We are already considered accomplished chunin, and now we have a different name, "Special Team #7". We often get missions that chunin usually do. And now the task is more of a representative one - to check the training of shinobi in the allied village of Grass, to test their genes. For the condition, we go to the kage.
- Hatake-san, you will be sent to carry out another task, your team will cope without you. You are free.
It was not a surprise, we often carried out missions on our own, and not only C, even one B!
- Naruto will be in command. Come here, here is a small package of documents and a certificate confirming your name. - Now that's already successful! Usually Sasuke was appointed commander.
Judging by the seal and other things, everything was prepared in advance and specifically for me. They decided to declare the heir, then. Well, this expected one, he warned about my future meetings. If I train correctly, they'll quickly push me through the ranks and quietly train me as the sixth Kage.
-Is it normal for the representative class mission to be carried out by genes?
-Are you doubting the correctness of your decisions, Naruto? -I see, objections will be ignored. I was imprisoned a long time ago and nothing will be reviewed.
-No, Hokage-sama. May I go?
-Go ahead.
-Meet me in an hour at the gate. -I'm informing the service.
I go into the storeroom and think. On the one hand, this is a formality, and combat clashes are not expected, and I can get by with a small supply of ammunition, but who knows? I grab a backpack with the combat characteristics of the equipment. I put on camouflage pants, a T-shirt and a jacket with sewn-in light chainmail. Fingerless combat gloves and boots made of hard leather, tailored to order. A mask gradually creeps over the face, like sensei's, The protector is rolled out and tied on top, covering the hair. I don't forget about food. I throw copies of a couple of scrolls on top of the backpack, I study them on the way. Well, and hiraishin together with kunai to it, but only clones practice mastering the technique, jokes are bad when leaving space. A couple of times the clones disappeared forever - with the beginning of cotton teleportation and other things. The copy disappeared, not even the memories reached. Brrr!
We gathered at the gate, looked at each other and moved off. We will spend about a week on the road. We will have to spend about four days in that backwater. A week ago.
Neji periodically examines the surroundings with the Byakugan, and I check everything around with Kuro's senses. On a day's march from Konoha, the chance of running into minor trouble is small, but caution does not hurt.
The fourth day of the journey. I am moving last. Lalastye in front, Sakura in the center. A cry of intuition!
- Attention with masked ki is directed at us, an attack is possible! Neiji, the enemy's position, Sakura, avoid fear!
- Got it! - Byakugan activated. - Five, judging by the chakra of the genila, on the left.
- I'll hide under the dome. - The girl reports.
The attack was not unexpected. The first enemy to jump out from under the ground, Sasuke, took on the fireball. He survived, but a man screaming in pain, rolling on the ground, is no longer an opponent.
- Take care of the genin, I'll take on their jonin. - one of the attackers shouted, rushing at me. Of course, but it speaks of a low level of training.
So, crossed out protectors of the clasp and leaf. We won't even talk to our refugees, we'll just cut them right away. But how did they transport the nukenin from Kumo here? We definitely need to ask.
Sakura hid under the earthen mound, putting on the top mask. So, there will be poisonous gas inside. A very unpleasant surprise for anyone who risks climbing in without preparation.
- Sasuke, Neji, show no mercy! Work hard. I have the commander. - I give the guy instructions. Two against three, but then, since they both have dojutsu and are not lacking in experience, the enemy doesn't stand a chance.
But in front of me is someone who considers himself a capable table with a jonin. I "carefully" probe the enemy. A cutting wave of air, followed by lightning and a circle of fire under his feet. He went up and to the side. I don't let them seize the initiative, attack continuity and other methods. I speed myself up with chakra and hit the presented bullets in the legs as we get closer. There's a hit! One through and through, apparently with pieces of bone.
The wound healed in a matter of seconds. Iryonin? I continue the onslaught! Fire and air, a wall of roaring flame. The enemy hid underground, but without a mask you can't sit there for long. He crawls out, breaking through the baked crust. I meet a powerful water space in the head. It shouldn't kill, but it will stun him pretty badly. No, it didn't work. I carefully glance to the side.
The guys have already chopped up two rivals and are chasing the third. Oops! Missed the moment.
- Stone bullets! - a swarm of small but very fast projectiles flies at me. I go forward and to the side. I respond with wind blades. I broke both legs and the last projectile tore the enemy's side. What the f*ck? Kai! No, he really heals like crazy.
- To hell. Take that one alive. I'll kill this one! - I give the command.
Raiton into the body to the brim. Fireball! Air ram! Fog! Wandering charge! Attack with four elements from four sides. I almost teleport between the points from which I attack. One of my strongest ligaments, it is almost impossible to survive in the resulting hell.
The enemy was unable to dodge. One arm and a piece of convulsively twitching fried meat with a melted head - that's all that was left. However, he was still alive!
- Dzyasin-sama! - croaked the furiously regenerating lips.
Unable to restrain myself, I curse out loud. I jump up and chop off the body's head, kicking it aside. I destroy the body completely with a stream of fire, reinforced by the wind. Neji walked over the last enemy with a juken and now Sasuke was vigorously tying him up.
- Sakura, do you have acid? - I yell.
- Who do you take me for? Of course I do! Concentrate?
- Yeah! A bucket!
Instead of a bucket, a pot of earth was created, hastily burned by Sasuke. They threw in the enemy's head, diluted the acid. Plugged it with a cork. After a minute of swearing from inside, the team's looks became frankly frightened.
- What the hell is this? - Neji's voice is tinged with disgust.
- Priest of Dzyasin. According to rumors, these bastards are immortal.
- What? - Sakura has a mad gleam in her eyes. - What needs to be done to...
-Human sacrifices, preferably children. - I immediately knock the desire out of the kunoichi.
-How to kill him? You're not going to drag this pot to Konoha, are you? - Neiji.
I put my hand on the pot and close my eyes.
I've already devoured souls, how is this case more difficult? Only because it's still in the body. After five or six minutes of meditation, it starts to work. I reach for his vile soul and begin to tear it out of the scrap of a body. A shrill, gurgling scream, full of pain. At some point, the dark entity tries to intercede, but quickly fades, feeling the white glow of my "pseudo-body". I open my eyes and take my hand away from the pot. In my hand is a pale blue flame, almost transparent.
-His soul. He's dead. - My teammates are paler than snow, but they are not looking at me.
I feel a strange presence, it blows cold, an indifferent cold. I turn around. A gray robe, bony hands, one of which is demandingly extended to me. Instead of a face, an orange (damn this color!) mask, in the teeth of which a stiletto is clenched. I feel that this is not a soul! This is not a demon. The sensations are completely different, really... yes, this is really the avatar of the god of death. Oh, why then did I not see anything like that there? Why did the gods not pick me up, but throw me into that terrible place? Anger gives me the strength to move.
I look into the avatar's mask. It is clear, that is why you came. I put the torn soul in the shinigami's hand and bow briefly. The features of the mask twist.
- Thank you, stranger. Kill the immortals, return their souls to the circle and you will be rewarded. - A voice sounds in my head and the shadow goes away.
- What was that? - Sasuke croaks.
- The god of death has honored us with his presence and offered me a service. - I answered, turning to the team.
- I think it's better to keep quiet about this. - Neji's voice is already calm. He folds his palms and closes his eyes, mumbling some kind of prayer.
- Okay. Let's interrogate the prisoner. - I tune him to the work wave.
There was no need to torture him, his tongue could barely keep up with his thoughts. The appearance of the Shinigami avatar itself is a rare thing that increases talkativeness. As it turned out, the nukenin passed the border easily. They simply took off their protectors and trudged along the post with the caravan, pretending to be guards. Border outpost number 27 is awaiting an inspection and a good scolding of all personnel, including the cleaners. I note this in the interrogation notebook so as not to forget.
So, about the nukenin themselves. The ringleader was that immortal, he was the one who convinced the two comrades to leave the village. In the Land of Fire, this trio met two of our refugees. After a small skirmish, somehow, they united. They carried out a couple of assassination orders. They killed some weak chunin from the village of smoke and, having become brazen, decided to attack us, hoping to then get ransom for Uchiha and Hyuga. What can I say, idiots.
- Finish him off. - I turn away from the prisoner.
- Stop! No! I am from a noble family! You can get ransom for me!
- Okay, more details from here.
It turned out that this creature was the son of the head of a small clan. Why did he run away then? Clans almost always live well, certainly better than ordinary people who miraculously awakened the ability to control energy. If you were born into a clan, your life is almost a success by default, just don't shirk.
- We're on a mission, we're frankly too lazy to deal with you. We don't have time to watch the prisoner, we have no one to send you to Konoha with. What are your options? - He wants to live, maybe he'll offer something.
- Hyuga will knock out tenketsu on my hands so that I can't use techniques, and Uchiha will cast a controlling genjutsu, I won't resist the influence. - The missing nin blurted out. In principle, an option. I nod.
A couple of minutes later, a real zombie with sagging whips on his arms stands next to us. I think we'll give him up for sale in the Grass, let them mess around.
We move on. We reached the goal without incident. An ordinary village in a small, almost decorative grove, surrounded by a not very high palisade. What about the population? Very, very little. To be honest, I don't understand the point of such an ally. A dozen well-coordinated jonin would clean out this village in twenty minutes.
We approached the gate and knocked. With our foot. A chunin came out to greet us, with a burn mark covering half of his face. Apparently, they didn't even know we were approaching! Where are the guard posts? Where are the secrets with the observers? Where is the escort? Five people showed up and they were only noticed when they knocked on the gate! I'm starting to understand the eternally gloomy Danzo.
-Shinobi of the Leaf. Special team number seven, have arrived to check the quality of the genin's training. Commander Uzumaki Naruto. - I hand over the documents.
-Who's the fifth? - a broken and wet voice, it's immediately clear that the chunin's throat was once injured. I see, they stuck a cripple on the gate, who had nowhere else to put.
- A captured missing-nin from Kumo, supposedly a clan member. Was. - I grin.
- Come in. I apologize in advance, but we are not as luxurious as Konoha.
A real hole. Of course, the houses are normal, but the atmosphere of the backwater is just that - a backwater atmosphere. Why are they sitting in this damn village? They should have moved to Konoha, it is clear that there is nothing to do here.
They led us to the house of the head of the village. Ascetic. There is almost no furniture.
- So you are genin from the Leaf, right? - That is how the local ruler greeted us.
- Yes.
- Well, then you should have stayed in your own Leaf. All sorts of people are hanging around here, interfering with life. - He continued unceremoniously, interrupting me.
- Don't forget yourself.
- You don't forget yourself. Genin! Ugh. Put an excellent mark in your papers and get out while you're still in one piece! Otherwise, something might happen and bam! Disappeared on the road. - This potential corpse burst out laughing.
- In my opinion, you just insulted me and, moreover, the Hokage, who sent me to this hole, mistakenly called a hidden village. - I hiss in response.
- Listen, you brat! - They try to grab me by the collar, I slap my hand away, and begin the attack.
Air bullets, acceleration with a raiton, a tanto strike (a cheap one, the one given to Sasuke, lies at home, in a secret place) in the chest. He left as a replacement.
- Find and destroy, the territory is considered conditionally hostile. Do not be shy about the means. - I command in an almost growling voice. No one argues, Neiji began to boil even after the "greeting".
There was no need to look for the idiot. The water dragon flew into the house, knocking out the windows. Sakura hid us underground in half a second.
Five seconds of leisurely movement through the ground and Neji's voice:
- He's above us.
- Sasuke, together! - I give the command.
- Roaring fire dragon! - We knock out the plug of earth together with the jonin standing on it.
I accelerate to the limit and cut off his head with an air blade. He turned out to be weak, at the level of our average chunin. And in terms of intelligence, he's generally a first-year academy student.
- So, you fuckers managed to insult Konoha. - I yell at the whole village, amplifying my voice with chakra - In all fairness, we'd like to fuck you all now, and in such a way that not a single faggot would recognize us. But we're kind, and we don't want any extra blood, bitch! What should I do with you, huh? - I don't mince words, good allies!
I already guess that this mission is more of a test of my nerves, which are already shaken by demonic chakra. Not noticing the approach of five people, threatening the Hokage's messenger, insulting Konoha, attacking the inspection team. Horror.
The people run out into the street, see the manager's corpse and start to get scared little by little. There's already a crowd around us. Finally, some one-legged old man on a prosthesis is pushed forward.
- The Grass Village offers its most humble apologies. I ask you to forgive the previous ruler of our village. He was stupid and ruled only by force. - The old man falls to his knees. Force? He considers this misunderstanding strong? Okay, there's no point in escalating the conflict, otherwise we might end up running away, slaughtering half the village on the go.
- Good, oh good. They used the old man as a cover, and before that they allowed some idiot to rule them. We're taking over the elder's house. I need to bring financial reports for the last year, documents on completed missions and other bureaucracy. Sasuke, Neiji, test the local tai, arrange sparring matches of one against five or six. Maybe that way they'll show something. Sakura, please look through the local textbooks and academic performance tests. We accept the apology, but there can be no talk of any trust. Oh yeah, there was a prisoner with us. In the basement. Pamper him, cherish him. Blow away the dust. Feed him a couple of times a day, God forbid he dies! - Finally, I find the words. Even without swearing, an achievement, however. They brought me two boxes of documents. And this is for a year? I create a dozen clones, we begin to sort it out. Absolutely nothing matches! Even copies of the same document often have different numbers. I howled. This is such a test of willpower, no doubt the shinigami cursed me. We curse and fight our way through the bureaucratic riffraff. By nightfall, we combine income, expenses, taxes, urgent expenses. The numbers do not match by almost four million, that is, if what is written is true. If not, I have no idea of the real state of affairs. For Konoha, as a hidden settlement, this money is small change. For me, as a person, it's more than a lot. I start asking around and digging through the archives, checking where the money goes. Nothing is clear. The locals are silent like guerrillas and look at each other with resignation.
At lunchtime, Sakura came with a red face from anger. It turns out that there are very few textbooks, one for two or three people, and they are in scrolls, not books, and these scrolls are almost from the time of Tobirama. I instruct Sakura to prepare the profile test tomorrow, to check the knowledge of the genin.
Before going to bed, I ask the guys how the locals are with taijutsu. They answered that if you turn them towards the enemy and give them a kick, they will run very briskly in a straight line, waving their fists. I can't count on more. I sigh with resignation. How can I tell the kage all this? Theft from the budget, lack of respect for the overlord, disgusting training, no protection, and this is only a superficial glance.
The next day I check the locals' knowledge of ninjutsu. A little better than nothing. They do henge. Illusionary clones, although crookedly, but also perform. Anything more complicated - no. Chunin can show one or two low-ranking elemental techniques. The only jonin now knows one A-rank jutsu. In principle, genin are easy to digest, we ourselves are starting out as such, but for chunin and jonin to be no different from them?! What the hell?
We feel like chunin, but it takes Kakashi-sensei about a minute and a half to shove our shoulders into the ground, all four of us. We hold out for up to three minutes on prepared territory. Now that's what I call a jonin! A terrible opponent. Almost everyone who was called jonin before this was nothing more than an undereducated nukenin with delusions of grandeur. Their real level is around the average chunin. The locals don't even reach our level! If we really need to, we can bring the whole village down to zero, the team is well-coordinated, we have enough experience.
Let's go back to the locals. No one knows genjutsu. Kenjutsu, which I decided to check out of desperation, is also zero.
Night. I'm sitting, sorting through the next "documents". There is a quiet and timid knock on the window. Who else did the devil bring?
A clone looks out. You never know, anything can happen. I don't want to catch a kunai under the chin from under the windowsill. So, it turns out I have an interesting guest. A guest, to be more precise. The copy helps her climb into the window.
- So, what brought you here? - I look at the girl with undisguised interest. She reminds me of Ino, but her hair is shorter, her eyes are different, and her face is a little more elongated.
- I... you're from Konoha, aren't you? Are you strong? - Her voice is quiet, soft. What does she want?
- Yes, I'm from Konoha, my name is Naruto. Introduce yourself and tell me what you need?
- I'm Michi Aoki. You wanted to know where our money disappears to... so... this... - She doesn't have the courage.
- Come on, don't worry, tell me. I won't do anything to you. - I try to calm her down a little.
So, what have we managed to find out? It's a real mess. The village is under tribute! A gang of nukenin settled nearby, who quite cheerfully beat up the bravest "herbalists" and ordered them to pay, otherwise the lessons would be repeated.
Judging by the rumors, the gang consisted of eight nukenin. Two from the Leaf, two from the stone, four from the Sand. Among them, there were three jonin, two chunin, three genin. I suspect that we can safely drop their ranks, because fear has big eyes. However, for this village, there are more than enough experienced chunin.
Why didn't they report the attacks to Konoha - it's so scary! The desire to bang my head against the walls is getting stronger and stronger. I'm crying.
I called the "jonin", asked if they knew where the lair of the bandits robbing them was. They knew. I asked them to show me. We gathered as a team.
- I will be the only one attacking. You do not interfere, cover and cordon.
- Naruto, you can't handle eight opponents alone! - Sasuke says sternly. - And we are not obliged to free these... - he curled his lips.
- There will be two of us. Me and my bijuu. We will create some hell, I assure you. I just need to let off some steam, friend. - Uchiha smiled crookedly and nodded.
I cleared the enemy base that same night, releasing three tails. Minus five out of eight, two "jonin" and a "chunin" were not in the camp. I left shadow clones to watch the area, collected the heads of the enemies and hung them on a rope. I will show the locals, as proof of the massacre, then seal them, maybe they will pay some money for the elimination. The "jonin" turned out to be chunin, and the "chunin" were just slightly experienced genin. For the locals, more than enough. There was no resistance, Ku and I were disappointed.
The people took the news of the gang's destruction strangely - no way. New ones will come, we'll have to pay again. Sasuke broke a lamppost with his fist in anger. At night, a couple of locals tried to sneak up on me, they wanted to offer me a bribe to correct something in the documents. We ran into a tired Neiji, who was also in a bad mood. The flight was short, but beautiful!
My eye twitched and I screamed at everything that moved. The team was in about the same state. The remnants of the gang returned, two were taken for organs, and the third was interrogated for connections to larger groups and other gangs. Nukenin handed over a couple of fences and another gang, they killed him too. Thank God, the mission is over, let's get out of here! We grabbed a prisoner from the basement and hit the road.
We covered the road in five days! The rage is slowly letting up. I handed the prisoner over to the ANBU, let them work. If they really ransom him, the team will get their percentage. They also accepted the heads of the nukenin, the amount was not large, but it raised the mood. One of them turned out to be a bastard of a clan famous for its strong skin. Even though I only brought a head, ours will have something to dig into.
I go into the kage's office to submit a report.
- Greetings, Hokage-sama. - Bow.
- Greetings, Naruto-kun. What are your conclusions about the state of the Grass village. - Hiruzen gets straight to the point.
- Hmmm. The state is worse than disgusting. - Honestly.
- Really? - Sarutobi began to flash lightning with his eyes. - The last report said that everything was fine with them. - Metal clanked. - Report.
- First, they noticed us only when we knocked on the village gate. The second, their leader tried to put pressure on us with authority and force, showered our village with threats and insults. He was killed by the team during an attack on us after we refused to forge documents. - Sarutobi was furious, only his enormous patience allowed him to sit still and listen, maintaining a calm expression on his face. - On his own initiative, he checked the financial reports, and during a cursory inspection over the last year alone, he discovered thefts of more than four million ryo. The village also paid tribute to a gang of eight nukenin that were destroyed by our team. - The kage's eyelid twitched, and he put his pipe aside. - Now, about the training of genin. There is no knowledge in tai. Genjutsu is not taught. In nin, they have a passable command of henge and illusory clones. After checking the skills of chunin and jonin, it turned out that their training is not much better. There are no textbooks in the school, the training grounds are in a deplorable state. There were attempts at bribery. A more detailed presentation is in my report. - I come up and put several scrolls on the table. - Also, on the way to the place not far from Konoha, the nukenin were attacked, judging by the results of the interrogation, they crossed the border right at our outpost, and no one searched them. This is also indicated in the report.
- I understand. Your options for solving the problem? - Now a test of intelligence.
- A couple of experienced instructors and a group of ANBU for motivation for a year. I think that in this time we can create something satisfactory from what is there. - Thoughtfully, I voice the first option that comes to mind.
- Anbu? We already have a personnel shortage, there is a shortage of experienced people. Thank you for your work. You can rest. - The kage dismissed us. - One more thing. The chunin exam is in a month. Your participation is mandatory. Find out the details from your sensei.
That's it. And where is the freedom of choice? Although, considering how cheerfully we cut up weak jonin, we have been genin for too long. Of course, we could have taken the next rank a long time ago by petition, due to the missions we have completed, but this is considered... not honorable. They say that only those who lack the strength and courage to pass the exam rise in ranks like that.
What was there according to the canon? The attack of the Sand in alliance with Orochimaru. Here, the snake sannin did not betray anyone and seems to be going to become the fifth kage, and now, together with Tsunade and Jiraiya, they are either on long-range reconnaissance or on freelance sailing. If the attack really happens, it won't be limited to a couple of corpses. In the anime, civilians were hidden in shelters for a few minutes, but in reality, only residents of nearby areas will get there. The massacre that appeared in my head was truly horrific. I need to warn my people somehow. And one more thing - Shukaku. I need the sand raccoon, I need to get it from that psychopath.
I go out to the team.
- Guys, the mission is complete, I submitted the reports. Now all this nonsense is not our headache! - several sighs of relief.
- Naruto, take a look. The penultimate page. - Sakura holds out a thick book, a slight smile on her lips.
I leaf through it. A bingo book? Where from? The penultimate page, yours! My name.
"Uzumaki Naruto. First seen in the Land of Waves, killed Zabuza Momochi and his partner. Was seen hunting for missing-nin several more times. High danger. Nickname "Demon". Rank A. Reward for a live one is 600,000 ryo. For a dead one, 70,000 ryo." The customer is not specified. The nickname, of course... I leaf through it. Almost half of this book is about demons, the locals love this word.
- And who did I cross, if they're shelling out such a lot of money? - I asked in a hoarse voice.
- You won't believe it! Konoha! - The girl laughs. - They're making you popular, I don't know why. Don't worry, they're giving 10 million for Sasuke, alive. And it's okay, he's still running around. - Sasuke hissed and gave Sakura a playful slap on the back of the head, ruffling her hair a little.