Title: Konoha Crush
"Kyaa!!" Karin screamed her lungs out as we arrived at our destination - The sky above a well hidden building-
"I told you not to follow me but you insisted." I shrugged. "Calm down now, you won't be falling with me with you."
"We're high up in the air and you say we're not falling!? And you expect me to believe that!?" Karin screamed with her eyes still closed as she awaited her doom.
"Calm yourself and open your eyes, if you were a Shinobi, you'd have already exposed our whereabouts." I told the girl.
"You can still hear my voice despite us being in the air, shouldn't that count for something?" I asked before sighing and using my chakra to calm her down.
Only then did she decide to open her eyes, however, at the sight of the forest below her, she hurriedly closed it again.
"And you said you wanted to be strong? What a failure." I said in fake disappointment, causing her to open her eyes and stare at my blindfolded one.
"I-I-"
"You... I'm right here with you, why would you be afraid of some measly heights? Plus, you didn't even ask how we got here. As I've seen, you don't have the qualities of a potentially strong Shinobi."
"B-but-" she stammered as she tried to justify herself but ended up lowering her head and saying: "Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? It is not the absence of fear that is courage, but the mastery over it. Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."
"Huh?"
"It's good that you were afraid. However, I'd prefer if you were more inquisitive than afraid. You're an Uzumaki, no one with your bloodline has ever been shackled by that thing known as Fear."
"Is that understood, my dear student?" I asked and she nodded before snapping her head to look at me. "student?"
"Yeah. You'll be my third student. What? You don't wanna?" I ask with a frown to which she shook her head before nodding it
"That's good. Now let's go find you a junior brother." I said and immediately began descending much to the shock and awe of the Uzumaki.
"How are you doing this? Are you God?"
"Hahaha, why would you think that?"
She clinged closer to me and said. "The story my mum told me. She said one day, the hand of God will fall down on the world like it did once in the past."
"Oh? The Hand of God? How does that relate to us flying?"
"Well, the hand of God would come down from the sky, that means, they have to be flying to strike down right?"
"That's... somewhat reasonable." I muttered as we passed through a invisible dome that exposed us to a well hidden and fortified building, and in front of it was an army of masked and robot like humans.
"Well hello there guys," I greeted with a harmless smile while waving at the congregation of Anbu black ops composed of full fledged and bloodthirsty Jounins.
And to make matters worse, they all acted as ordered by the one eyed Cyclops standing in front of them.
"And to what do we owe your visit, Tengoku." The man slammed his staff on the floor in what I saw to be a false bravado as I sensed his chakra already moving to his right eye.
"Danzo. My least favorite person. I was just taking a walk through the pathways of life and happened to stumble across this place with my dearest student."
"However, riddle me this, why aren't you helping out during this invasion?"
"The village isn't on its last legs yet."
"Ah. So you'll swoop in in the last minutes and bring with you your entourage of mindless idiots, save the village and make the village see you in a better light?"
"That's horrible." Karin muttered but was loud enough that we all heard it
"Exactly as she said." I nodded.
"Anyways, I couldn't care less what you do in your Village, however, one of my informants made me aware of an interesting young boy about to have his life taken from him, could you point me in his direction?"
"We don't kill kids here." Danza angrily bellowed.
"Be calm now, Danzo, I come in peace. And I never said you do kill kids here, you only kidnap them, put them through rigorous Training while pruning the weak."
"That's not taking their lives from them in your books is it?"
"It's all for the good of Konoha."
Waving my hands at the man, "Keep telling yourself that and maybe you'd actually sleep well one of these days."
"Anyways, the kid I'm looking for should be pale skinned, skilled in drawings and very adept in using the sword. Any idea where he might be?"
Danzo squinted his eye at me as anger began building up inside him. Looking at Karin now, I asked. "First lesson kid, can you tell me the particular emotions he's feeling now?"
"Lesson? That's a question." She facepalmed at me.
"Humph, what do you know? This is called practical experience. Now answer me."
"I can't sense emotions." She said and I frowned.
"Seems like you're not ready yet, it seems. Alright, what color is his chakra now?"
"Oh, lemme see, hmm.. Red with a tiny bit of black, also, it feels eerily cold and chilling, like..."
"Hmm, I understand. Now, what that red means is, anger, the black, killing intent-"
"But it's little."
"Don't interrupt me kid. It's little because he knows he can't kill me and is currently planning on running should all hell break loose." I answered.
"Oh... I see."
"That's good. Now, that chilling feeling is his show of blatant disregard for human life. Remember Naruto's golden sunny chakra?" I asked and she nodded.
"That's his respect and regards for life in general. That kid won't hurt a fly. Anyways, Danzo. Any idea where the kid is?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Danzo replied and I turned to Karin.
"Is he speaking the truth?"
"Eh? How should I know?" She asked and I signed.
"Keep your chakra focused on him and pay close attention to what he says and does." I said and turned to Danzo.
"Now, I'm not averse to killing In Front of a child if that's what you're basing your confidence on. I will gladly interrogate each and every one of you till I get my answer."
Of course I could just search with my senses and locate the kid but I actually wanted to kill off some of these guys.
In a way, this would cause a butterfly effect, however, it'll be a good butterfly effect.
These are the guys Danzo places his confidence on, killing them off would allow for Tsunade's smooth transition into Hokage-ship.
If it wasn't for the fact that I needed Sasuke to have an outlet for his anger in the future, I would gladly kill him off today.
After all, the guy's role in this village would also come to an end after Hiruzen's death.
"Sensei, he's running away."
"Eh?" I looked down to see Danzo already gone with a couple elemental attacks and weapons coming our way.
Damn. Why didn't I feel them approaching? Guess I instinctively didn't deem them to be a threat in the first place, Eh?
"Brace yourself." I said and immediately teleported out of the way and into where I felt a couple of depressing Chakra.
"Damn."
"AHH! Sensei. Why is it dark?"
"Calm yourself, girl. As my student, confidence should be your strongest suit. Didn't you see your senior on the arena?"
"Right." She said,
I hummed before I snapped my fingers and lit up the room we were in. What greeted our sight was a dimly lit space, revealing a group of children, their eyes devoid of innocence, lay in restless slumber.
The air was heavy with a sense of depression and despair.
As the illumination spread, it unveiled the traces of exhaustion etched on their faces, reflecting the toll of relentless training.
Some kids were engaged in quiet conversations, their voices carrying a somber undertone that hinted at the harsh reality they faced.
Even our appearance didn't seem to alert them to the possibility of a savior coming to their aid.
The atmosphere in the room was suffocating, a stark contrast to the air one would expect of a gathering of a couple kids.
These children, stripped of their childhoods, were trapped in a cycle of darkness, being molded into tools of destruction.
Their parents, Shinobis, who have given their lives for the village in the wars of the past, in hopes of a better future for their kids.
Karin, standing beside me, gasped at the sight. "What is this place?"
I sighed, my expression somber. "A training ground for child assassins. They endure rigorous training day and night, their lives shaped by a darkness that robs them of their innocence."
"How...why...how?" She asked and I understood that she was curious as to why this was even happening and how a human could possibly do this to kids.
"You haven't seen the darkness this world has to offer. Forget them, you haven't even seen the things your mother has to endure for your sake." Saying this, I sighed and scanned the kids for the one I came for.
Despite my best wishes for them, the best I can do is bring their existence to Tsunade during her reign, and even at that, without proper authority, they'd just end back here since Danzo is still at large.
Sighting Sai, I came up to him and asked. "Would you like to leave with me?"
"Huh?"
...
Sai POV
"Huh?"
At that moment, my mind came to a halt as I processed the words I just heard. The memories flashed before my eyes like faded ink on an ancient scroll.
I remembered the sterile walls of the Root facility, devoid of any warmth. Faces passed by like shadows, trainers teaching me the art of emotionless combat.
They called me Sai, a name stripped of any personal connection, a label rather than an identity.
My only purpose was to be an efficient tool, devoid of feelings or individuality.
The book and ink were my only companions, an attempt to express what I was denied – emotions. But the art lacked color, just like my life.
I recalled the emptiness where memories of family and laughter should have been.
Shin, especially. I had just recently killed him. I feel like I should feel something, but I don't.
The concept of bonds felt alien to me, replaced by the cold efficiency of missions.
The only constant was the anonymity that surrounded me, a mask I wore even before I could paint one on paper.
And then, he appeared like a break in the storm clouds. His question hung in the air, and for the first time, I felt a stir within me, a longing for something beyond the clinical confines of Root.
"Would you like to leave with me?" he repeated, his words cutting through the numbness that had become my shield.
In that brief pause, I glimpsed the possibility of a life colored with emotions, with connections that transcended mere assignments.
The decision loomed before me, an invitation to step out of the shadows and embrace a world where I could be more than just Sai.
The answer, however, lingered on the tip of my tongue, an unspoken echo of the yearning that had silently grown within me.
"I understand." He said, and the next thing I knew, I saw darkness all around me.
...
Shun's POV
"I understand." I said as I felt the stirring emotions within the boy unable to be expressed due to his recent trauma.
Knowing that he was still at the early stages of his emotionless life, I directly made him unconscious and floated him up.
"Is that the big we came for? What did you do to him?" Karin asked and I nodded.
"I just made him fall asleep. He's been going through a lot recently. Let go."
"And the rest?" She asked without moving towards me.
Smiling at her, I said. "They'll be properly taken care of." After that, I teleported away with both Sai and Karin.
The entire village was within my domain, she, thinking she had a choice was a misconception in the first place.
Appearing once more, I floated above the area where Naruto was trying to wake a sleeping Gaara, hanging on Shukaku's head.
The other Genins were taking care of their respective opponents with Sasuke, Temari and Kankuro watching from the sidelines.
Rashly interfering in this level of fight now, would spell doom for any of them.
Just the aftershock of the battle between Shukaku and Gamabunta was enough to kill them, and even if they luckily dodged, a stray pebble or tree or even rock could do more harm than good.
I looked at Sasuke and felt his unwillingness at seeing Naruto fight in a battle of such caliber and immediately appeared beside him.
"Yo."
He immediately jumped off the branch he was standing on with an agility that made me raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"Oh, it's just you." He said and visibly relaxed, his Sharingan however still blazed as he turned to spectate the fight between the two Jinchuriki.
"Do you feel unwilling?" I asked the Uchiha and he looked at me.
"What?"
"You feel you're weaker than Naruto despite all the efforts you put in these past few weeks."
He kept silent, which was his seal of approval.
"You don't need to be. You're as special as he is, he just got his serendipity earlier than you." I said, sounding sagely right there.
"Seren-what?" Sasuke asked, looking confused.
Tch, he didn't get it.
"Serendipity. It means opportunity. Naruto got his opportunity before you is all." I said sulkily before sighing. I couldn't blame them after all.
"As a Shinobi, it's not always about the fights, it's the ability to be able to win in the end." Sasuke said with an eye roll. "I've heard that a lot of times but still... What is he? Gaara. How can he turn into that? And how is Naruto able to fight him?"
"Uh... Those are questions you need to ask your Sensei, but I doubt Kakashi would be of any use...hmm, how about I recommend a teacher for you."
"A teacher... don't I have you and the rest?" He asked, referring to Shusui, Izumi and Hana.
"No you don't. After this, Naruto would be leaving the village with his teacher for a couple years. When he returns, can you imagine how strong he'd be?"
"Naruto is leaving the village?" Sasuke asked in shock.
"That's not the issue here. I'm saying he'd grow so strong that you will not even be able to contend with him."
"That's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible. Not to mention, his teacher is a Sanin." I dropped another bomb on the kid, making his Sharingan to off and on for an instant.
That's new, I didn't know shock could make your chakra fluctuate. An interesting find.
"A Sanin?" He asked and I immediately felt a wave of jealousy begin to grow causing me to frown before relaxing my face again.
"You don't need to be jealous. The person I'll be recommending you to would teach you properly and even bring you up to Itachi's Level in a few years," I consoled.
"Really?" He asked with excitement.
"Of course, however..."
"However?"
"He's a rogue nin."
"What?"
"He's a rogue nin, so if you decide to learn under him, you'll be dubbed a rogue nin in the future too."
"...I don't wanna become a rogue nin." He said after some hesitation.
"Up to you. I'll tell you all I feel you need to know about Itachi after this..." I motioned to the village. "is concluded."
His eyes lit up but I immediately doused it by saying. "Maybe then, you'd understand how feeble you are in comparison to him."
"What...is he that strong?"
"Strong? He considers me his rival so ask yourself: Am I strong? If yes, then how strong do you expect my rival to be?"
"How is that possible?"
"Your brother is a genius who put in some effort into becoming stronger. At the age of 9, he was forced to graduate from the academy due to his brilliance and was directly promoted to a Chunin."
"At that age, he could already contend with Jounins. Anbu Jounins at that. And to make matters worse, he was made Anbu captain at the age of twelve."
"That means, at the age you graduated from the academy, he was already an Anbu captain."
"The question now is: How far would you go to defeat your brother?"
Sasuke looked at me with wide eyes as I recounted Itachi's life in a few sentences and couldn't help but feel a little despair.
However, as soon as that feeling surfaced, it changed into hatred and anger. Sasuke's eyes flashed with a glint that made me shake my head.
'Itachi's illusion truly is marvelous. Able to make any feeling whatsoever turn into unadulterated hatred and anger towards him.'
With these emotions building up, Sasuke might even awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan without needing to kill him.
"I'll do it."
"Hmm?"
"I'll learn under the rogue nin."
"You'll become a rogue nin y'know. The entire village, your friends, they'd hunt you."
"They will, but they won't catch me. Not before I meet my brother. Also, I believe you'll have a way to sort this out." He said looking at me with so much conviction that I didn't even have in myself.
"You brat." I said and knocked him on the head. "Looks like the fight is coming to an end." I said and turned to look at Naruto who walked up to the paralyzed Gaara and sat beside him.
What followed was a session of talk-no-jutsu that we all had to listen to.
I wondered why Temari and Kankuro didn't appear immediately to secure their little brother, but I guess it is the Dao Voice that comes with Naruto's words.
"Is...is that also possible?" Sasuke asked in shock as we saw the previous cold faced Gaara begin to cry.
It was at that moment that the other sand siblings finally decided to make a move.
"You see? You have your loved ones right here with you. Or rather, you've always had them. Isn't that enough?" Naruto said with a sunny smile.
Sasuke also finally decided to make a move and appeared beside Naruto to back him up in case the sand siblings decide to do anything.
"I understand... Let's retreat." Gaara said and ordered his siblings before realizing what he did and added. "Please."
This shocked both Temari and Kankuro as this was a First seeing their brother being polite. Even if they didn't care about him, they would still carry him out of the Fire country, but hearing him speak like this seemed to light up a flame in them they didn't know they had.
For the first time, they both felt like elder siblings and happily carried their little brother away.