Chapter Nineteen- Ambush In The Sand

I sighed as I filled out the thirteenth form regarding the operating costs of the Western-Leaf Army. Why I had to explain where the funds went baffled me. As the commander, I order the shinobi and plan the defensive and offensive actions. I have zero control over the budget, operational cost, and the like. So why am I required to do the report?

Yet for some ungodly reason, I have to sit at this desk and correlate with thirty different shinobi who are in charge of supplies. The same people who should be doing this report single handedly. The pen I was holding snapped in my hand without me even realizing it. I swore to myself that if I ever wore that hat this useless bureaucracy would be delegated, a system of checks and balances put in place. Alas this was just one example of the many useless papers I have to go through.

I swore that this had to be some type of trap put upon the army commanders as if showing them what Hell awaited them if they chose to pursue the position of Kage. I had to admit it was scarily effective, but I didn't have such ambitions to begin with.

I thanked the stars as a chunin slammed open my office's doors. I wouldn't care if Russo somehow grew his arm back and returned twice as strong. I'd rather fight him to the death than sit in this fucking office for a moment longer.

"Commander!" The Inuzuka chunin said with respect as he saluted me and awaited permission to speak. I nodded for him to continue as I prayed for any excuse to get me out of this office.

"A young Uchiha genin was sent blasting through the encampments defenses, many prepared for battle but after a few minutes nothing happened." The chunin… Kubar Inuzuka said as I tilted my head at the oddity of the situation.

"I see, I shall investigate this myself" I decided before any of the bookworms could protest. I was gone out the nearest window before I completed the final syllable.

A quick crackle of thunder as my foot touched down as I was on the other side of the outpost, standing atop the highest defensive wall. It didn't take me long to notice the disturbance and from the sound of the yells I could tell it's only been a few minutes since it occurred.

A regular body flicker later and I found the intrusion. A maybe three-foot circle had blasted through the outer wall and continued forward through at least a few buildings. Luckily they were storage facilities as I assumed nobody was injured.

After a brisk and calm walk, I found where the human-shaped projectile had landed. A rather comical sight I would admit to seeing a teenage Uchiha embedded face first in a wall, It became slightly more humorous that the way he impacted had held his body in place twenty feet in the air. The only discerning things at first glance were the Uchiha fan on his back and a black and red katana at his hip that caused my eyes to narrow.

"He alive?" I asked the man who was nervously pacing below the kid but for some reason chose not to free him from the wall. The man acted as if he was shocked by lightning at my question as he robotically turned towards me.

"O-oh Captain! Sir, um I think so, but this obviously has nothing to do with me" the man hurriedly clarified as he broke my gaze and stared up at the teenage Uchiha.

I instinctively massaged my temples with my entire palm, a habit I picked up from one of my former senseis.

"Rizen, just take the kid to the medical tent, luckily you two idiots didn't cause any real damage" I ordered, this man was so different from Lord Third I sometimes doubted he was even related to the decorated shinobi.

"Yes sir" He said as he jumped up and struggled to remove my apprentice from the earth-ninjutsu-made wall. I quietly chuckled at how stupid this whole situation was and couldn't wait for Rizen's half-ass excuses and explanations. 

About ten minutes later Rizen and I sat opposite each other as a hospital bed sat between us. A kid bandaged from head to toe lay under the covers as I scowled at my squadmate while awaiting an explanation as to why my apprentice appeared with three fractures and a broken nose.

"It was just a friendly competition Sakumo, a race" Rizen said as he was more composed, most likely because he felt this situation wasn't actually his fault.

"So how does a race turn into a Tometsu smashing through four three-foot-thick stone walls?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, luckily these injuries were nothing to worry about as he would be healed by dawn. Lady Tsunade has revolutionized the medic corps in that such injuries merely required bed rest, even if the patient was being treated by a regular medic nin.

"That's the thing I don't know, I kept pace with him until a few kilometers were left, I pushed past him and took the lead" Rizen explained and it made sense as there was no way a fresh genin could keep pace with a season Jonin, tokubetsu or not.

"Then the kid just flew past me, he was moving so fast that he made afterimages. One was taunting me for ten seconds after he passed me" I'd lie if I said I wasn't shocked, to be able to create afterimages is a feat that is almost impossible without nature manipulation.

"So he was experimenting with a new speed-boosting jutsu?" I asked RIzen and even I heard that absolute sarcasm in my voice. I'd have to see it to believe it, the kid didn't even know the body flicker a month ago and now somebody is telling me he is making variations of it? 

"That is my guess, he probably didn't realize how fast he was going or didn't know how to stop so he crashed" Rizen said with a shrug as that was his assessment, I would accept it but I wouldn't believe it.

I could count on one hand the number of shinobi who had verified movement techniques that differed and surpassed the basic body flicker jutsu. Most of the higher level shinobi simply had uncanny speed, or powerful enough defences that they didn't need to.

Tometsu Uchiha- The next morning

"Owwwwww..." I groaned in pain as I slowly sat up, my legs were on fire as was my left arm. My face hurt just as much as I rubbed my nose in an attempt to alleviate the pain.

After a few minutes of getting myself together and looked around the room to find Sakumo giving me a death stare. "Ahhhh!" I screamed in surprise that wasn't at all girlish.

{Sakumo Hatake Lvl 71 (Lightning) (Earth)}

"Why the hell are you watching me sleep, old man!" I said as I chucked a throw pillow at his weird ass.

His eyes squinted at my insult as he tilted his head dodging the pillow.

"Status, Tometus Uchiha," Sakumo said as I realized I was talking to the Western Army Commander instead of my sensei. It had almost slipped my mind that my sensei received a promotion after that last major battle.

"The second step of water walking has been completed, I've also practiced my swordsmanship every day and I'm confident to say that I am proficient in Kenjutsu. I have begun nature transformation training." I answered as Sakumo just sat there and listened. But he seemed surprised that I had started nature transformation training.

"Good, anything else you'd like to report?" Sakumo asked though as I was about to reply he continued. "Like why you smashed into the outpost's defenses?" I twitched at that as I realized I might be in trouble.

"That is actually my fault completely... I was trying to make a variation of the body flicker jutsu to beat Rizen and I lost control" I said apologetically as I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment.

"Alright… Get up, grab your shit, and meet me on the north wall" Sakumo ordered much to my confusion, before I could voice a question he disappeared through the window in a trail of electricity. Though my Sharingan was active I didn't see a single hand sign, it seemed whatever movement technique Sakumo created didn't require any. He did leave a packet on the chair he was sitting on, detailing our current progress on the war front.

I shrugged as I began getting ready for the day, luckily all of my equipment was in a locker in the hospital room's corner. It was odd that Suna allowed the Leaf to make such an outpost so deep in their territory. As I looked out the window I realized that our earth-release shinobi must have worked their asses off, it looked like I was in a small village instead of a military outpost. But I guess this would be more accurately described as a military fortress.

It made me wonder how close the new war front would be to their village, surely they should surrender at this point. We're halfway to their village, taken their future Kage's arm, and show no signs of slowing down. This was not even to mention that this army only held a fifth of the Leaf's total fighting force. They needed a miracle desperately, but I doubted it would come. 

Suna's stupidity aside I arrived at the top of the North wall about ten minutes after Sakumo left, prepped and ready for whatever could be in store for me. 

There was no silver-haired shinobis up here but there was a note placed on the ground.

'Southwest, 35 kilometers, Kuzai Village. Immediately!' Well, that's weird. But orders are orders.

I jumped off the fortress wall and flickered forward.

'Sending me deeper into enemy lines without backup? Dick move sensei' It would've been less annoying If I didn't have to duck under a tanto a few minutes after I left.

Luckily I always kept my Sharingan active and I easily drew my sword mid-flicker, clashing with the turban-wearing shinobi. I jumped back quickly as I observed this ninja, it seemed I needed to be able to see a ninja's face for a scroll to appear above their heads. 'Annoying'

The man was a few inches over six feet, slim but muscular build, and seemed to be a swordsman. Typical Sunagakure Anbu attire consisting of a jonin jacket, a sand-colored cloak, a turban wrapped around his entire head, and a pair of smoked glass goggles. Not an inch of skin could be seen, but just from clashing swords once I could tell this man was jonin level.

I couldn't make eye contact, smoked goggles defeated the Sharingan. 'There goes eye contact genjutsu, Uncle Koshu. So much for the invincible Sharingan'

But I was sure that wasn't standard equipment for Suna Anbu, no the Anbu squad that killed my squad didn't even wear eye protection.

No this was premeditated, an ambush made specific for me. Somehow Sakumo's orders got leaked. Or I was the unluckiest shinobi alive, which wasn't out the question. I did die on my first mission outside of the village afterall.

But to have my bloodline countered so easily left a bad taste in my mouth, pride of the Uchiha. I guess Uncle did push some of his views on me afterall.

Further investigating would have to wait as the man flickered towards me, my off hand was skillfully hidden out of sight as I awaited his advance.

He skillfully came out of his flicker and in the same motion twisted his body for an overhead slash, I barely managed to counter it with a quick parry. As our blades touched a single spark forced the chakra around my blade to erupt in a bout of flames. The Anbu ninja jerked slightly but I knew his eyes widened as my stomach bulged.

'Wind style- Great breakthrough' I fired off at point blank range, paying special attention to keep feeding my fire sword with chakra. The flames from my blade ignited the wind sending a wave of fire at the anbu ninja that just barely had time to jump back.

Despite his reaction time and speed he was swallowed by the inferno. Still I doubted that the surprise attack did more than slightly damage him, a mere flesh wound more than likely. The real fight would start now.