Chapter 9: Slaughter and Bloodshed part 1

This in not my book BUT I have asked for permission from the author but he still hasn't replied if anyone can get in touch with him let him know if he wants me to I can remove it from here

go check out the book at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13522981/1/Reincarnation-Ok-Pal-The-Story-of-Kenta-Yamanaka-Book-2

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HIIIIII Kenta Fans!

Back on track and got my car fixed.

Yay!

I apologize once again for missing last week's update. To make it up to you all and the support you've shown me, I am already working on chapter 10. I will have a second chapter release this week and then we'll be fully back on schedule!

For those that missed the update chapter or stopped reading on seeing that it wasn't a real chapter, I published the first chapter for my next story!

Tides of Change

It's a Percy Jackson/Naruto Crossover where Percy gets unceremoniously dumped into the Elemental Nations! Check it out if you're a fan of Percy! Story can be found in my profile!

This is another long chapter as my way of apologizing (it was also planned this way, but the latter sounds better :D).

We're sitting at 23,568 words without A/Ns.

WoOoHoOo!

Alright, let's get right into it!

Oh, last thing! You all agreed with me and voted Overwhelmingly for Fu being a Hufflepuff! Yay!

Ok! Enjoy! I'm super pumped for this chappy chap!

"Report." Lord Fifth commanded.

"Sir, all civilians, and inexperienced Genin have been successfully evacuated from the village. They are being escorted by a team led by Lady Tori to ensure that they are not ambushed at the tunnel exits." Bull rattled off at attention in front of Itachi's desk.

"Good. What's our personnel look like?" Itachi asked, attention focusing on Shikaku Nara.

"Not bad, considering the last-minute recall of troops outside the village. We're at exactly 87% total capacity for wartime troops. We have all 75 ANBU teams, 413 Jonin, 2,137 Special Jonin, 5,691 Chunin, and 1,342 Genin with more than two years of field experience." Shikaku drawled.

Itachi nodded. "Any response from Suna, Kiri, or Taki?"

"Kiri, Lord Fifth?" Choza asked in confusion.

Lord Fifth nodded. "Lord Third, after discovering that Danzo was pulling the same deceit on Kiri that he did on Uzu, sent large amounts of supplies and financial relief to the rebel faction during the civil war. Through our aid, the rebels came out victorious. We have been tentatively discussing a formal alliance with them over the last year, but we have not made any headway with the Akatsuki threat looming closer. Regardless, they owe us a favor that I intend to cash in this very moment."

Choza nodded and Bear stepped forward. "Suna has replied, they are sending a brigade of two thousand troops. Their expected arrival is sometime tomorrow. If we can hold until then, Suna's ambush specialist can make the terrain surrounding Konoha into a death trap. We can close the trap in from two sides once they arrive. Kiri did not respond, Taki has not sent word back either." Bear monotonously droned off, a hint of anger lacing his voice at the end.

Itachi frowned. "I understand Kiri's reluctance, but Taki? Looks like Konoha is keeping Fú Uzumaki permanently."

Murmurs of agreement met Itachi's words. Anger lacing many of the murmurs, as Fú and her sunny disposition had quickly become one of the most well-loved Shinobi in Konoha. The thought that her village had no only abandoned her, but now it seems as though they intended to abandon Konoha itself, had the room saturated in bloodlust and anger.

"We can discuss Taki's treachery when we make it out of this in one piece. What of the sensing unit?" Itachi's voice cut through the mutters of sieging Taki once this invasion was routed. Inoichi closed his eyes for a few moments. He opened them and met Itachi stare for stare.

"Ten minutes ago, my nephew Kenta confirmed the 25,000 chakra signatures entering his max range while connected to the barrier seal. I… am quite impressed he could push it so far." Inoichi replied with a salute and a smug smirk in place.

"How far is his max range?" Hiashi Hyuga asked in feigned interest. Everyone knew that anything that could do something better than the Byakugan was blasphemy to the proud clan head.

"Two-hundred and fifty miles." Inoichi's smug smirk grew seeing the slight red tint to Hiashi's ear tips.

Even Itachi's eyebrows raised slightly at that. "What was his father's max range?"

"One hundred. Kenta's sensing ability is… well it's mind-boggling if we're being honest." Inoichi told Itachi.

Itachi nodded. "Have him continue to track the army. Once they are within seventy-five miles, he is to report to his battalion. Ask him to get as many details as he can. The overall number alone is priceless, but anything else he can glean could be the difference between a clean victory and a bloody massacre."

Inoichi saluted Lord Fifth and quickly swept out the door to relay the new orders.

"What are the estimates on when the army will arrive?" Itachi asked to no one in particular.

"Most likely arrive before sunset, launch their attack either in the middle of the night, or rest and a full-scale assault in the morning," Shikaku answered.

Itachi nodded and stood abruptly. "Hiruzen, you and Shikaku are in charge of planning and tactics. Work with the barrier and communications teams to relay your orders." Itachi swept the billowing white rope off his lithe frame. The customized battle attire was a near replica of his trusted ANBU armor. The only difference was that where the ANBU were blacks and greys, Itachi was white and crimson. The Uchiha Crest emblazoned boldly on his back. Below was the kanji for 'fifth.' Itachi Uchiha would go to war alongside his men.

"You will fight then, Lord Fifth?" Hiruzen asked quietly.

"I will. You all know I am a pacifist. I prefer peace over war. Diplomatic discussions over a brawl. However, when an enemy marches onto my doorstep and threatens the lives of those I have sworn my life to protect…" His voice trailed off, a pulse of pure power rippling outward from where he stood. His crimson gaze swept the room. Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan making contact with each gaze turned his way. "I will become the monster they once thought me as. I will see Konoha's trees nurtured with their blood. I will not show an ounce of mercy. I will throw my morals and convictions away. I will become a demon."

Lord Fifth's voice never rose above his normal speaking voice. His voice carried no emotion. He did not stir his troops with flowery words and charismatic speeches like Hiruzen once did.

No, Itachi's troops were stirred by his willingness to throw away all he held dear for the sake of protecting The Great Tree. Every single person in the room dropped to one knee. Their right fist to heart.

"When the smoke clears and the battle is over, Konoha and her people will stand. The traitors will be dead. Our civilians will return to their homes. We will repair any damage we take and rebuild anything that we have lost. When the smoke clears, any lucky enough to survive our fury will tuck their tale between their legs. They will spread the tale that Konoha is stronger than ever. They will spread their fear to every corner of the continent, and when they are done, not a single soul will dare challenge us again."

Itachi's gaze swept the room once more, every person that met his gaze was now standing on top of the shining white walls of Konoha. Thousands of corpses littered the ground. The crows and other carrion avian had gorged themselves on the feast presented to them. Not a single headband down below bore their sign. Only the signs of their enemies lay rotting in the baking sun.

The surroundings changed. They were in the darkest cells of T&I. The two biggest traitors to Konoha since Madara himself hung from the ceilings by chains woven tightly around their phalanges. Sweat slicked their brows, their breaths were coming in pained gasps. Three cloaked figures descended on the prisoners like hyenas to a carcass. Their echoing screams seemed to follow the watching crowd as the Hokage's office came back once again into view.

"This is the fate of those who awaken the sleeping dragon." Itachi's soft voice cut the silence like a clap of thunder.

Every man and woman simply nodded in fierce determination. Their eyes blazed with righteous fury. They were all in agreement. No mercy to those who try to harm what is theirs.

"Bring me every single inmate on Death Row. Their execution date has been moved up. They will die honorably, serving in defense of Konoha." Itachi ordered. His gaze found Shibi. "Bring your son to me, Lord Aburame."

Shibi nodded, and without wasting a single second was quickly marching out the door.

"To your posts, everyone. In potentially just a few hours, Konoha will go to war once more."

**********************************Itachi is PISSED***************************************

I stood high atop the wall. My senses no longer needing to be pushed to their limit. The bastards were within the range of the first layer of our barrier. It was there that they had halted. The fires of tens of thousands of men and women burned in my inner eye like a raging torrent. I glanced at the figure beside me.

"You're sure you're ready for this, Ino?" I asked in concern.

She tore her gaze from the horizon. "Yes. If it were anywhere else but our home I may have second thoughts." She shook her head slowly and sadly. "But it is our home. I will kill as many men and women as I need to, to keep our home safe. What about you, Kenta-Dear?"

I frowned slightly and swept the trees with a piercing gaze. "Ino. Do you know what the plan actually is?"

She shook her head. "I watched my cousin hold my uncle in his arms while he took his last breaths. I will have no emotion except vindictive pleasure at seeing every single invader broken and dead when this is all over."

I shot her a quick but reassuring smile. "Well said. You will more than likely get your wish."

I glanced forward once more, turning to my left as I felt a presence approach me.

The random Chunin saluted. "Commander Yamanaka. Orders from HQ."

"What are the orders, Lieutenant?" I asked, eyes never leaving the tree line, senses never wavering or faltering. I wouldn't miss a fly trying to approach our walls.

"The specialized barrier created by Lady Honoka will be deployed shortly. You are to initiate the attack as soon as the first line of enemies hits the twenty-meter mark." He said, fist still to heart.

I snapped my attention his direction causing him to jump slightly. "Understood, Cousin Ido. Let HQ know that I have received their orders and understand them."

He smiled slightly. Ido was a few years older than me. He had been content to live his life and retire as a member of the communications squadron as a career Chunin. Apparently seeing a thirteen-year-old of his clan already leagues ahead of him had ignited some one-sided rivalry between us.

"Commander of your very own brigade. We're proud of you, cuz." He put his professional attitude back in place, snapping a crisp salute. "Understood, Commander. I will relay your confirmation and understanding of the operation being carried out by the short to mid-range specialist division."

With that, he disappeared in a 'Body-Flicker.' I turned my attention back to the tree line.

Soon.

Soon, the cries of pain and the stink of death will permeate the air.

Soon, everything would change.

****************************************KY*******************************************

I blinked blearily at the figure gently shaking me awake. I quickly cleared the cobwebs from my head, clarity quickly snapping into place.

"Good Morning, Sleepy Head," Ino said cheerfully. "You slept for four hours. You must have been exhausted, Kenta."

I sighed. I was. I hadn't slept well since news of the encroaching army was briefed to our entire shinobi forces.

"What time is it?" I mumbled, not as awake as I initially thought.

"0330. I've been receiving reports from the Comm Squadron. The enemy hasn't moved an inch. It seems that in the unfamiliar territory, they don't want to risk moving without partial, if not full visibility." She told me in a hushed tone.

I nodded. "Have you slept?"

She smiled. "I've been dozing on and off. Daddy wakes me when he has information to report. I'm good to go, Commander."

I nodded, giving her a quick once over to make sure she wasn't hiding anything or lying to me. I once again felt a rapidly approaching chakra signature. One that I was quite familiar with this time.

"Report," I ordered quietly as Panda crouched in front of me, fist to her chest.

"I… I bring an urgent message!" Panda breathlessly cried out. "Team was… Patrol in the western forest. We were ambushed, forced to split up." She took a deep breath this time, regaining some of her composure. "I managed to escape, but my good luck didn't last. I ran into Danzo Shimura himself."

I tensed at that. What the hell was Danzo doing out in the middle of the forest?

"I engaged the traitor, attempting to kill or incapacitate him. He handled me easily, and just when I thought he was going to finish me. He ordered that I deliver a message to you, Captain." Panda slowly stood, her expressionless mask meeting my eye.

Alarm bells fired in my head. I tensed my body, ready to react to the unknown threat. "What was the message?" I asked Panda cautiously.

She didn't answer for three heartbeats. "He orders you to die, Kenta Yamanaka. Traitor to Konoha!"

And like a viper, she struck hard and fast. I countered the flurry of punches and kicks she was raining down on me. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. This wasn't Panda's normal hand to hand style. No… this was a style I was intimately familiar with.

Panda danced back, and once her foot touched the hard surface, she used the backward momentum to increase her propulsion forward, rocketing towards me at a blinding pace. I smoothly spun counterclockwise from the quickly encroaching left hook Panda had thrown right for my nose. As I spun, my hand lashed out. It found its target, locking like a vice around her wrist.

I halted my spin, planting my feet. I yanked on the appendage, her momentum thrown off balance as she fell ungraciously towards me. My left foot lashed out, landing directly between her own two feet. I continued my spin dragging the petite woman with me. With a yelp, her legs were knocked out from underneath her as my grappled throwing motion swept them out from underneath her. With little effort, I finishing my spin, using the momentum to swing Panda's form across my back. I slammed her down into the unforgiving granite, the force enough to crack the reinforced stone. Less than a second later, lightning danced along the kunai that I held to her throat.

"Hello, Brother. It's been much too long." I said through gritted teeth. The rage bubbling in my gut at Danzo using my brother in an assassination attempt. The man was worse than decaying pond scum.

"The reports were right, you are very quick in your deduction and analysis." 'Panda' said, her voice no longer holding a shred of emotion.

I snorted. "You fought a Yamanaka with the hand to hand style of our clan in the body of someone who is clearly not a Yamanaka. Our little sister would have been able to solve that mystery just as quickly."

Panda's breath caught only momentarily. "I do not have a sister. I do not have a family. I live only to serve Lord Danzo and Konoha."

"Oh, doing a bang-up job there, Big Bro. Being part of an army allied with the biggest traitor in history as well as our greatest enemy, Iwa. Yeah. Keep protecting Konoha, Bro. I'm sure we can rebuild the entire city in a few decades if we go with your plan." I sneered in derision. This… thing was not my brother. The few memories we unlocked all those weeks ago were fuzzy but clear enough to know that whatever Danzo did, it wouldn't be easy to undo.

"I don't expect you to understand. Lord Danzo's plans must succeed at all costs. If he fails, Konoha will be destroyed." Fuu said through Panda's lips. Not an ounce of inflection or emotion.

"Enlighten me then, Fuu. Tell me exactly how Lord Danzo will save us from this imminent disaster? Please, explain to me how ordering the genocide of not one, but two of the strongest clans in Konoha benefitted us in any way. Explain to me how attempting to isolate and turn our Jinchuriki against Konoha would save us. EXPLAIN to me, how starting a CIVIL WAR WILL SAVE US!" I screamed, my emotions in turmoil. If this were any other root operative, I'd be using every single technique I knew to break his mind into one thousand pieces. But this wasn't just any root agent. This was my brother. The man who sacrificed his humanity and emotions so that I wouldn't suffer that same fate.

"You wouldn't under-"

I pulled my hand back, smirking in satisfaction at the sound of breaking cartilage.

"Kenta, No! You're going to hurt Panda!" Ino's voice sounded from behind. I glanced her way.

"Yes, but I'm also hurting his real body. Ain't that right, Big Bro?" I turned back towards Ino. "This is Panda's punishment for falling for such a basic technique after having me as her Captain for two and a half years."

Fuu let out some type of noise. I glanced down, noticing the slightly pinched look in his face. I grimaced once more.

"Can't even smile or laugh anymore, can you?" I said in a quiet voice, sadness replacing my anger. I shook myself out of it. I had to be in control. Now more than ever. "Don't worry, Fuu. I'll see you smile for real one day. Even if it takes years. We're going to be a family once again."

"As I said, I do not have a family. My family is root. My father is Lord Danzo. This is all I am, all I will be." Fuu said, eyes never changing.

"You left when I was three. You have NO idea how annoying I can be. Trust me, you'll be chortling, guffawing, snorting, whatever your preference is, I'll get it out of you." I said, smiling brightly down at the pinned ANBU.

"I see." Was his only reply.

"What were you laughing about earlier anyway, cousin?" Ino chimed in, smiling warmly down at the hijacked body.

"Kenta accused her of falling for a basic technique. I assure you, this was no basic technique." Fuu stated.

"Mind Puppet Switch Cursed Seal Technique," Ino and I said simultaneously.

Ino laughed, I yawned.

"Big deal, Big Bro. Ino and I have long passed such a useless technique." I said, jaw cracking from such a satisfying yawn.

"Useless? This is the only S-Rank technique in our clan's possession. I am the only one to master it since Great-Grandfather." Fuu's voice, for the first time, had a little defensive bite to it.

I smiled down viciously at my lost sibling. "We unlocked the lost knowledge, Big Bro. That isn't the only S-Rank technique in our clan's possession now. We have… what was the number again, Ino?"

"That we've been able to transcribe and store in the vault? Or the overall number?" She asked.

"Let's go with transcribed," I said after a moment.

"Well then including the Puppet Switch, we have four S-Rank techniques in the vault," Ino said, nodding to herself.

I turned back to Fuu. "Four. There's another five we still need to get written down. Don't think you're special, Big Bro. Ino and I have long surpassed you." I flashed him a quick smile. "Don't fret though. Once mom gets some meat on those bones and we get those chakra levels up a bit, I'll teach you all I know."

Ino snorted. "Not his body, Kenta-Dear."

I blinked. "Right. Well, I'm sure his real body is all skin and bone. Mom will think so at least, no matter what he looks like."

"You keep mentioning Mom, what about your father?" Fuu asked suddenly.

I stiffened momentarily, the small spike of elation was violently smothered by the time I made eye contact with Panda-Fuu. "He's dead." I bit out.

"I see. That. Well, I did not expect that. Your father wa-"

"OUR FATHER!" I bellowed, my control snapping instantly. "He was your father just as much as he was mine! Deny it all you want, you can't change BIOLOGY!"

"I haven't laid eyes on Inoko or Tori Yamanaka in fourteen years. This was the first time I've laid eyes on you, Kenta. They may have given birth to you and me, but that does not make them my parents." Fuu's even and monotone voice was really starting to piss me off.

"I'm done with the empty words. You are coming home. You are going to be a Big Brother to me, Kono and Iroko, our two, almost-three-year-old brother. You are going to let Mother dote on you. You are going to let her cry tears of joy and happiness on your shoulder. You are going to be loved by our family and clan, and you are going to love us in return. Do you understand me, Big Brother?" I spat venomously right into his ear.

"I…" He trailed off for just a moment. "An impossible dream. A foolish notion. I am not capable of love. Lord Danzo destroyed all the emotions in me. I am simply a tool to do Lord Danzo's bidding. That is my sole purpose in life."

"Then let's see what happens, shall we?" I sneered. I reached into my pouch, unsealing a chakra suppressant seal. I slapped the tag onto Panda's head. Her eyes widened in shock. Normally, cutting the flow of chakra would end the Mind Transfer Technique, but it took a few seconds. Enough time for me to cast a rather useless illusion. However, at this moment in time, it would be the ultimate tool.

"Yamanaka Lost Illusion Arts: Memories of Days Gone" I whispered gently, allowing my chakra to seep directly into Fuu's consciousness. As soon as I felt the technique take hold, I ripped the chakra suppressant tag from Panda's head.

"Oh, good thinking, Kenta. Show him everything he would have had, had Danzo not come into his life. If this doesn't work…" She trailed off. I glanced at her. She was biting her lip and her chakra was in emotional turmoil.

"Then he may truly be a lost cause. I know." I finished for her in a whisper.

'Memories of Days Gone' was created to primarily be cast upon suicidal patients. It showed them what their life would have been like if they don't go through with taking their own life. It shows the heart's deepest desires for true happiness. Many patients that are in such a deep depression just cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. They have no happy thoughts or memories anymore. This illusion conjures those memories for them. Reminding them of what they would be missing if they were gone.

For Fuu, it would show him all that he missed, and what he could have going forward.

Useless in battle.

Wonderful for saving lives from the deepest of emotional scars.

Ino simply nodded. She leaned in close to me, head leaning up against my bicep. I was too tall for the cutesy head on shoulder, and no way in hell was I leaning down. Ino would just have to settle. Not that she was complaining. I'm just saying.

****************************************IY*******************************************

I smiled warmly down at the blearily blinking form of Panda. Tear tracks marred her face. Fuu's chakra was in absolute shambles. Dozens upon dozens of emotions warred with one another for dominance. Years of pent up feelings all attempting to make their presence known once more to the twenty-year-old young man.

"I… I… I…" Fuu continued to babble incoherently.

I knelt. Weapons stowed, no signs of aggression. I stared into the hysterical eyes of my long lost brother. He looked completely broken. I tentatively and slowly extended my arms. He made no move to either withdraw or push me away. He just continued to stare at me in utter confusion, eyes screaming at me to make everything right.

My hands locked together behind Panda's back. Ever so slowly, I pulled him in for the first hug he'd likely had in fourteen years.

"Oh." Quietly escaped from Fuu's lips.

And without warning, he struck.

He was clinging to me like his last lifeline. Soul-shattering sorrow washed over me in waves. Fuu howled like a wounded animal. He kept pulling me closer and closer, trying as hard as he possibly could to absorb as much physical contact as he could.

I turned away. My own tears streaming down my face. Any troops that were awoken by Fuu's howls of agony did not need to see me cry at this very moment.

I whispered consoling words in his ear. Rubbed his back. Anything I could to help ease his sadness and fears.

"Like I said. You don't know how annoyingly persistent I can be. I always get what I want. I'm a spoiled brat." I whispered into his ear with a smile.

A wet gurgling noise met my statement. "Y-you're not very funny, little brother."

"Well you just laughed, I think. So clearly I am."

This time, it was a noticeable chuckle. It vanished as quickly as it came, but it was there, and it was real.

We spent the next thirty minutes just sitting there, hugging and exchanging comforting words. Ino eventually joined us.

In the calm before the storm. The three of us had found just a moment of pure happiness and peace. Whatever happens next, we had this at least.

'I did it, Dad. Do you see it? Big Brother is here. And he's back. Not much longer and we'll all be a family again. It won't be the same without you, but we'll manage. I know you're always with me. I'm happy I could fulfill your final request.'

'Watch over me, Father. Today, we shed the blood of thousands. I want to be able to hold my family, my entire family when the dust settles.'

'I love you. We'll meet again one day. Hopefully later rather than sooner.'

**************************************AK*********************************************

"You sure you're ready to go back? You can't falter, for even a second." I asked Fuu in a hard tone, however, my stomach was apparently hosting the latest Chunin exams, if all the flipping and cramping were anything to go by.

"I am. My emotions are under control. I will spin the tale we planned, Lord Danzo will not suspect a thing." Fuu said in a confident tone.

I nodded. I opened my mouth but was cut off by a rather loud and bossy voice.

"Open your mouth one last time," Honoka demanded, sealing brush in hand.

Fuu complied easily, doing as commanded. On his tongue, a replica of Danzo's curse seal was easily visible on Panda's tongue. Only the greatest master of the arts would notice a slight difference. I was not one of those great masters.

"What is that supposed to do again?" I asked, attempting to keep the worry out of my voice.

Honoka sighed in irritation. "Are you doubting my abilities, Lord Kenta?" She finished in a falsely cheerful tone.

I gulped. "N-No, ma'am. Just… I don't like not having all the facts, especially when it comes to my family's health and wellbeing."

Honoka's frigid glare softened. "It is a curse transference seal. When Fuu dispels his technique and his consciousness returns to his body, the seal on Panda's tongue will activate. Using the remnants of Fuu's chakra it will form a bridge between this seal," she pointed at Panda's tongue, "and the seal on Fuu's body. I will then activate the second function of Panda's seal. It will swap the two seals between Panda and Fuu. This seal will then be nothing more than a pretty tattoo on Fuu's tongue, and I will then easily remove the curse seal that will appear on Panda's tongue."

Honoka snorted in derision. "That Danzo, thinking such a paltry and flimsy seal could hold up to any half-competent Uzumaki. It makes me wonder how such a cocky bastard managed to make it that age he did."

"That's… incredible. Honoka, you are an absolute genius." I said in awe, marveling at the sheer versatility and flexibility of what seals were capable of.

Honoka preened and puffed under my praise. "Of course I am. I have lofty goals and even loftier role models to surpass. Lady Korinna could shatter that cursed seal simply by injecting it with her chakra. I'm nowhere near that level!"

"But Honoka, swapping the two seals over who knows how many miles? That just… doesn't seem possible!" Ino said, her wide eyes mirrored my own.

"How does that work?" I asked.

"Curse seals are the bastardized cousins of Soul Seals. Placing a curse seal on someone binds it to their very essence. That is the reason they are so hard to remove. However, it makes transferring them that much easier if you are proficient in Soul and Curse seals, which I am." She puffed out her chest and pointed to herself with her thumb. Her teeth seemed to sparkle even though the sun had just barely started to peak on the horizon.

"Bah. You should have never introduced Honoka and Lee!" Ino snarled, blinking her eyes rapidly to clear away the blind spots.

"I couldn't help it. Lee was so heartbroken over TenTen's rejections, and when I heard Honoka screaming about self-inflicted punishment for failure, I knew it was destiny!" I cried dramatically, the effect slightly ruined by my own rapidly blinking eyes.

"Alright, let's get this over with. The sun is about to crest, which means that the army could move at any minute." Honoka said, her tone all business.

Fuu nodded. His gaze settled on me. "Soon, little brother. We'll be a family once more."

"About damn time," I said, smiling widely. I rushed forward, embracing my brother inhabiting Panda's body. "When you get your real body back, I'm giving you a mom worthy hug. It's all to prepare you. Her love is potentially lethal."

Fuu laughed quietly, disengaging, and stepping back. "I look forward to it. I have fourteen years of hugs to make up for."

"Don't you worry. The entire family is huggers. Kono will give you fourteen years' worth in the first hour. She's excited to me you."

"I look forward to it. I'm excited to meet her and Iroko as well." Fuu said, hands clasped in the seal to release his hold on Panda. "Goodbye, Kenta, C-Cousin Ino." His face turned pink slightly at stumbling over the title.

Ino chuckled and waved. "It'll become more natural quicker than you think. Stay safe, cousin Fuu. As your first cousin, I don't require the full fourteen years of makeup hugs, but I expect half the quota."

"Of course," Fuu said. His gaze met mine once more. He smiled. It was awkward and stiff, but his chakra said everything his out of practice smile couldn't say.

Overwhelming pride.

"Release."

I rushed forward, catching Panda before she hit the ground. I slid her mask back in place just as she took a shuddering gasp. Her eyes searched around frantically. She began patting herself from head to toe rapidly. Finally she stopped, fists clenched. She jumped high into the air, fist reaching for the sky in triumph.

"FUCK YES! I'M OUT OF THAT DAMN PUPPET!" Panda screamed.

I cleared my throat, loudly.

"EEP! CAPTAIN JAGUAR WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Her shrill scream carried in the open air.

I growled. "Panda, you better PRAY that if you survive this invasion that you are injured long enough for me to forget this slipup."

"EEP! SORRY CAPTAIN!" Her octave never lowering. She began bowing over and over profusely. Screaming apologies loud enough to send nearby birds screeching to the sky.

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, that's enough," I said. Panda immediately snapped to attention. "Do you know if your team was actually ambushed? Are they alive?"

Panda shook her head. "No, Captain. We were doing solo patrols, less chance of being noticed. That shitty creepy puppet came flying out of nowhere, I didn't even sense it! I simply tried to bat it away, next thing I knew, I was staring up at the canopy from inside the demonic doll!"

I nodded. "An S-Rank clan technique of the Yamanaka. Any form of retaliation triggers the trap. You're lucky the final seal wasn't activated."

"W-W-What's the final seal do?" She asked nervously.

"Seals your soul inside forever," I said with no emotion.

Panda laughed nervously. "Oh, Captain. You're such a joker. Seriously, what does the final seal do?"

"I am serious," I said simply.

Panda gulped audibly. "W-W-Well let's thank our lucky stars that didn't happen. Eh heh heh heh."

"Yes, let's," I said dryly. I sighed and took two steps forward, quickly closing the distance between myself and my former subordinate. "I'm glad you're alright, Panda," I said quietly. I felt her body shiver a few times, the barely audible sounds of sniffing barely reaching my hearing.

I stepped back, pretending to look around in confusion. "Was there a gust or something? Sounded like it was right in my ear." Both Ino and Honoka shrugged, neither confirming nor denying the strange sound.

Panda took a slightly shuddering breath. "Thank you, Captain. I should be returning to my team to let them know I'm still alive."

"Wait one moment, Young Lady. You're coming with me." Honoka butt in.

"Um, Ok, Lady Uzumaki. Why, may I ask?" Panda asked in an unsure voice, glancing in my direction.

Honoka gripped her firmly by the arm. "I'll explain on the way. Now, you will tell me everything you remember while inside the cursed object. This is a fascination piece of sealing I…" Honoka's babbling trailed off as she led a still confused Panda away.

I laughed quietly for just a few moments. I stiffened, feeling the dramatic shift in the chakra of the encroaching army.

I turned towards Ino. "They're on the move. You know what to do."

Ino nodded and took off in a blur down the ramparts of the wall. I turned to face the tree line once more. I took a deep, calming breath. I closed my eyes, enjoying this final moment of peace.

I opened my eyes slowly and turned towards my fellow shinobi.

"SHINOBI OF KONOHA!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, making sure not a single person couldn't hear me. "GATHER ROUND, ITS SHOWTIME!"

It took less than sixty seconds before the 500 members assigned to my battalion to form up in neat rows. Fifty across, ten deep. Once the last man was in place, I pulled out a sealing tag and placed it behind my ear.

"SEALS ON!" I yelled to the gathering. All five-hundred quickly complied, placing their seals in the exact spot as my own. A simple, yet incredibly helpful seal developed by Honoka, yet again. When placed, I could activate my master seal and anyone with a seal keyed into my own would hear my voice as if I were talking directly into their ear. This allowed me to relay orders to my entire battalion at all times, no matter how chaotic the situation got.

I cleared my throat and activated my master seal. "I'll save the inspiring speeches for someone actually good at them. You all know why we are here and what our job is. We hold this wall, no matter the cost. We have two main attacks set into place for the enemy charge. Once those are over, it will be the job of all those gathered here to do their part to make sure not a single enemy gets into our village."

"Conserve your chakra. Do not start firing off your strongest techniques from the beginning. We do not know how long this siege will last. Do NOT make a single move until I give the order. If I see a technique or weapon thrown before my signal, I will have you hauled off to T&I as a traitor to Konoha. Do I make myself clear?" I swept the crowd, making sure everyone understood what I was saying. Our plans were precarious. A single mistake could spell disaster for all of us.

"Every man and woman here was chosen for this battalion for a reason. Play to your strengths. Do not try to go above and beyond what you are capable of. There are four-hundred and ninety-nine other shinobi here to cover your weaknesses. Do NOT try and be a hero." My gaze found a familiar face, I smiled quickly at TenTen, earning a nervous smile in return.

"The enemy is stirring, the attack will begin at any moment, I-"I cut off as a familiar figure dropped right down next to me. I quickly turned and snapped a salute, every other person quickly following my lead. "Lord Fifth, a pleasure."

"At ease, Commander Yamanaka. I just came to deliver a quick message. May I borrow your master seal quickly?" Itachi asked.

I nodded, removing the seal and handing it to him. He placed it behind his ear. His gaze slowly swept my battalion, his intense gaze causing all those it swept to stiffen.

"Shinobi of Konoha. Today, we fight for our home and our families. With this information, I know you all will fight to your absolute best capacity. When this is all over, we will come out of this on top and stronger than ever. I come to deliver a message. I have left the planning up to Lord Third and Commander Nara. I will be joining my men and women on the battlefield today. Among the invaders are three Kage level opponents. Danzo and Orochimaru I am not too worried about. We have many shinobi capable of taking both of those two on. They are strong, but we have five S-Rank shinobi in our ranks, as well as me."

"However, if Onoki himself decides to join the fray, I will be the only one taking him on. Does everyone understand me?" He waited until he got confirmations from all of us gathered, including me.

I saluted once more. "Understood, Lord Fifth."

"Onoki is just as old as Lord Hiurzen. He has decades of experience and is still a frightening opponent. I am here to make sure that he does not lay a hand on a single one of my shinobi. I will take him on if he appears."

Itachi turned his back on the battalion, crimson irises sweeping the horizon. "I also have two announcements to make. The first, should I fall today, I have already named Kakashi Hatake as my successor to take the hat. Lord Hiruzen won't be saddled with the hat for the third time."

A few chuckles met Lord Itachi's attempt at humor in this tense moment. Mainly those who were already war veterans. They knew that no matter how strong a person is, they were not invincible or immortal. Lord Fifth could fall today, the same as myself or anyone in the village. The rest all had faces pinched in worry and anxiety. Lord Fifth may not have taken the hat as the most-liked and trusted person in our village's history; but in three and a half years, he had won over every single shinobi under his command. He was well-loved and respected.

"However, I do not plan on falling today. I have one more announcement, as well as a request for all my shinobi. For the last three years, I have hidden my relationship with my wife from the world. Considering my past, as well as numerous other factors, we felt it was in her best interest if the world didn't know of our involvement. Considering today may be my last day, I felt it was only appropriate to let all my troops know; especially since she is two months along with our child."

THAT got a lot more smiles and excited murmuring. The first Uchiha child had been conceived; an heir to the clan would be born soon. Lord Fifth smiled at the excitement from his men and women.

"Thank you all. Yes. I am to be a father. I am telling the world now so that if I fall today, my child will have an entire village to help raise and nurture him or her. Also, do NOT pamper and spoil them. I do not want them growing up thinking they are better than anyone else. I plan to stay alive to teach this lesson myself, but if I am not around, I charge every one of you to make sure that my son or daughter is protected and loved, but not spoiled."

"Six months after I took the hat, I began to court Hana Inuzuka. We were married just a year ago. Only a few of her clansmen attended the ceremony and knew of our involvement. She is a wonderful woman who shares many of my ideas. Her biggest fear about being married to The Hokage was that you would all treat her differently. Continue to treat her the same as you always have. She is a respected veterinarian and part-time shinobi medic. She is working in the hospital right now alongside Lady Tsunade and Lady Shizune. She is well protected. If I fall, I have asked all my shinobi to let her know how much I love her. Again, I do NOT plan on dying today. It's always better to be prepared for every possible thought."

He smiled once more to the crowd. "Now, I have my responsibilities to attend to. Fight hard today and the days to come, my shinobi. When this is all over, we will party and celebrate our victory for months! Glory to Konoha!" Lord Itachi finished with a shout and a raised fist. We all mimicked his words and movement.

Lord Fifth removed the master seal and handed it back to me. "The preparations are complete. I trust you have everything under control here, Commander?"

I saluted for the third time. "Yes, Lord Fifth. I- WE won't let you down."

He nodded. "I know." With that, he disappeared in a body flicker. I tracked his signature across the village for a few seconds, noticing he had stopped at the hospital. I smiled at that. It was good that Lord Fifth had found someone. Lady Hana was an absolute gem. Unlike her brother, she was kind and soft-spoken, but a terrifying beast in battle if she was pushed.

I placed the seal back behind my ear and activated it. "Well, with all we just learned today, there is absolutely NO WAY we can let Lord Fifth down. Short-Mid ranged division, I charge you all with the mission of surviving this invasion. We have an heir to spoil and protect!"

Thunderous cheers met my orders. I let them continue for a few more minutes before signaling for silence. "Battle stations everyone. The enemy is stirring. Prepare for the slaughter!"

War cries met my statement, bloodlust soon permeated the air. These invaders were in for a rude awakening if they thought they could come to our home and threaten our family. Five-hundred signatures scattered, each already given their orders earlier. I deactivated the seal, for now, turning to the two signatures that approached me.

Ino saluted alongside the tall young man she was approaching me with. Shino Aburame snapped his own salute.

"Ino, Shino. Are you two prepared?" I asked.

Ino nodded, a look of fierce determination in her eyes. I turned towards Shino who simply nodded behind his high collar and sunglasses.

"Ino, can you wait over there for a few minutes? I need to talk to Shino along." I asked my cousin.

She smiled and quickly made her way over to TenTen. The girls began to talk quietly and lowly with one another.

"Shino. Are you sure you're prepared for this? You're more than likely going to have the highest body count in the village." I asked the boy as soon as Ino was out of earshot.

"I am fine. Why? Because as others have stated, these invaders seek to kill our friends and family and destroy our home. I will show no mercy. I will not feel guilt or remorse. They threaten my hive and the great hive that is Konoha." Shino said, voice uncharacteristically full of emotion.

I nodded slowly. "I hear you. Just know that when this is all over if you do need help of any kind, I and my entire clan are here for you. Taking care of the mental well-being of our men and women is the one desk job I thoroughly enjoy." I sent a smile towards the boy who sent me his own back.

"I thank you, Kenta. I will keep that in mind. Which battalion is Fú with?" Shino asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"She's with the field medics. They're stationed throughout the village, ready to provide immediate first aid and transport to the hospital if needed. Ami is down below, right?" I asked.

Shino nodded, anxiety rolled off the boy at reminding him that Ami was in the close-range division whose job is to intercept anyone that does manage to get past the wall.

"She is. I worry for her." Shino admitted quietly.

I smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "If we do our job flawlessly, we'll thin the numbers to our favor. Plus, if they manage to get through the wall, our secondary objective is to be their backup. Don't fret, Shino. Ami is a higher rank than you. She's strong."

Relief washed over the boy. "You are of course correct. My father was right, when you are in love, it makes making logical decisions in regards to their safety much more difficult."

I laughed at that. "Yes, yes it does. My parents taught me to be a gentleman; worrying about my woman and making sure she's safe. The whole thing. Fú appreciates it tremendously, except when I insult her strength to take care of herself. She's strong. My desire to give her the world sometimes clouds my judgment and makes me forget that. She's quick to remind me though, usually in a painful way."

Shino visibly shuddered. "I can sympathize with every word you just spoke. Ami can be… violent when she feels insulted."

I laughed loudly again at that. "I think that's a trait all kunoichi share."

"What trait is that, Kenta-dearest?" Ino asked in a sickly sweet voice from beside me.

I shivered at the fact that she's gotten so good that she can completely mask her presence from me if I'm not paying attention. I turned towards her though and smiled brightly. "Just that kunoichi tend to get violent when we men let our chivalry go a little too far."

TenTen snorted. "I swear, Lee does that all the time. He tends to forget I made Chunin on my own and that I am just as capable as anyone else. I don't blame you all though. You live in a village with both civilian women as well as kunoichi. Finding the balance is no easy feat I would imagine."

"It isn't. But, as we get older it does get easier." I said, smiling at TenTen. One of the few women in this village that can control her temper and sympathize with us men!

"Yeah, yeah. We get it. Your parents raised you right, we shouldn't get mad at you for it. It's just hard to not take it personally nowadays compared to when we were first genin." Ino said.

TenTen nodded at that. "I understand that as well. The civilian world is still a mostly patriarchal society with a few exceptions. The shinobi world is much more ahead of the times. It's a constant struggled."

"Not to be rude, but shouldn't we save this discussion for another time. Why? Because I believe the battle is about to begin." Shino cut in.

I nodded. Feeling the chakra signatures starting to stir. The sun was just about to begin to crest the horizon. The battle was about to begin.

"TenTen, back to your post," I commanded, snapping into my military leader persona. She shook herself out of her shock and my sudden change of demeanor, but quickly snapped a salute and rushed to her post. "Ino with me. Shino, begin the operation on my mark," I ordered as I felt a large burst of chakra from the center of the village. I saw out the corner of my eye the single beam of light shoot up into the sky. The sense of nostalgia quickly being smothered as the barrier of microscopic wind blades quickly erected itself around the village.

"It's Showtime," I said out loud to no one in particular, a vicious smirk in place.

Today, the world would tremble at the might of Konoha.

************************************AK***********************************************

I activated the seal on my ear. "Remember, do NOT do ANYTHING until I give my signal. Ibiki and Anko are itching to fill their cells." I said, feeling the collective shudder of the entire battalion at my remark. I laughed loudly to myself at that.

"Kenta, I swear. If you didn't have Fú torturing enemies and allies alike would be the only way for you to get off." Ino said rolling her eyes.

I grinned at her. "Why not both?"

Ino's nose wrinkled at that. "I don't even want to know."

I snapped my eyes forward. "They're moving." I activated the seal. "The battle begins. Do not fear for your lives at this first technique. The barrier of wind will protect you, I promise." I informed my men and women. I felt their anxiety and fear lessen a bit at the reminder of the wind barrier; all of them remembering the fact that four years ago this same barrier kept our Orochimaru's summons with frightening ease.

All at once, hundreds upon hundreds of men and women burst through the tree line. Konoha strictly kept one-thousand feet clear between the wall and the tree line. Moments like these proved why. The hundreds of shinobi, quickly becoming thousands were now completely exposed. No cover, not even a shrub to hide behind. They were wide open. I felt hundreds of my men and women tense, many of them preparing their chakra to launch techniques.

"STAND DOWN!" I bellowed. "You will RUIN our carefully orchestrated plans if you fire a single technique. Stand. DOWN!"

I felt their chakra return to a resting state, apprehension, and anxiety still the prominent emotions.

I turned to Shino. "On my signal. You ready?"

He held a single hand-sign. Dragon. Fitting, considering our motto of 'Don't Wake the Sleeping Dragon.' This coalition of forces had done just that. He nodded. "I am, Commander."

I simply turned my attention back to the thousands of men and women charging our gates. They were firing off elemental techniques of every element. Weapons of all shapes and sizes were sent hurtling towards the wall. It was all for naught. The powerful wind barrier batted away them all. Only a powerful A or S-Rank technique had any hope of breaking through this barrier. None of the cannon fodder down there was capable of either. Simple war tactics. They were testing our defenses. I felt the thousands of other chakra signatures waiting just out of sightline. These were the stronger foes. The Chunin and occasional Jonin. The real attack force.

Too bad they were in range also.

"Ino, drop the illusion," I ordered. She complied.

The illusion set dead center of the road leading to our main gate melted away like mist, revealing a large pit covered by a barrier technique. All eyes snapped to the now revealed trap.

The deadliest trap Konoha could produce.

"Do it." Was all I said.

"Aburame Forbidden Technique: Jar of Poison." Shino's monotone voice calmly said beside me.

The world erupted in heat and smoke.

Hundreds of feet into the air the purple mushroom cloud climbed. All eyes quickly following the rapidly rising and expanding cloud. All eyes were quickly diverted back to the ground as hundreds of agonizing wails were cutting through the air.

Men and women alike that were too close to the pit were the lucky ones. The explosion instantly killing them. The rest though?

Pure. Agony.

Screams of pain and terror were quickly spreading across the clearing as the gas from the explosion was rapidly being spread by the natural wind of the land. All those who inhaled even the tracest amount of the gas were dead. There was no 'as good as dead.' No, they were dead. If not already, in a matter of minutes.

Shino's technique had just released billions of microscopic poisonous insects into the air. The Rinkaichū, once in a person's lungs, quickly began to multiply and begin breaking down the host's body at a microscopic level. The only known way to survive the technique is if an Aburame who has bonded the dangerous beetles removes them fast enough.

They were voracious gluttons who could multiply at astronomical rates.

As I said, everyone down there was dead.

I felt the fear in my own troop's spike as the cloud began to quickly approach the gates of Konoha.

"As I said, do not fear," I said into my seal. Seconds later, they all understood why. The barrier of wind easily rebuffed the gas. It hit the near-invisible barrier and was quickly redirected, just as the hundreds of techniques and weapons that had previously been thrown at it. Overwhelming relief and elation permeated the air on top of the wall as my words finally began to make sense to my troops.

We couldn't divulge the plan to anyone outside the need to know. Four years ago Lady Korinna was able to remove all the traitors inside our walls. Four years is a lifetime in the shinobi world. The rats and snakes had most definitely begun to take up residence once more.

"We are about to begin phase two of our plan. Once again, do NOT engage until I give the order." I quickly said into the seal, making sure my troop's nerves stayed as calm as possible. Calls of affirmation met my words this time. Seeing thousands of corpses littering the ground just minutes into the initial assault had done wonders for my troop's morale.

Ino and I would were about to raise it sky-high.

"W-what was that technique." TenTen's hushed voice suddenly said from behind me.

I turned sharply. "Chunin, why are you not at your post. This fight is not over."

"I-I'm sorry, Commander. I just-"

"Day to day, you and I are friends. We are at war right now, I will not tolerate insubordination." I said coldly.

She hung her head and muttered an apology.

I sighed. "It's fine, just don't do it again. I cannot have people thinking they can second guess my orders. Shino, explain quickly."

Shino nodded. "I infect numerous amounts of corpses with my Rinkaichū. As they begin to feed and multiply inside the pit, the bodies begin to release a toxic gas. After enough time has passed, I release the barrier. Once the toxic gas is met with fresh oxygen, it ignites. The explosion releases billions of Rinkaichū into the atmosphere."

TenTen shivered. "Where did you get the bodies from?"

"Death row inmates from both the shinobi and civilian prisons; as well as captured spies from the invading armies." I quickly supplied. "Now, back to your post. We are starting phases two."

TenTen nodded and snapped a sharp salute, quietly apologizing once more.

I turned to Ino. "Ready for the dance?"

She sent me a vicious grin. "I thought you'd never ask, dearest cousin."

"Then release the second illusion," I said.

Ino held up the Ram Sign. "Release!"

Did I say that we kept a one-thousand feet clearing? Sorry, I lied.

We keep a two thousand foot clearing.

Once again, the illusion faded to mist. After Orochimaru's first failed attempt and Danzo's treachery revealed, Lord Fifth ordered new defenses to be erected in and around Konoha.

This was one of them. Clearing the trees out, leaving only the stumps, we collaborated with the Uzumaki to create a permanent illusion around Konoha. The enemies could feel the trees, as long as they didn't reach too high. Once released, the beautiful flora and fauna vanished, leaving deadened stumps behind along with planted leaves and twigs to sell the illusion.

Now, the entire invading forces were left exposed as the trees faded to mist. Surprised looks and spiking fear invaded my senses, causing me to smile in savage glee. I nudged Ino and she hummed in acknowledgment.

I turned to the chaos down below, raising my hands in a clan specific hand sign. Ino mirrored my movements.

"Yamanaka Clan Technique: Mind Disturbance Dance Performance!" Our voices called out simultaneously.

I felt my mind connect to dozens of men and women below. Their agonized riddled minds offering no resistance to my control.

I ordered them to stand, and they did. I ordered them to move, and they did. I ordered them to begin sprinting, they did.

Dozens upon dozens of pock riddled, half-dead men and women began to charge at the now exposed backline of the invading army. They blitzed forwards, screams of agony and tears of pain marring their faces. The chaos doubled, shouts of confusion and panic becoming louder.

I ordered them to jump, they did.

The second my infected puppets touched once of their comrades, they fell to the ground, their purpose served. Like an infectious disease, the second the infected made contact, they transferred their disease to their once healthy comrade.

Over and over again I sent dozens of shinobi into the backlines, Ino contributing with just as many. Soon the chaos and panic reached a pinnacle, and the backline fighters began to wise up. They were soon cutting down their comrades as they approached the dead tree line.

"Wind Unit! Coordinate your attacks, funnel the gas into the remainder of the army!" I called into my seal. Fifty shinobi were soon lining the walls, Asuma Sarutobi directly in the center, being one of only three shinobi in the entire village with a primary wind specialization and the strongest at that.

"Six Hand Seals. One second per seal. Those on the outside angle your wind inward! As we get closer to the center, adjust the trajectory forward! Ready? Begin!" He called out.

The wind unit began their weaving, six seconds later their voices cut through the cacophony caused by the slaughter below.

"Wind Release: Breakthrough!"

Fifty strong gusts of wind picked up the gas. The quickly dispersing gas quickly began to gather back into the center of the clearing and was surging forward toward the remaining surviving invaders.

"RETREAT!" Dozens of voices instantly called out.

"Barrier Squad! Activate it, now!" My voice called out.

Four members from the barrier squad held up identical sealing tags.

"ACTIVATE!" The four men called out. The four tags instantly began to glow brightly at the same moment that four beams of purple light shot into the air. They reached fifty feet into the air before the lights began to converge together in a perfect cube.

"Barrier successfully deployed, Commander Yamanaka!" An older civilian born special Jonin called out.

I thanked the man, lowering my hands, smiling in victory. The wind unit had collected all the gas back into the center. The barrier sprung up around the surviving army, closing them in and blocking their retreat… along with every wisp of the deadly gas.

I opened my senses up once again, making sure no one had escaped the snapping jaws of death. I opened my eyes in panic, my stomach threatening to fall out my bottom.

"Fuck." Was the only word that would come to mind.

"What is it, Kenta?" Ino asked, turning away from the massacre below, eyes dancing with grim satisfaction.

"This was a distraction, a diversion," I whispered, panicked mind kicking back into gear. "I NEED A COMMUNICATION SQUAD MEMBER HERE, NOW!" I screamed out, forgetting my seal altogether.

Ino cleared her throat in irritation. "Um, hello, Commander. What do you think I am?!"

I cursed, attempting to push my panic down. "I need to talk to the command center, now."

Ino nodded, and placed her palm to my forehead. "Daddy, we need Commander Nara and Lord Third, Kenta is freaking out."

I felt more than heard Uncle's affirmation.

"Kenta, what's wrong? The plan was beautiful. You exectuted-"

"No time for praise, I know it was perfect. I was a distraction. Fifteen thousand signatures appeared suddenly just a mile from the south gate! All of them Jonin strength at a minimum!" I thought frantically.

There was a slight pause and an internal curse from Lord Third.

"Kenta, get Kakashi and his unit to the southern gate immediately! We will trust the judgment of the two of you while we get a clearer picture. Go. NOW!"

I mentally saluted and cut the link. "Ino, stay here and relay orders as needed. Asuma!" I called out. The man turned from his place on the wall. I handed him the master seal for my unit. "You're in charge until Command relays new orders."

I didn't even wait for his affirmation before I launched myself over and down the wall. I ran at a breakneck pace, senses keyed in on the man I needed. I appeared in front of Kakashi a second later.

"New orders. We need to get your unit to the southern gate. This was a diversion. The main force is less than a mile out. They used some type of powerful chakra blocking technique or seal." I rattled off quickly.

Kakashi nodded and placed a finger behind his seal. "Everyone, get to the Southern Gate immediately. Frontal assault was a diversion, main army less than a minute out. Move!"

I felt the five thousand signatures scattered around the gate vanish and rapidly make their way to the real target. I was already on top of the wall before Kakashi's order to move was out of his mouth.

"Cpt Genma, you were briefed?" I asked, appearing next to my log-time mentor and commanding officer.

"Commander Shiranui." He corrected me with a scowl.

I rolled my eyes. "Like you even wanted that title."

He paused before cracking a wry smile. "My kids know me so well. Yes, I just got word from Commander Nara. Can you give me more details now that you're so close?"

I nodded, closing my eyes and expanding my senses. "Close to fifteen-thousand. All have at least Special Jonin reserves. The big three are with them as well. They're… walking at a leisurely pace. At this rate, they will break the false tree line in ten minutes."

Genma nodded. "Sakura! Break the illusion!"

"Yes, Commander!" I heard the familiar voice call out from the sea of people. Just like the front gate, the tree line dissolved into mist, giving us a larger sightline.

"How did the front gate go at least?" Genma said casually.

"If they aren't all already dead they will be in minutes. It was flawless." I said, voice full of pride at the flawless execution of my troops.

"Good. At least they won't be able to reinforce this army." Kakashi's voice suddenly said beside me. "Yo." He waved to the small gathering, eye crinkled in his signature smile.

"Good, you're all here." Lord Fifth said, appearing in a silent body flicker in front of our small gathering. We all saluted sharply at our leader. "My order still stands. If they somehow break through Honoka's barrier, I will handle Onoki. I'll leave the rest for you all to fight over."

"DIBS ON DANZO!" I screamed out, along with another voice. I turned and glared at Sasuke. "Buzz off, Uchiha. That bastard is mine."

"He orchestrated the genocide of my clan, as well as the clan of my girlfriend. I think those reasons trump brainwashing a single sibling." Sasuke's unimpressed voice rattled off.

I sneered and opened my mouth but was interrupted by Kakashi. "You two can kill him together. We're a team. Remember?"

I shivered violently at his tone. It never wavered from the friendly tone he used, but the vibe in the air was definitely not brooking any arguments. Sasuke and I glanced at each other before nodding.

"Orochimaru is mine." Sakura and Ami said together. They glanced at each other before shooting one another vicious smirks.

I shivered even more violently at such a frightening sight. I felt Sasuke's chakra mirror my fear.

"Why do you want Orochimaru?" Sakura asked genuinely curious.

"Anko," Ami said simply. "She's a royal bitch and I hate her fucking guts, but she's my big sister and he's made her life a living hell. Since she's… indisposed of, I will fight the snake for her sake. I will gladly take him down with you, Sakura. If you'll have me?"

Sakura smiled brightly. "Of course! Let's go strategize!" She threw herself forward and hooked her arm through Ami's. They began whispering conspiratorially almost immediately.

Ami stopped suddenly, eyes going wide before she smiled viciously at her pink-haired friend. "Sakura! You absolutely naughty girl. We should cut off and bronze his testicles. We'll make them into a plaque to present to Anko at her baby shower! That is if he even still has male genitalia."

"Oh! If he doesn't, we'll just cut out the ovaries and do the same!" Sakura cheered, her curse mark writhing slightly in pleasure at her idea.

"Thank. GODS she wasn't upset when I told her I didn't have romantic feelings for her." Sasuke's whispered confession breaking the silence.

The four of us just nodded silently at Sasuke's confession.

Lord Fifth cleared his throat, breaking us out of our silent prayers those two were on our side. "Now that that is taken care of, we wait. Kakashi, Genma, get your troops in place. I have a feeling that the fighting will spill over into the streets."

The two men nodded as Lord Fifth turned his back. He stood atop the wall, gaze locked to the horizon. Genma and Kakashi were talking rapidly into their seals. I shrugged and turned to Sasuke. "I'm going to go talk to some of our friends real quick. Coming?"

Sasuke shook his head and glanced at his brother. I simply nodded in understanding. I smiled quickly before dramatically backflipping off the wall, flipping him the double birds and grinning victoriously at his scowl.

I landed and spread my senses out, finding what I was looking for immediately. I flickered away, landing beside some familiar faces.

"Kiba, Lee, Neji. You all ready?" I asked seriously.

"I am, Commander Kenta. I will drive these rapscallions from Konoha for good! If I fail in this task, I will run one-thousand laps around Konoha! If I cannot do that, I will do ten-thousand push-ups!" Lee said passionately. I smiled at the boy, glad even in the face of an invasion he kept his mood.

"It is… dramatic, but I agree with Lee. We will show these invaders the might of Konoha. The Hyuga will defend their home; main house and branch alike." Neji said stoically.

I turned to Kiba. "Where's Akamaru?" I glanced around, looking for the white dog.

"He isn't here." Was all Kiba said.

"Is he hurt? Is he sick?" I pressed.

"He… It's hard to explain. He's isn't here, but he is."

I frowned at the boy's secretive explanation and the way he emphasized here. Oh well, it isn't my place to pray any further. "I see. I just came to warn you all, we're looking at around fifteen thousand troops, all of them having Special Jonin reserves or greater. I know that chakra reserves don't equal skill, but the fact that they sacrificed twenty-five thousand troops to turn our attention away until they were on our doorstep is worrying."

The three boys nodded seriously. I exchanged a few more words with them before flickering away.

"Choji. How are you?" I asked the burly boy. He jumped at hearing my voice.

"Kenta, don't sneak up on me like that. You'll give me a heart attack!" He said in an admonishing tone.

I snickered lightly. "Sorry, bud. How are you?"

"I'm as good as can be expected I guess. Nervous. Anxious. Sad that it's come to this. How about you?" Choji asked with a frown.

"I'm ready to end Danzo once and for all," I growled.

"He's done so much damage to Konoha. He needs to be brought to justice." Choji agreed.

We chatted for a few more moments, I gave him the same warning as the others before flickering back to the top of the wall.

"It is time." Lord Fifth's voice said as soon as my feet touched the stone.

I glanced up and grimaced, seeing the thousands of invading shinobi walking so confidently out of the shadows of the tree.

"It's time." I agreed.

***************************************NU*******************************************

"So, how shall we do this?" Orochimaru asked his elderly companions beside him. Inside he was giddy with excitement. The day was finally here where he would see Konoha burn. Danzo's plan, Orochimaru would grudgingly admit, was flawless. Sending the bulk of their troops to storm the front gate paid off in dividends. They wasted such a beautifully deadly technique on mere cannon fodder. Failed experiments and throwaway Chunin. Allowing them to nearly waltz right up to the gate with no resistance.

"I can punch through that barrier, but it will close quickly if we do not have a way to keep it open. It will erode any earth technique in seconds." Danzo's gravelly voice spoke up.

"Ah. I can help with that." Orochimaru said with a serpentine smile. Danzo simply nodded.

"If you two can do that, I can rip a hole in their wall. It is littered with seals, but my technique should be powerful enough to carve through." Onoki said to Orochimaru's right.

"Let's not waste another moment. I have research to get back to and new techniques to master."

"Signal the troops. Once Onoki creates the opening, we charge." Danzo said, hands already flying through seals. "Let us begin."

"Wind Release: Drilling Air Fang!" Danzo said, expelling a highly concentrated blast of rapidly rotating wind. It shot forward, easily punching a hole through the barrier of wind. It continued forward, impacting the wall. The strength and speed of the technique enough to send small spider webs of cracks along the white stone.

"My turn." Orochimaru licked his lips in anticipation of being able to use his new bloodline in battle.

"Crystal Release: Crystal Walkway!" A cylinder of crystal formed and rushed forward. It passed through the quickly shrinking hole Danzo had created and stopped. Orochimaru's fingers twitched and his hands formed a new seal. The Crystal rapidly began to expand, expanding the hole as a second hole opened up in the middle. Within seconds, a twenty by twenty archway stood inside the barrier of wind. The wind ground into the pink mineral, but not even a scratch could be seen in the durable material.

"At last. Iwa will have its revenge on Konoha! The Flash's brat is mine to kill!" Onoki screamed in rage.

"Particle Release: Detachment of the Primitive World!" The small cube streaked forward, passing through the archway. Before impacting the wall, it instantaneously expanded. With a flash of light, the cube disappeared. Where there was once solid stone, there was now nothing.

The three Kage level men stared back at the shocked faces of the Konoha shinobi that had once thought they were safe behind their walls.

"Sorry to put a hole in your wall like this. We would have knocked at the front door, but it didn't seem like you wanted to entertain us today." Orochimaru called out to the Shinobi leaders on top of the wall.

"Enough. We did not come here to play." Danzo growled out. He turned towards the gathered army. "Storm the city! Kill all who oppose you, place the tags on those who vow to swear fealty to me as their Hokage! Bring me the Seven-Tails girl alive! Taki has promised me much if we take her and secure her! Go!"

"Oto Shinobi! Whoever brings me Tayuya Uzumaki back alive will be rewarded handsomely! I owe her grandfather a large favor!" Orochimaru called out, his eyes alight with insane glee.

"Iwa! The Yellow Bastard is dead, but his son continues his legacy! Find him and bring him to me! We will hang him in the city square for all to see HIS legacy end once and for all!" Onoki joined in.

Thunderous cries of war echoed in the air. Thousands upon thousands of men and women charged forward at inhuman speed.

The Battle for Konoha had begun.

*******************************Too Bad Naruto Aint Here. Teeheehee***********************

I growled out ferally. That bastard Danzo and his scheming. I turned to Lord Fifth.

"Taki will burn," I said lowly, eyes challenging him step for step. I would not let this slight go.

Lord Fifth stared at me for a few moments before turning back to the enemy army. "I will personally light the torch."

I smiled in vindictive pleasure, bowing low. "Thank you, Lord Fifth."

"There is no need to thank me. The only thing I hate nearly as much is war are traitors. I thought Shibuki above this treachery. They will not go unpunished. We let Suna off lightly because they were fooled by Orochimaru. Once this war is over and we gather our strength, we will march on Taki ourselves and wipe it from existence." Lord Fifth said in an emotionless voice. "My heart is already breaking, but this world is in too much of a precarious position to allow this type of backstabbing and underhanded dealings. Our world needs to unite to finish Akatsuki once and for all. It can not have traitors to the cause."

I nodded in agreement. We needed to be able to trust our allies wholeheartedly. I will personally put a hole through Shibuki's chest for allowing this. I was snapped out of my plotting of revenge by the earth-shaking cries of the encroaching army.

"KONOHA SHINOBI! CHARGE!" Itachi yelled out. Our men and women answering the enemy war cry with their own.

I stood still, watching the initial clash before my attention snapped back to the only person on my mind this day; Danzo. He and the other two leaders simply stood in the back, watching the opposing forces clash. I felt thousands more chakra signatures coming in from behind us to reinforce the lines. I grinned, knowing that the full might of our army on our home turf would easily go toe-to-toe with a larger army.

They may have triggered our trap, allowing their unnoticed approach. But as Kakashi said, they were all dead. This army of fifteen-thousand had no reinforcements; we did.

"The rest of the squads must have gotten the all-clear from command to join us. The rest of our four-thousand troops are swiftly making their way… here…" I stretched my senses to the max as I thought I had felt something. I smiled widely. "Seems like Suna is doing their best to thank us for saving their Kage. They're twenty minutes out. Another four thousand bodies to add."

"With our nine-thousand added into that, we match their fifteen-thousand nearly troop for troop. With the quality of our men and women, I say the advantage is ours." Cpt Genma said.

"Half of our troops are Chunin though. Their army is all Jonin." Kakashi said with a frown.

"The majority of their forces are from Oto. Orochimaru confuses large reserves with skill. We have the advantage." Lord Fifth said, eyes rapidly darting around the battlefield, Sharingan spinning madly. "I see not even one-third of their forces are from Iwa. They and Danzo's root are the most skilled."

I nodded at Lord Fifth's quick assessment as I did my own quick gaze around the battlefield. For every downed Konoha shinobi, four of the enemy was down. The Genin were doing their duty admirably. They were staying in the back, eyes darting around. The second they spotted an ally go down, they would snake their way through and extract them, rushing them to the medics.

I suddenly felt a spike of chakra. My eyes locked on Onoki, the small cube quickly forming in his hands. He snarled as he shot the chakra construct forward, directly into the heart of the battle. I opened my mouth to warn someone, but Lord Fifth was even quicker.

"Amaterasu" he intoned, Mangekyō Sharingan locked onto the quickly moving cube. It met its mark, instantly incinerating the cube before it could expand. "If you wish to participate in this scuffle, I am your opponent, Fence Sitter. Kage versus Kage. You will not harm my shinobi. Onoki snarled, another cube quickly forming in his palms. Lord Fifth sighed. "Please stand back, all of you."

We quickly followed his directions, flickering away a safe distance.

"Susanoo."

A behemoth erupted around Lord Fifth, the orange construct towered high above the wall. I opened my mouth in awe. The waves of pure power rolling of Lord Fifth were intoxicating.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Kakashi said from beside me. I could only nod dumbly. "His illness sapped him of a lot of his physical strength and stamina. Since his inauguration, he has been training every single morning with Guy to improve. It'd say it's paying off quite handsomely, wouldn't you?"

"He's going to number one on my list, sorry Kakashi," I muttered.

"List? What list?" Kakashi asked in confusion.

"His man-crush list. You were his secret number one. He's had a crush on you for ages." Ami called out with a smirk. THAT snapped me out of my trance.

"You bitch. You don't tell people the intricacies of my list! That is my information to divulge!" I called out in outrage.

Ami simply shrugged. "You never told me that. How was I supposed to know?"

"Wait. Do you have a crush on me? Sorry, Kenta… I'm flattered but-"