223Shadow of the Empire - chapter 3/Monsters
-/\/-
Naruto reached the cliff and didn't even pause. He rushed up the vertical surface as if it was just a straight road. He covered the height and launched himself over the edge. His senjutsu-empowered senses told him exactly where the assassins were escaping. He chased through the thick forest until he finally caught up to the assassins in a serene clearing.
Maybe if he was thinking rationally, he would've seen reason in sticking to the shadows, but Naruto was still high on emotions. He crashed right into the open field and growled, getting the attention of two already jumpy girls. Without pausing, he charged at the one closest to him, who held a giant pair of scissors.
The girl brought her weapon up in a feeble attempt to stop the open-palmed strike from connecting. Naruto's attack was stopped by the Teigu, but Sheele's feeble frame was nowhere close to resisting his Sage Mode strength. She went flying away until she crashed into the tree.
"You… you monster!" Mein roared in fury when she saw a small stream of blood drip from the corner of her friend's mouth. She used Pumpkin in rapid-fire configuration to send a volley of shots at her enemy, only for the shinobi to shrug them as if they were nothing.
"Why?" The young Shinobi snarled. "Why kill both of them?"
"Why? They were monsters, just like you!" The pink-haired one with the gun shouted. "That fat bastard was Prime Minister's relative. He flaunted his status to get whatever he wanted. He would kidnap homeless girls in the capital and whip them to death after raping them!" Mein took a step back.
"And his wife?! What did his wife do to deserve to be executed?" Naruto stood in place, frozen still. He reached into nature energy to find a semblance of peace and not show any signs of revulsion.
"She was trash," Sheele spoke in an eerily peaceful voice. She got up from under the tree, wincing in pain. "I am sorry for her, but she had to die."
"Aoi honest was a gold-digger and attention seeker." Mein spat. "Everything she did was only to keep up the appearances and increase her status. She was self-centered and vain. If she lived, she would've only continued to take and take and take."
"Did she… know of her husband's crimes?" Naruto's eyes opened as he stared at the sniper.
"Probably not. If she did, she would make him stop. It would risk her status. And she hated everything that made her look bad." Mein seemed unapologetic still.
Somehow, the way she said it ticked Naruto. It also reminded him why he was there. An orb of chakra started to form in his open palm as he dashed forward.
The assassin stood there, paralyzed. She tried to move, but her muscles simply refused to work. In a blink, her enemy was already in front of her. The glowing orb of certain death slowly came at her and she realized that these were her last moments of life.
Time seemed to almost freeze for Naruto. He was ready to kill when he made a mistake. He looked into Mein's eyes. Maybe it was her pink hair, but Naruto remembered when he last saw eyes like these. When Gaara pinned Sakura to the tree, she was frozen in fear as he started to crush her. It was back in Nami. When they first met Zabuza. Those were the eyes of someone who realized that they would die and there was nothing they could do. The fear paralyzed them as their rational mind told them that the only possible outcome is death. Nothing more, nothing less. It was the look you had when you faced monsters.
Was he a monster?
The image of Mein seemed to almost blend with Sakura in his mind. Would she hate him when she learned what he did on the mission? How could he ever look her in the eyes again…
He hesitated. His hand paused for just a fraction of a second, but Mein regained some sense.
At the same time, Naruto recalled a different image. Aoi Honest, terrified as she watched the spear fall straight at her chest, unable to move away. The assassin didn't even hesitate as he struck her down, defenseless and at his mercy. The promise he made to Kakashi echoed in his ears. He swore to finish the mission. And to finish the mission, he had to… to kill that assassin.
With newfound determination, Naruto doubled down on his attack. But it was already a moment too late. He was unable to adjust the trajectory and Mein moved slightly away. Instead of hitting her straight in the chest, the Rasengan drilled through her shoulder before dispersing in a burst of force that sent the girl and what remained of her arm fly… in two opposite directions.
Naruto stood there, frozen as the blood splattered across his face and body.
Mein was in shock and unable to even whimper.
Sheele let out a shrill scream that scared any birds still in the forest into taking flight.
"Extase!" The assassin raised her Teigu high in the air. It sent a pulse of light that enveloped the whole clearing.
There was suddenly nothing.
Naruto blinked, trying to get rid of the daze.
He remembered that he was Naruto. He was a shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato.
He… was on the continent of Kashmir.
The teen rapidly blinked several times to get rid of the white dots that danced before his vision.
He had a mission.
Chase Night Raid.
They were here. He hurt one of them.
Shaking his head, he finally regained his bearing.
The assassins were gone. He growled and looked around. When his eyes fell on the mangled, bloodied arm, he had to take a deep breath to stave off the sick feeling that began in his stomach. The appendage was still warm and rapidly cooling as the blood flowed out of it.
Fighting off the queazy stomach, he picked it up and sealed it into a storage scroll to bring to Kakashi. Then, he quickly made a Mi (snake) handseal and focused on nature energy. In a few moments, he was back in sage mode. His stretched senses slowly spread out in all directions, but Night Raid assassins seemingly vanished among innumerable normal citizens of the empire. He now had no way to distinguish them from the loyal city-dwellers or farmers in the surrounding area.
And no, the lack of an arm was no indicator. The empire had its fair share of cripples, war veterans, or unlucky artisans.
-/\/-
Naruto and Kakashi stood in front of the Emperor. The funeral ended not two hours ago and Prime Minister already called for a meeting of the Royal Council. Since all of them were already in the palace, it was easy to drag them to the throne room.
Kakashi did not let any emotions show on his (mostly covered) face, whereas Naruto was rather subdued. His Jonin vest had been cleaned by the palace servants so that no blood remained. His head hung down.
"This is an outrage!" Bellowed Honest. "We've paid a fortune for the shinobi service and they can't even protect my nephew! And that little… that… He," at that, the prime minister pointed at Naruto, "let the assassins escape! Poor Iokal and Aoi…" Crocodile tears streamed from his eyes.
Before the blond shinobi could speak, Kakashi stepped forward.
"Your Majesty. We are deeply sorry for Prime Minister's loss. I will take full responsibility for the failure, but I urge your Majesty to understand that at the current time, my team is operating at limited strength and severely lacking tactical data."
"What do you mean master Kakashi?" Makoto straightened in his seat.
"Currently, we lack intel on the members of Night Raid beyond the few suspicions based on Tokubetsu Jonin Uzumaki's encounters." Kakashi was in full military report mode, which appeared to impress the young Emperor. "Further, we have no knowledge of any Teigu that Night Raid has in their possession. And Teigu in general. So far, we've managed to establish that at least some of them seem to be powered by a form of chakra. Or as you call it, Life Force."
"Yes, sadly, the information on any and all Teigu was lost to history and we only have legends to go on." Honest huffed.
"What do you mean, Prime Minister?" The emperor turned to look at his mentor. "You've shown us the tome that contained information on all Teigu not a week ago. Did you forget about it already?"
"I… ah… uh…" The man stumbled over his words trying to come up with an excuse.
"Nevermind. Master Kakashi, we shall have the book arranged to be delivered to your chambers immediately." The young Emperor clapped his hands and one of the servants rushed out of the room.
"Was the operation a total failure?" Grand General Budo asked.
"No. Tokubetsu Jonin Uzumaki managed to deliver a maiming blow to the sniper. She lost her left arm, which we secured. Their escape was only available due to the use of a trump card of their other Teigu. With the arm, my ninken should be able to track the assassins to their base of operation, unless the sniper has already succumbed to the blood loss and perished."
"That will not bring my nephew back!" Honest cried, making a show of blowing his nose into a black handkerchief with Honest name embroidered in golden thread. "What good are you for anyway?" He looked at Kakashi. "In your time in the capital, you did nothing. Master," he made it sound like an insult, "Naruto was the only one who actually even saw night raid."
Before Kakashi could answer, General Budo stepped forward. "While I empathize with your pain, I must ask you to calm down. Despite only staying here for a few weeks, the Shinobi have managed to identify three previously-unknown Night Raid Members, eliminated a high-ranking traitor in the military and revealed a potentially-crippling plot, and managed to deliver a crippling wound to one of their members. While regretful, it's more than the entire Imperial Military and Police Force could manage since the group's first appearance."
Kakashi looked at the general with a narrowed eye. In the empire, no one did anything out of the goodness of their heart and it was the second time that Budo stood up for the shinobi.
"Thank you, General Budo. We are grateful for your moving speech. You are, indeed, right. Master Kakashi," Makoto turned to the shinobi, "we thank you for your continued aid in the fight against the Revolutionary Army and their assassins."
"It is our mission, your majesty." Kakashi bowed and turned back to look at Budo. The general gave him a slight nod.
The rest of the meeting went without anything interesting. Honest, thoroughly defanged for now, remind mostly silent and gnawed on his meat in silence. As the meeting ended, Naruto left for his room to pack for the chase per Kakashi's orders. Meanwhile, the older shinobi seemingly vanished into shadows.
After the emperor dismissed him, General Budo left the hall and seemed to wander around the less-frequented part of the castle for a while. He was walking through one of the many palace corridors when he spoke up.
"You can come out now, Shinobi. There is no one to spy on us here." Kakashi dropped the invisibility Jutsu. "For a supposed elite, you are rather predictable."
"If I needed, I could've slipped into your chambers without triggering that fancy alarm system you have set up. Or the secondary system. You noticed me because I allowed it. I do not need to make enemies."
"Prime Minister is enough I bet." A dry chuckle left the general's throat. "Despite what you seem to believe, Master Shinobi, not everyone in the capital is as self-centered as Honest."
"But everyone has an agenda." Kakashi countered.
"I wish to pulverize the chaos that holds the empire and restore order. And I'm going to crush anyone who permeates the further devastation." General's gruff voice echoed in the empty corridor. "Regardless of if they are an enemy without, or within."
"Mah, mah." Kakashi didn't so much as twitch at Budo's words. "There is no need to get so heated up. I'm sure we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement."
"The empire cannot afford to be divided right now. If we fight between each other, it only aids the insurgents."
"And yet, you directly supported us against Honest twice now." Kakashi abandoned the double speech and got straight to the point.
"I only brought truth to Emperor's attention. You are too useful to be lost to Prime Minister's petty grudges. But that is only as long as you are useful." He let the threat hang in the air.
"You have nothing to worry about on our side." The Jonin relaxed. "We shall take care of Night Raid soon."
"Make sure you do." Budo nodded. He was about to walk away when he felt something pass his head. He brought his hand to his cheek to feel a small streak of blood.
A man fell from the ceiling in front of him. He was dressed in mostly all black and had the full Dark Squad uniform, including the characteristic mask of the group. And had a kunai sticking from his heart.
"In the future, you ought to take better care to ensure that no… stray assassins wander around in the palace." Kakashi walked in the other direction, whistling to an unknown tune. "Otherwise they start to gossip." He called out as he turned the corner.
-/\/-
Despite Kakashi's plans, the hunt for the Night Raid got delayed as a chain of murders rattled the capital. To make matters worse, more and more civilians started to panic or try to take advantage of the chaos of a Ghost Killer.
Whoever was responsible for the murders was impossible to track. Whenever Kakashi's ninken caught a scent, it led right to the nearest manhole. Naruto's clone army aided the city guard in patrols, but the killer simply avoided them. And his sensory senjutsu was useless in a city this expansive without a clue what to look for.
Naruto dashed across the rooftops as the memory of one of his clones already told him what he would find. Another mangled corpse of a woman. And the bodies of three city guards who responded to the noise. His clone saw all four, but not the attacker that dispelled him… his clone.
Being honest with himself, Naruto didn't expect to get anything. The killer, despite their savage nature (as proven by the state their victims were found in), was almost too good at avoiding everyone. It was as if he could see them coming from miles away.
A clank of metal attracted his attention. Making a split-second decision he sent two quick signals to Kakashi through the radio and turned toward the skirmish. The shinobi established a silent communication method two days into the hunt, after suspecting that their enemy somehow listened in to their radio chatter. Two empty signals in quick succession meant 'get to my position ASAP'.
On an empty market square, two figures faced each other. One of them was a giant mountain of a man, with two blades attached to his forearms and going beyond his fists. His blond hair had two bangs sticking out and going to the back, reminding Naruto of General Budo's hairstyle. He seemed to have something attached to his forehead. The man wore a beige long coat with markings of the imperial military. He was also covered in blood.
His opponent, on the other hand, looked worse for wear. The boy was probably Naruto's age, but he was covered in grime and dirt. His white coat was torn in several places and the hood had several holes in it. Underneath, Naruto could spot a sweater vest. It might've been tan at one point, but right now it was too weathered to tell the color. There were several fresh cuts on his chest, still bleeding over his clothes. In addition, he had a lot of old wounds that were badly healed. Despite his horrendous state, he seemed to hold onto the sword in his hands and kept trying to slash the other man.
Naruto didn't need to be a genius to realize that this boy most likely lived on the streets whereas the man was a former imperial officer.
The big guy laughed. "Pathetic. Do you think you are some sort of hero? I'm going to enjoy killing you. Just like those city guards!" He dodged under the teen's slash and delivered another cut to his chest. "I love the look on people's faces when I remove their heads."
Naruto created a clone to gather senjutsu chakra and dashed forward.
"Kage Bushin No Jutsu!" The first two clones appeared, then another seven. by the time he closed in on his chosen opponent, there was a small platoon ready. They all attacked the man, only for him to almost effortlessly swipe at them.
It wasn't a battle so much as a choreographed dance as the killer cut through the clones without letting them close in. He seemed to be able to react to their moves before they made them.
It was almost… "like I know the future." The man finished Naruto's thought.
"Can you-"
"Read your mind? Yes. I know that you thought about Ramen just now."
Naruto gasped. This wasn't like the trick Kakashi pulled on Zabuza in waves. There was no way the guy could guess something like that.
"It doesn't matter," Naruto growled as he noticed the teen who previously fought the killer slumped down, exhausted. His vest and the shirt underneath it were torn to the point the shinobi could see his naked flesh. Naruto could count the ribs on each side. It was as if the boy haven't eaten in weeks. "You'll die for all the people you've killed."
The senjutsu clone popped and orange markings appeared around Naruto's eyes.
"You might be able to predict my thoughts, but it won't matter if you can't react in time." The shinobi bragged before dashing forward. With a swipe of his hand, he released a concentrated wave of senjutsu chakra as his hand passed the man's face.
Only for the killer to get just out of range.
"Like it? My spectator allows me to see more than anyone else. One of the abilities it grants me is clear sight. In the past, I thought it only allowed me to see through walls. Or clothes of pretty girls. But ever since you and your partner arrived, I learned of another property of clearsight. It shows me your life force. You thought you were clever with that invisible layer around you, but in fact, you were fooled by the great executor Zanku!"
"Yeah? Fool this! Rasengan!" Naruto rushed forward with an orb of doom in his palm, only for Zanku to weave around his punch.
"It's hard to change your movement once you commit, i-" he never finished because Naruto twisted mid-air and smashed the attack right into the man's chest.
Even if Zanku managed to push himself away at the last moment, the drill still left a giant gash on his chest that was now slowly bleeding. While not immediately mortal, the wound would slow him down. It was now a matter of one good hit.
Suddenly, Zanku vanished. Naruto couldn't even remember anyone by that name. Instead, he stood in front of Sakura, who stared at him with terror in her eyes.
"Sa… sakura." The words froze in his throat. His mouth felt like sandpaper.
"Monster." She whispered. "You are nothing but a monster."
No! He wanted to scream, but it was as if a cold hand closed around his throat. He wanted to protest. To cry. Anything.
He wasn't a monster.
She walked toward him. "Sasuke was controlled by the cursed seal. What excuse do you have?" She jabbed her finger in his chest. It felt as if a blade slashed at his skin.
I'm not a monster
Sakura just stared him in the eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. For a moment, he couldn't separate her current image from… when Sasuke left.
"You promised to bring Sasuke back to me. You swore."
I will. I will bring him back.
"Everyone in the village thinks you're some big hero now. But you're still the same Naruto you always were. A looser. An orphan. A monster."
Each word hurt Naruto like a vicious slash across his skin.
I'm… I'm not…
"Chidori!"
The illusion broke before Naruto's eyes.
There was no Sakura. Zanku stood in front of him with his blades readied for another strike. His wounds were still bleeding as he laughed. A hand had gone right through his heart.
"The voices… they stopped." The executioner fell onto his knees as he slid off the bloodied hand of Kakashi Hatake, who without ceremony ripped the Teigu off the killer's forehead.
Silence fell over the market square. Naruto stared at the space where Sakura stood just a moment ago. It might've been just an illusion, but it hurt worse than any wound he received in his career. -/\/-
After the fight, Tatsumi was brought to the palace, cleaned, and dressed in new clothes. His sword was cleaned of blood and polished until it shined like a mirror. The servants brought him food and let him sleep in one of the lavish chambers of the guest wing. Then, he was brought before the Emperor. The guard kept him in the corner as the two Shinobi spoke to the royal council. The one with white hair explained the events that occurred the previous night while the blond one stood at attention, barely even twitching.
"...And so, your Majesty, we present you the reclaimed Teigu Spectator."
"Magnificient, Master Kakashi. We will have the reward paid out in full as soon as it is returned to the Vault."
"Are you sure, your majesty?" Honest questioned in his usual sickly-polite way. "Is there truly a need to pay the two shinobi even more for doing the job they were hired to do?"
"We're… not sure, Prime Minister. By royal decree, we've promised to reward any citizen who returned one of the lost or stolen Teigu to us."
"But they are not your citizens, your Majesty. We have already paid a small fortune just to hire them."
"General Budo?" The emperor turned to his other trusted advisor.
"Mercenaries they might be, they are soldiers who followed their duty. Your Majesty ought to reward such behavior." Budo stared down at Honest with a glimmer of amusement in his eye. Just as the Prime Minister took every opportunity to politically attack the shinobi, Budo seemed to now take pleasure in countering such attempts. In the general's mind, Honest's actions were illogical, petty, and straight-up stupid. There was no reason to go out of one's way to antagonize the people in one's service. The Shinobi were their best counter to Night Raid so far.
"We must give more thought to the issue, and so we shall make the decision at later date."
Before the Emperor could leave, the chamberlain leaned in and whispered into his ear. "Your majesty, there is still a matter of the young man who helped stop the Ghost Killer."
"Right! Where is the heroic citizen? We would wish to see him."
That was the cue that the guard seemed to wait for. He (somewhat roughly) pushed Tatsumi forward. The young man stumbled over his own feet as he approached the throne. To his shame, he fell on his knees.
"What is your name?" Despite everyone else noticing the blunder for what it was, the emperor seemed to think that his fall was an intentional gesture of subservience.
"T-Tatsumi, my liege."
"We thank you, sir Tatsumi, for the aid you've provided in keeping our glorious Empire safe."
"The pleasure is mine, your majesty…"
"Maybe you could tell us how did you find the elusive criminal where so many others have failed?"
"I… uh… I was asleep in the alley. The screams and the scruffle woke me up." The young warrior cringed at his tale. Great job telling the Emperor you live on the streets.
"Asleep? Did you party too much and fell asleep on the way to your home?" Makoto, bless his soul, could not comprehend the idea though, making Tatsumi feel even worse.
"He does not have a home, your Majesty." Honest sneered.
"But how is that possible, Prime Minister?" The Emperor asked, making a lot of people in the throne room stare at their ruler with wide eyes. Only some truly realized just how detached Makoto was from the harsh realities of the empire, so this was a shock to them.
Honest grit his teeth. He worked hard to keep the true plight of imperial citizens from the boy, only for this vagrant to sneak an audience without anyone the wiser. It was all because of those Shinobi! They snuck that worthless street rat right before the emperor and made him a hero.
"Prime Minister?" The Emperor repeated, bringing Honest out of his simmering rage. Quickly, the man donned a cheerful face and shrugged.
"I'm not sure, your Majesty. Maybe the boy can answer that."
"I… uh… arrived in the capital a few weeks ago to join the military." The boy spoke. "But… The recruiter and I didn't see eye to eye." The boy grumbled something about rude bastards, but the emperor seemed to not notice. "I decided to wait for my two friends to arrive, as we were separated on the road to the capital, but after a week of no word from them, I started to lose hope. The money I got from killing the danger beast on the way here ran out and… I ended up unable to afford even basic lodging. And no job wanted to hire me since I'm not from the capital."
"What brought you and your friends to the capital?" The Emperor appeared to be enthralled by the tale.
"Our village is very poor. We barely scrape by to pay the taxes and there are years when we suffer from famine or crippling storms that destroy houses. Sayo, Ieyasu, and I volunteered to go to the capital and join the military to earn some money to send back."
Makoto stared at Tatsumi with an awe-filled gaze. "Truly, an amazing story. General Budo, see to it that this young hero gets accepted into the Imperial Military. As a… captain."
"Your Majesty, if I may? While the boy is truly eager, is it wise to simply take him in like that? How are we to know his words ring true? What if he is a spy of an enemy nation? Or a saboteur sent by the insurgents?" Honest interceeded before Budo could speak. "Why not send someone trusted to check that distant village and confirm the boy's words? Then there is the question of skill. By his own admission, he is not from the capital. How can we be sure of his skills? He might lack leadership skills. Or the needed tactical mind. Then there is the most important problem." Honest avoided so much as looking at the boy, showing his obvious distaste. "He is a nobody. That boy lacks the necessary lineage to hold a position of importance."
"Your words hold some merit, Prime Minister." The Emperor leaned back on the throne.
"It is an established fact that only a person with long and proven lineage possesses in-born qualities that allow them to efficiently lead the people. Look at yourself, your Majesty. You come from a long and successful line. Is the bloodline not proof of your glorious talent?"
"Bullshit!" Naruto roared.
"What?! How-" Whatever Honest wanted to say, he never got a chance as the blond completely ignored him.
"Tatsumi fought and bled for your empire. He came to the capital to help his home. With his skills, he and his friends could've become brigands and gotten the money that way, but he chose to join the military and fight for his homeland. Even after a series of tragic events he still found the will to help people!"
"Bah!" Prime Minister once again tried to interrupt, but Naruto didn't even slow down.
"If you don't reward someone like that, then what can others expect? Why would anyone come to fight for an Empire they don't feel a part of?" Naruto stared at the Emperor, who looked more and more torn with each word. "If you only promote people from those big, old clans, then how can you know that you have the best? What kind of ruler would you be if you ignored someone with such skills? Not to mention, Tatsumi has already proven to be better than many of your city guards."
"Hm… We see the merit in your words, Master Naruto. But Prime Minister's arguments make just as much sense."
"If I may?" Kakashi interjected.
"Of course, Master Kakashi, do you have something to add?"
"Not too long ago, one of the City Guard captains was assassinated by Night Raid. To my knowledge, no replacement has been found so far. Maybe let the boy prove himself there. It's a much less demanding position than the military commission, but also much more seen. Your Majesty will gain a powerful propaganda symbol for the others to follow and potentially bolster the City Guard manpower, while also gaining a loyal and competent captain."
"Thank you, Master Kakashi. That is indeed a wise idea. Sir Tatsumi. We hereby appoint you as a Captain of the City Guard. You are to report to the tenth precinct tomorrow morning to take up your duties. We shall delegate someone to help you ease in."
"Thank… thank you, your majesty." Tatsumi was stunned. He heard a lot of bad about the Emperor, but now that he met the boy, he no longer seemed like a diabolical devil child hell-bent on torturing everyone. Instead, the young ruler was just… impossibly naive. He almost pitied the boy. But it seemed that the prime minister's hold wasn't as absolute as some people said. Maybe… maybe there was still hope for the Empire?
"Now, please forgive us, your Majesty," Kakashi spoke up before anyone else could continue the discussion. Or before Honest could try and mess things up again. "Naruto and I need to prepare to leave immediately. While the Night Raid's trail has most likely gone cold, we must check it post haste. Maybe we can get some clues about their moves still."
"Of course. We shall wish you fortunate hunting, Masters Shinobi."
With that, the Emperor jumped off his throne and marched out of the room, followed by most of his ministers. Naruto and Kakashi likewise vanished without a trace (to the irritation of selected few spies that worked for various political players in the Capital).
A simple shunshin (body flicker) took them to the rooftop of one of the numerous towers of the Palace.
Kakashi assumed a stern face. He was ready to admonish Naruto for once more making a scene, but he stopped in his tracks when the boy spoke.
"Kakashi-sensei… am I a monster?"
The older Jonin had no idea how to react to this. What was he supposed to tell to a Jinchuriki sent on an extermination mission?
"I just… when I was fighting that Zanko guy, he put me in some genjutsu that… For a moment, I've only seen Sakura. And that Genjutsu Sakura was… she called me a monster. And said that I would always be a monster. And back in that forest two weeks ago, that sniper girl called me a monster for working for the empire. So… am I a monster?" Naruto finally paused his stream of words and looked at his teacher.
"Naruto, look at me." Kakashi plopped down on the hard surface of the tower rooftop and sighed. "You're no more a monster than I am. Or Jiraya. Or Tsunade. Or the Sandaime. They were all called monsters by their enemies."
"What?! But… I mean… what? Baa-chan might be nagging and trying to keep me in hospitals longer than I need, but she's no monster. And Jiji was so kind and always made time to see me and bought me ramen. And…"
"True, but don't forget that they, we, fought in wars. To our enemies, we were monsters. Unkillable juggernauts that your average shinobi has no chance of defeating. That's what you and I are to the people of the Empire. Trained professionals they have no chance of facing in open combat."
"But… when the genjutsu Sakura spoke, it felt so real… I should've been able to recognize the genjutsu, but I just… stood there."
Kakashi sighed. That was going to be more painful than he ever expected. Why did he sign up for being a teacher in the first place? "The sad truth is, the spectator's illusion capabilities are extremely limited. The best it can do is create an image of the person you consider dearest. They can't speak. So anything you've heard… was your own brain supplying the words to the image."
"What!? No! But…!" Naruto wanted to protest. His Sakura-chan would never… but she… he was sure that… He had already told her about the Kyuubi and… she seemed to accept it.
But that was before she truly saw his power. Before he hurt her. Before he destroyed the Tenchi bridge. Did she… Would… No, Sakura would never…
"Naruto. Naruto." Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look at me. Whatever you've seen was only a representation of your thoughts. Not Sakura's."
"But… why would I think like that? Sakura is nothing like that."
"That is something you must answer for yourself. But know this, you are no monster. You are a shinobi, a Tokubetsu Jonin in service of the Konohagakure no Sato."
"Thanks, sensei." Naruto laid back on the rooftop, though Kakashi noted the teen was still holding onto his jacket like a lifeline. Maybe being a teacher was worth it?
-/\/-
Two shadows moved through the forest at an inhuman pace. They followed a small pug that was somehow able to leap from tree to tree in an even more impossible show of grace. They moved in total silence, without disturbing even the smallest leaves on the trees. They leaped over a canyon without a pause, focused solely on their-
Kakashi managed to, at the last second, stick to the tree instead of leaping off. A stray strand of hair slowly fell to the ground.
"Sensei?" Naruto also paused.
Instead of a verbal answer, Kakashi unveiled his Sharingan and scanned the forest.
"Some sort of ultra-thin thread. It's spread out around here."
"So we've found them?"
"Uncertain. It appears too erratic to be a proper trap. More likely a remnant of a fight that took place here. The Teigu Cross-Tail has the ability to create thin nigh-indestructible threads. It's currently unaccounted for, thus likely to be in the hands of the Night Raid." He pulled a kunai and tried to slice through the thread, only for his blade to bounce off, slightly chipped. "There is still chakra in those threads. Less than a week old."
"I thought there were no assassinations in the last week anywhere close to here?"
"There weren't. Means it was either training or random thugs got too close. They might still be in the area, so prepare for combat."
Naruto nodded and started to absorb Nature energy.
"Two human chakra signatures about a kilometer north." He reported. "No other humans in proximity."
"Can you confirm the target?" Kakashi covered his Sharingan. He had to save his strength for the fight.
"One shows above-average chakra reserves for the locals. The other seems to have… they seem to have a secondary chakra source."
"Teigu?"
"I… I think so." Naruto nodded as he tried to focus his sensory skills more on the target.
"Can you confirm, Naruto? I need to know for certain before we move forward."
"It's not like I've had a chance to memorize-" He paused. "We've been spotted. One of them is moving toward our location. It seems the threads are still connected back to them somehow."
"Find whoever is coming here and take them down. If they're part of Night Raid… terminate."
"What? But we could try to catch them." Naruto tried to argue.
"Negative. It's a pointless risk. And they would be executed as soon as we brought them to the capital." After being tortured into insanity most likely. He did not mention the last part. He didn't want to risk it with how Naruto reacted to the mission so far. "This way at least, we can limit their pain. Think of it as mercy killing."
"I…" Naruto looked in the distance. Did he even have a choice? He promised to finish this mission and Empire wanted the Night Raid dead. And it wasn't like they were truly innocent.
"Naruto. It's no different than the bandits. Just because they claim to fight for change doesn't mean they can commit crimes left and right. There is no more time right now. Can I count on you to make the right decision?"
For a few moments, Naruto didn't answer. He could feel Kakashi's gaze intensify slowly. Finally, he relented. "I'll do what I have to, Kakashi-senpai."
The way he addressed Kakashi hurt jonin more than he would've liked to admit.
"One of them is approaching us," Naruto informed as he refocused on the sensing.
"Spread out. Pincer maneuver."
"The other one seems to be trying to escape."
Kakashi cursed under his breath. "Intercept the one heading toward us. I'll go around and try to catch the one escaping. Once you finish this, move to support me."
"Will do." With that, the two Shinobi spread out. Pakkun followed Kakashi.
"Do you think he will be able to do it?" The dog asked once they were out of hearing range.
"I hope so. I want to believe he has what it takes to be a true shinobi. That this won't break him."
Meanwhile, Naruto jumped between the threads. He left two sage clones as a backup to be able to replenish sage mode quickly. He was able to weave between the threads as he approached the target. He arrived on a cliff overlooking a deep valley. In the valley, there was a giant bastion dug into the mountain. How did no one see it before?
They did, Naruto realized. They killed all witnesses.
His senses zeroed in on his opponent and the shinobi threw a kunai with impeccable aim. The only thing that saved the assassin's life was the threads he's been in the middle of weaving.
"Hiding is now pointless I guess." Lubbock stepped out of the bushes. "Wait, you're the guy that tore Mein's arm off!" The assassin took a sudden step back.
Despite what Kakashi told him, Naruto couldn't find it in him to just attack without even trying. "Please, make it easier for yourself and just surrender."
"Surrender? So you could maim me as you did with Mein? Or so you and your pal could torture me for all information I might possess to then kill me off when I'm no longer useful? I'm gonna take my chances as it is." He started to move his fingers.
"What!? No! But…" Naruto didn't finish his thought as he was forced to dodge the threads that slashed through the nearby tree.
And what could he say? They would have to interrogate him. And then Kakashi said he would be put to death anyway. He'd seen the crosses outside the capital, where the Empire crucified the rebels and criminals. No, capturing his opponent was for nothing.
Naruto twisted in the air in between the threads and in one swift move launched forward. He pulled his palm back for a strike when he sensed thin threads of chakra in front of him spread out and connect to one another.
A barrier formed in front of the assassin at some point during a fight and Naruto missed it, thinking it was just remnants of missed attacks. He cursed himself for not paying enough attention. He tried to hit the barrier, but the threads withstood the first Sage Mode punch. While the structure didn't change, Naruto could sense 'spiritual' cracks in the chakra. It weakened significantly. It could maybe withstand another punch.
"Take this!" Lubbock didn't stay idle while Naruto slowed down. He formed a spear out of the threads and hurled it at the shinobi.
Naruto, without effort, dodged to the side. Then, he got an idea. The spear was able to pass through the barrier. The barrier didn't even slow it down. After coating his hands with extra senjutsu chakra, he moved to grab the spear and redirect it. His bukijutsu was never the greatest, but throwing weapons were shinobi bread and butter.
And he missed by a few inches. Though Lubbock stood there, paralyzed in fear.
"That… that was too close."
He threw both his hands forward and placed another barrier before dashing away. Naruto punched what remained of the first barrier and leaped after the runner. He formed a Rasengan to drill through the second barrier faster and try to catch up to him.
He realized that at this point, the battle was already over. The assassin wouldn't be able to outrun him and there was no peaceful solution. Not anymore. Not here.
The threads littered the forest, but to a sage, they were barely an afterthought. He simply weaved between them or cut them with concentrated sage chakra.
They broke out into an open clearing, where the Assassin stood, panting.
"Just… a moment."
"Look, I hate it more… okay, maybe almost as much as you do." Naruto tried to crack a joke. Anything to stave off the sick feeling in his stomach. It was one thing to kill bandits in a skirmish on the road. It was another to tear off an assassin's arm in a fight. This felt like a simple execution. This wasn't a fight. "I'll make sure it's painless." He could do that. Kill his enemy cleanly. Kakashi taught him that shortly after his arrival in the Empire. A humanitarian way to end his opponents.
"No. Not yet!" Lubbock twisted in place and threw two knives at Naruto, who once more dodged without effort. Then, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. His senses screamed at him that the knives are returning.
Two quick palm strikes knocked both guided projectiles off course enough to avoid any damage. Lubbock wasn't done though. He kept manipulating the daggers to constantly assault Naruto, who had to remain on the move to avoid a direct hit.
The shinobi doubted that they could do real damage, but his instincts were telling him that there was more to this trick. Any time Naruto tried to move the fight closer to his opponent, the assassin would force him to dodge back.
Sage mode ran out.
"Now!" Lubbock brought both his hands down, causing all the threads left by their chase to come crushing. He let out a wordless scream as his muscles tore under the strength he put into the attack, but the adrenaline kept him going.
Hundreds of wild threads converged onto the clearing from behind Naruto, forming an irregular net of deadly wires that would tear him to shreds had he not dispelled his sage clone to recuperate quickly.
The net still wrapped around him with the daggers flying around him to further trap him and tighten the threads. Naruto felt the shifting wires try to cut his skin, but they had no chance of overpowering sage mode durability like that. The quantity didn't matter here.
Lubbock didn't stay to watch Naruto try to break out. He simply ensured that the wires were as tangled as he could make them and ran away. He could at best pray that the shinobi cut himself in an attempt to escape, but it was just wishful thinking. He just had to keep him away until Miss Najenda could finish everything.
Naruto tried to twist and turn, but the threads wouldn't loosen up even a bit. They were just too tight and tangled for him to wiggle out of it. There was only one alternative that he could think of right now. He relaxed his muscles and closed his eyes, allowing Nature energy to flow through him. Feeling his reserves to be full, he took a deep breath and started to push on the wires with all his strength. He could hear the threads strain and squeak as he kept going.
One wire.
Two wires.
More and more surrendered as the chakra that was reinforcing them evaporated as it tried to keep everything together. After about three minutes of intense struggle, Naruto managed to free himself of the bindings. He dispelled the last clone to chase after the assassin.
-/\/-
Lubbock stumbled out to the clearing in front of the base. He couldn't pause now. The shinobi was after him. That man was a monster! He broke through even his best thread like it was nothing and didn't even notice the difference.
Something impacted the earth just a few meters from him, causing a cloud of dust to raise in the air. A hail of shuriken sailed through the air with a menacing whistle.
Lubbock tried to block them all with his wires, but he focused too much on the threat in front of him. He missed the more important threat, a kunai with an attached explosive note that landed behind him.
The blast knocked him down and burned a good chunk of his jacket. He quickly tried to jump up on his feet, but Naruto was faster. By the time Lubbock was standing again, Naruto was already in melee range.
A punch to his elbow, followed by a chop to his other shoulder, then a swipe-kick to his legs. Each strike was followed by a crunch as the bones were pulverized. Lubbock fell down again, screaming.
Naruto stood over him with a kunai ready to strike when he heard the sound of a crashing window. Kakashi fell from the third floor just before the whole building exploded. The shockwave rattled the cliffside, causing it to collapse onto itself. Anything in the direct blast radius was vaporized.
A danger-beast flew high in the sky. Naruto could sense a human on top of it.
"She's escaping!" Kakashi shouted as soon as he spotted Naruto.
"Senpo: Rasenshuriken" He charged the flowing orb of destruction in his hand and prepared to send it at the runner.
Lubbock's eyes widened. He's seen this attack. Last time, it almost vaporized everyone. If he hadn't used his Teigu to pull them out of the blastzone, they wouldn't even have remains to bury. This time, there was no way to pull Najenda out of the attack without dragging her to her death. He had to do something.
Lubbock looked over at the shinobi who was almost finished charging. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping the assassin conscious at this point, but he realized that he had no chance to even slow the shinobi down.
Pain unlike any he felt before shot through his arm as he tried to move his fingers. Even if a miracle let him survive today, he would never regain any use of his limbs. The last thought in his mind was simple. Stop the shinobi.
Cross Tail spun as miniature threads shot out and wrapped around Naruto's wrist. Lubbock winced as he thought to stop the wire from actually rubbing against the skin. He had one chance at this.
Naruto pulled the hand back and prepared to throw the Jutsu at the escaping sky manta. As his arm was reaching the peak of the throw, his muscles tensed and he was ready to release his hold.
A string tensed without warning, making him stumble just a bit. The single wire broke under the pressure, but his throw lost momentum and veered off course. Instead of hitting the sky manta, the Rasenshuriken landed somewhere in the forest.
A flare of light and whistling of uncountable wind blades echoed in the night as a considerable chunk of the forest evaporated under the attack.
The air Manta disappeared in the distance, moving above the clouds and out of reach.
Sage mode fell and Naruto slowly turned to the defeated assassin. Lubbock saw resignation in his opponent's eyes.
The shinobi looked to his teacher, who seemed to just stand there and look at him. He could sense the expectations. It seemed that Kakashi wouldn't do anything. This was Naruto's kill and he was supposed to see it through.
There was no other way. The assassin was already wounded and the fact he didn't pass out from the pain was impressive in itself. Naruto pulled a kunai and walked to the broken man.
"I… I'm sorry."
Don't look away or close your eyes. Kakashi instructed him when the Jonin was teaching him the… execution methods. Show them the respect they deserve.
Lubbock had no way to move, he could only watch the enemy walk over to him with that exotic knife and prepare to end him. The pain was already clouding his mind, but if he was going to die, his last words might as well be something cool.
"Even if I die here, the Night Raid lives on. And we will never stop hunting monsters. Like you."
Naruto stabbed the kunai through his throat, going all the way and severing his spine in one plunge. The last thing Lubbock saw before the darkness consumed him was a lone tear going down Naruto's cheek.
The young shinobi stood up and looked at Kakashi. The man's lone visible eye shone with a subdued smile. He seemed pleased with Naruto, but the blond couldn't help but feel slightly sick.
He wasn't a monster; He was a shinobi?