavory who has the potential to one-shot my ass.
Looking down at my hands, I can't help but feel frustrated at the fact that I am essentially crippled from ever holding a katana properly from here on out. The pinkies are essential to utilizing the katana to its maximum potential, but with them gone that will no longer be a possibility. Oh I hope The Land of Iron has a blacksmith that can make me prosthetic pinkies, else it's goodbye to ever using a sword again, which is honestly horrible since the previous- no, since I have been learning the way of the blade for most of my life, as cringey as that may sound.
Suddenly I hear footsteps coming from the nearest clearing, instinctively making me go into cover and to hide under the nearest foliage. Creating a small opening from the Bush I hid behind, I notice two shinobi, genins by the look of it, observing around before they relax. Peering more closely at their headband, I am able to deduce that they are from Iwagakure, also known as The Village Hidden In The Stone.
"No sign of them here either." Speaks one of the genins as he sits down with his back behind me.
"That means sensei and Kishin were thorough with their assault. We can't have them finding out about our presence here in this land. And as sensei said, there can't be any witnesses if there are no witnesses." The other one remarks as he sits across from his fellow genin, but thankfully facing slightly away from me.
As they talk, I think about the situation before me and my options. I could either try to stealthily escape from my hiding spot and hope that I don't catch their attention, or I can use my position as an advantage and try to take them out before they even notice me. Both have their own risks and I know I don't have a lot of time to ponder, especially if any other ninjas come their way, which is likely considering what I just heard moments ago.
Damned if I do, damned if I don't… I really hate these kind of dilemmas, and I haven't even killed someone ye- wait a second, yes I have.
Not from my past life, but in this life I previously killed a couple of bandits who were terrorizing one of the local villages in the outskirts of The Land of Iron, and if I remember correctly they were actually formidable, well for bandits anyhow. Feeling a wave of calmness washing over me, I decide to take action while I still have time. Gripping the kunai tightly, I take aim at the genin that is almost facing my way, and while I may have an easier chance going after the one whose back is facing me, I feel like overall my decision is the better option.
Channeling my chakra into the kunai, I focus and lock on to my target, waiting for the right moment to strike. As if some higher being is listening to me, suddenly the genin sneezes and at that instant I throw the kunai as hard as I can towards his skull. Not letting up from my attack, I get up and rush towards the remaining genin just as he reacts to his teammate getting a kunai to the temple. Hearing my footsteps, he turns around to face me but is too late as I tackle him to the ground and in a swift, single motion I wrap the ninja wire around his neck and tighten it, wrapping my legs around his arms to ensure he doesn't do any jutsu bullshit. We struggle and tumble around for a couple of seconds, but there was a sudden snap that came from his neck and his body went limp. Not taking any chances I roll over to the corpse of the other dead genin and reach for the kunai embedded into his temple and use it to stab the genin in my hold to the heart. Seeing that there was no response to such an attack, I let go of the wire and take in a deep breath.
Holy shit… I… I killed them… I am taking this far too well than I should otherwise. Shaking my head from my stupor I get up and decide to take whatever I can get from these two genin. While I may have been learning to be a samurai, I am not above using other tools to my advantage, and considering these two genin are dead I may as well do as their jonin and teammate did and clean them of their gear. Pulling off their back pouches, I put them into my robe and then dig into their pockets quickly in search of anything that can help me in a pinch. After about a minute of quick searching I did find three scrolls, ten shurikens, and eight kunai. Not as much as I think they'd have, but I'll take what I can get.
Wait a second, before I go… I know I may need proof of said shinobi, and while these tools may be a good sign of proof, I know they'll need something more specific. Grabbing both of the hitai-ites, or simply headbands as they're also called, of the dead genin, I think these will be more than enough to showcase who it was that did this to us.
Quickly running away from the now dead genin, I can't help but think that that was way too easy. I feel like there should've been much more of a struggle than what I was dealt with, but I am not going to complain. I'd rather have an easy target than be dealt with enemies far above me in both skill and power. Looking towards the horizon, I note the sight of one of the nearby command posts that are set up not too far from the borders of The Land of Iron.
Though… getting there is gonna be significantly more difficult than expected, seeing as there is a massive ravine in between me and my destination.
A ravine… with no bridge and a bunch of stalagmites at the bottom.
Why is the fastest route more often than not the most dangerous?
Okay… okay… I got this. Looking back at my new memories I remember training how to walk on water with my chakra, something that surprises me considering how I originally thought that was purely a ninja thing. Taking into consideration how that is considered more advanced compared to the tree-walking technique, I should be able to get down without too much difficulty.
Nearing the edge of the cliff, I focus my chakra onto the soles of my feet and take one step forward onto the side of the cliff. I am almost unprepared for the shift of gravity as I immediately place my other foot onto the cliffside, my body subconsciously stiffening as I feel gravity trying to pull me down and actively working against my legs and feet as those are the only things keeping me latched onto the wall. Pausing for a moment as I get used to the sensation of walking vertically down something for the first time of my life, including my new memories because somehow my new body has never once decided to walk onto a wall or any vertical surface.
Great.
Taking it easy and letting my body get accustomed to the direction gravity is pulling on me, I take a tentative step one after the other, gaining more confidence after each step. Soon enough I get accustomed to the sensation and begin to walk down as normally as if I were on flat ground.
And then I lose my concentration.
Feeling my foot slip off the surface of the cliffside, the suddenness of it makes me panic and in doing so I also stop sending chakra to my other foot and that essentially leads me to free falling down to the deadly floor that is rapidly approaching me. "OOOH SHIIIIIIT!" I can't help but scream as I turn towards the wall and try to grab onto anything with my hands, only for me to break the middle finger of my right hand as a rather sharp stone hit it the wrong way. "AAARGH!" The pain gets to me before I can even stifle my shout, now realizing that my yells have no doubt caught the attention of any nearby Stone Shinobi. Fuck me, why is today getting worse and worse!? Remembering the kunai I stole from the stone genin, I take out two and stab them into the cliffside, ready to reposition my feet onto it just as I feel my momentum slow down for a bit thanks to the kunai…
…only for them to snap just as I was about to place my feet onto the cliffside.
My eyes can't help but widen as I stare at the two broken kunais in my hands. What kind of sub-par bullshit is this!? Whoever made these kunais better get lynched for making such horrendous quality ones! Suddenly I feel something grab onto me, making me yelp in fear as I turn my head to see who it is who caught me and I see samurai helmet with deer horns protruding out from the sides, making me still my arms from attacking.
"Worry not Kusunoki-kun, you are in safe hands now." The samurai assures me as my memories tell me who the person before me is.
Kazumasa Sakai.
Huh… well wouldn't you know it, didn't think I'd see someone from Ghost of Tsu… shima…
Hoh… why do I feel… so tired… all of a…
With Kazumasa Sakai…
Looking at the young, unconscious samurai in my arms, I can't help but feel angry at the wounds he has been dealt. The moment I caught him the most glaring thing about him was the large gash across his chest. It shouldn't have been survivable all things considered, and yet here he is, with a wound that is already healing to the point of scabbing.
And then there's his pinkies or lack thereof. The pinkies are the most important appendage when wielding the blade as it is that specific finger that holds most tightly to the hilt. Without it, one's strikes will be significantly hindered as they wouldn't be able to utilize their strength fully when using their blades, making one a hindrance in the battlefield.
Such a shame to see a samurai as young as him have their potential cut short, even if he wasn't the best in his class, he certainly wasn't the worst and each and every samurai trained in our lands is held in high regard.
"Oy Brat, enough time has been wasted, it's time to go!" Sensei Ishikawa calls out, his bow at the ready as he takes aim at the upper cliffside, releasing an arrow and hearing a fleshy thump from above me. Looking up I see someone falling over the cliff, but then there was a sudden poof and a boulder took its place. Peering closely to the boulder, I notice explosive tags covering most of it, giving more than ample reason to start my retreat as I jump from the cliffside onto the ground, just in time too as the rock explodes, sending shrapnel my way but it doesn't do anything thanks to my armor. Walking through the chasm in the ravine, I make it through towards the other side in less than half a minute before facing Sensei Ishikawa, who looks quite irate. "Damn shinobi, what happened to our agreement? How's the brat Sakai?" Ishikawa questions me as he takes a look at the unconscious teen in my arms.
"Not good. Sad to say that his days as a Samurai may be over. Look at his hands." I tell him, making sensei come closer and grab onto Kusunoki-kun's right hand before grimacing.
"Those damn Shinobi! They made a mockery out of him! We need to report this to Lord Mifune! He needs to know what happened!" Sensei Ishikawa states, his hold on his bow audibly tightening as his face furrows in anger. "That being said, we need a first-hand account as to what happened. Mifune is going to want the full picture and he won't be able to receive that if the only witness is still unconscious. We're gonna need to take him back to the Medical Corp, have him treated for his wounds."
With Genbu Kusunoki…
Waking up from my slumber, I can't help but feel better than before. Slowly rising up to sit from my bed, I stretch my arms out before feeling a sharp pinch of pain coming from my chest, immediately making me stop my stretching and look down at… my bandaged body?
Oh yeah… I was rescued.
Oh shit… this wasn't a dream!
Okay! Okay… calm down… just calm down, and assess your situation me…
Okay let's refresh my memory, I'm from the Land of Iron and I go by the name Genbu Kusunoki, a fourteen-year-old who has been training how to wield the katana. In terms of power from what my memories serve to remind me, I am on the lower echelon of overall capabilities in my platoon, granted that may be because I am in fact their youngest member in that group.
And then we got ambushed. Ambushed by Iwagakure Shinobi. For what reason I don't know, but what I do know is they were particularly disgraceful with the way they treated our bodies after killing us. I wasn't the only one to have my pinkies removed, they did the same to all the other samurai.
My thoughts are soon interrupted as I see a group of armored individuals entering, friendly my subconscious lets me know, being led by a particular individual who I know not only from this life, but my past one as well.
Mifune.
But shouldn't he be older? He still looks rather young compared to when he is seen in The Five Kage Summit. He honestly looks to be in his early-to-mid forties instead of an age reminiscent of Hiruzen and Danzo.
Instinctively, I get on my knees and give a deep bow to The General of The Land of Iron. "Mifune-sama, how may I be of service?"
"At ease young Kusunoki, you are injured… There is no need for you to cause harm to yourself even more than what is already done just so for mere formality." Lord Mifune waves off, one of the nearby Samurai grabbing one of the nearby chairs and placing it next to Mifune for him to sit. "Now, I need you to tell me everything."
Mifune's words rang with a tone of absolution that gave no leeway to argue. I know subconsciously for a fact that denying Mifune his wishes will be detrimental in more ways than one.
But then again, why would I hold back information on my killers? If anything that is the most stupidest decision I could ever make!
Meeting Mifune's stare with my own, I begin to tell the events that have transpired that lead to my death and what happened afterwards. "It started as a standard as any milord, with my platoon and I patrolling our borders and surveying the area. They came at us at speeds I wasn't able to grasp milord. I just saw my comrades go down one after the other before inevitably I got struck as well. Next thing I know I am lying down with a large gash across my chest and my pinkies were gone. I tried to see if any of my comrades were alive, but unfortunately I was the only one to make it out alive. I started traversing back as stealthfully as possible since I didn't know if the shinobi were still there, and expectly they were. While not exactly the shinobi that ambushed us, they looked to be genin to be more precise, I couldn't exactly risk trying to sneak away from them without them finding out so I attacked them by surprise. After taking out both of them, I took their tools and their headbands before making my way to the cliffside in an effort to get in friendly territory as fast as possible. If not for Sakai-sama, I wouldn't have made it out alive." I explain, still a little bewildered that I went through that whole endeavor.
Mifune hums in thought, rubbing his beard as his right hand man, Okisuke if I remember correctly, walks up beside him and hands Mifune one of the headbands I took. Mifune took the headband and began to inspect it. "You know from which village these come from?" He asks.
I nod. "The Village Hidden In The Stone, led by Fence Sitter Onoki." I reply.
"Indeed. Onoki… he is a careful individual, and it is likely that this attack on our people has more going for it than meets the eye. I do not know the reason for him attacking us in such a fashion, but we are Samurai. If they believe that attacking us is worth the risk then we must show them why such an error is one that he will truly regret. Okisuke, Urakaku, get the message spread: Stone has broken our agreement and has attacked our fellow countrymen. Prepare everyone for war!"
There were murmurs of agreement all around me as Mifune's bodyguards left to spread the news, but all I could do is just remain silent from shock.
War?
We're going to war? Against Iwagakure? Wait a second this never happened before…
Just what the hell did I get myself into?
"Genbu, you have been left mutilated by the ordeal you have gone through, but if not for your drive to survive we would not have known what has happened. While you trained to be Samurai, I am afraid that will no longer be the case with your current disability. That being said, you are still young enough to pursue whatever profession you desire. As General of The Land Of Iron, I thank you for your service." Mifune states professionally, his face remaining neutral throughout the whole speech.
Not wanting to appear rude, I give Mifune a bow of appreciation. "Thank you for the opportunity provided, Mifune-sama." I say in return.
And at that Mifune gets up and walks out with the surrounding samurai following him out of my room. As silence permeates throughout the whole room, I can't help but think that this may be a blessing in disguise. I don't have to risk my life anymore! I can just go live my life however I want now-!
Suddenly I remember The Akatsuki, The Edo Tensei, Madara, The Juubi…
And Kaguya.
And that's just the beginning, as Boruto's series show that there much greater threats that will appear, the greatest of which being Isshiki who is currently possessing the body of Jigen.
I… I can't live comfortably when those threats are imminent, and now with Iwagakure and The Land Of Iron now in the beginnings of a war with one another, I have already changed history within the Shinobi world drastically. Getting up from my bed, I take care to not aggravate my wounds and look around for my clothes. To my surprise, it looks like they got me a new pair of clothing for me to wear, though I can't help but grimace at the sight of the open-toed sandals given.
That is one of the questionable things I've always wondered about in Naruto, as I literally don't see any point to having such a type of foot wear. Honestly I've just attributed it to Masashi Kishimoto having a foot fetish and this was his subtle way of showcasing it to the world.
Regardless of that, beggars can't be losers and I put them on regardless. Oh hey, they still left me the ninja pouches with my destroyed clothing, I'm sure that could be useful later on. Walking out of the room and soon enough the hospital, I take a look around my surroundings, noting the light feathering of snow covering most things.
Thinking about Rock Lee and what he did to get strong, I realize that while a bit extreme, I don't have the luxury to take it easy on myself. While I may not have the talent, Might Guy and Rock Lee are prime examples of what sheer hard work can achieve. Walking back to my little shack of a home that my memories tell me is mine, I can't help but look up to the horizon in wonder, gazing at the trademark mountain that looks like three snouts ready to take a bite.
Truly… I hope I don't die.
That's all I have for chapter 1! It ain't much, but I hope it has done it's job and caught your attention! Thank you so much for reaching the end and be sure to let me know what you think!
Sincerely,
Forzarismo
September 13, 2022