Dark Clouds (2)

Within the darkness and despair of this generic war scenario, I saw the light at the end of that bleak tunnel in the form of a reason to be pissed at someone I knew and cared a lot for.

Hiruzen's face was turning red with how intense my cheek-pinching was. He tried to get away from my hands, but those were far faster and motivated by righteous anger to genuinely be deflected by his meek attempts. I was angry, but that fury was evenly split between me and Hiruzen. The boy did the unforgivable thing that was to not correct a continuous and unprecedented amount of brain farts I have committed in the last few months. And I had been the main cause of those brain farts as I remembered only as I found him briefing with his team with Tobirama that he was supposed to be with him most of the time.

He was among the invaders during the attack on the beach. Him and his team were lucky enough that they landed moments before the enemy had the chance of barraging them with long-range jutsus and just as the crunching maneuver had managed to shred into the early defensive lines. For that he was genuinely thankful and… unable to plan out a way to dodge my pinching assault.

For months I thought he and his group had been active on the Iwa Front and, only now, I realize that they were here now. The reason why that hadn't been the case since the beginning of the war was tied to the fact that the Iwa front had needed a massive amount of troops since it was the most pressing at the wake of the war. Tobirama was sent out to Kiri without his mini-team since they had been enlisted on the Iwa Front by Madara. That got some hidden bickering between the two, but both eventually agreed that it had been a correct action to prevent a sudden logistical disaster since others would have to be then relocated elsewhere.

With Iwa now in shambles and the mass relocation now doable thanks to the reinforced logistical front, Team Tobirama was among those that had been 'shipped' to Kiri to join the invasion force. I was still happy that they were there… and it also gave me a reason to not bash my skull onto the ground since I really needed someone to personally speak without enduring the chain of command issue. Hiruzen wasn't the standard pawn within the army. Being the leading element of the small group under Tobirama and his father being Sasuke Sarutobi meant that he had a few layers of passive privileges that prevented him from being ruled around like other soldiers.

Which meant that, even though we both were of different ranks, I could still entertain important discussions about sensible topics without fearing any reprimand. Topics like the fact I was literally losing my marbles without having to entertain with serious conversations. But that was actually something I could speak with others too, it just felt awkward to explain how I was crazy but not crazy enough to be discharged.

"It can't be that bad," Hiruzen tried to politely resolve, still believing in my sanity despite the fact we hadn't seen each other for months now.

"Yesterday I was trying to write a letter home. For a moment, I was writing to mom to ask her how the cat was doing."

…

"But you don't have a cat."

"That's the point!" I exclaimed with a groan. "I'm so distracted nowadays that I forgot that Mom said no to pets while I was busy with the war. I thought she actually went through to get a cat while I was away to keep her company."

"Did she mention something like that?

"No, I… I'm just overthinking. I'm thinking so much forward that I also mistake some of my thoughts about possibilities being true without putting too much effort into it."

He blinked. "Oh… how about you just… take some rest? I think sensei mentioned that we will need two more days before everything is properly unpacked and all troops are here to support our front."

I sighed. "That doesn't mean I can't just try to get more missions in and make life easier on the entire line."

…

"But why?"

I actually paused.

"What do you mean with-"

"You are not out for glory. I know you are not," Hiruzen interrupted, giving me a serious look. "You are not doing it because you crave to fight, especially when you didn't like it when the war began… so, what is going on with that decision?"

…

I sighed. "Yoshiko is meant to be enlisted in a few months. The war is almost over and… and I don't want to take any risks."

It took him a moment, but he realized fairly quickly what I was trying to convey with that seemingly unattached detail.

"You want to end the war before she can be enlisted. But that's… that's still not doable even with a faster pace than we are going right now."

"I can still try to push the war to the point where there is no more fighting. Even a month before the formal conclusion would be fine since at that point it would only be a battleground for diplomats than us," I replied with a quiet tone. "I can do it. I think I can do it and-"

"You really need to not push yourself to the limits. Sensei told me that the reports he received from Madara highlighted a… a propensity to push yourself too far many times."

"He is just worrying over nothing. I know my limits-"

"But do you respect those?" He interrupted again and, at this point, I was forced to stop to hear him out about this point. "I know you- you are quite unconventional. I've known you since we started the Academy and we are first friends. I don't want to be too harsh but… this isn't you. You aren't this dumb when it comes to fighting- not when others can be hurt if you keep hurting yourself too much."

…

"Too much?"

He pulled me in a hug, it didn't feel as awkward as I thought it being when I saw him move in.

"A little bit. You are better than this. I believe you, like many others, friends and family, do," The brunet replied. "So please… don't suffer when you know we will still reach that point."

"What about-"

"I doubt the Hokage is going to send her to the frontline. Mito-sama would push to have her spend a couple of months among the support companies just to grow accustomed to the hard work," Hiruzen interjected, knowing that we were both speaking about the girl. "She will not see the battlefield… but we will be unable to see the birth of Mito-sama's child."

Oh, Oh right I… I hadn't thought about it. That was actually one of the events I wanted to be part of.

"And are you sure she will not try to pull us away from active service for that?" I asked, feeling a little hopeful in that regard.

"She tried. Sensei showed me that she was rather… eloquent with her letters. He said that she was just emotional over the last stages of her pregnancy so she is like this," The brunet answered. "Still, the Hokage said no since we are doing great for the war. You especially with your… dumb boldness."

"It's not dumb if it works," I lamented quietly, suddenly going silent as he regarded me with a strict look. "Maybe a little dumb."

The conversation didn't expand beyond that. We were given some basic missions and I decided to ultimately accept Hiruzen's concerns about my little problem. I decided to give myself and my team a 'week off' from suicidal tasks until we were all ready to get through the grueling missions with the rest of the front.

My body wasn't as strong as my mind, so some time to recover the sheer brutality I had subjected it to by expending all my energies as a child on the battlefront, I knew that I wasn't an endless source of stamina and I needed some time to regain that much… determination in my moves.

So the next week was indeed one that I used to get my mind and body ready for my A-game and… actually do something incredibly stupid the moment the little 'break' was over. Something so stupid that even I had to admit to myself that I was putting a lot behind that hit.

While the original mission had been a recon one, my little plan hung on the matter that we were scouting one of the areas where the Gold and Silver Brothers were spotted lurking about. It was a flexible idea that required impeccable actions from me and my own team. Mostly me since I was going to use myself as a bait to lure them out in the open and right in a bad spot for them to fight within.

I knew how much of a moron I really was when I managed to drag their attention onto me the moment we spotted them.

One moment I was sticking by a tree's branch, the other I was running away as fast as possible to get to the bit of forest where I had laid out my trap. I had to move swiftly and dodge a couple of shurikens thrown my way, but eventually I landed on the patch of grass where I had left a storage seal in. I tapped it with my left foot before stopping on the trees directly in front of it. I started to shiver uncontrollably, trying to appear as a terrified child-soldier that has been cornered. It took a mere moment for a big hand to wrap around my neck, lift me up and slam me onto the tree.

20.

"Start speaking, brat. Where is the rest of your unit?" Ginkaku, the man looked… less threatening than expected. No chakra from Kurama, he was even younger than part of the group that in canon came close to killing Tobirama… and then killing him in a later encounter.

"T-They are around- I don't remember- S-Sorry I- Gah!" Punch in the belly, not a nice thing to do to a frightened child if you want to extort info from them. This was getting me less guilty of what I had planned for him.

16.

"Brother, you shouldn't shake the source too much. I bet the kid has some info," Kinkaku chided, making the slightly younger sibling growl at the comment. The golden-haired moron was sitting by one of the branches, seemingly keeping watch as his little bro tried to handle this situation. "Do you want me to get the job done?"

"Fuck no, this brat will start singing by the time I'm done with him."

12.

"Start talking, little shit. Or a punch is going to be the least of your troubles!" He threatened, and I brought my hands to cover my face, keeping a good act over the reaction of a child in these circumstances.

"M-My team- they are- they are around- I think they are over the ridge-"

9.

"Speak louder and clearer, brat. I swear to Kami I will make you pay if you start lying to me, do you understand?!"

I started to nod furiously at that, shivering a little more to completely sell that part.

7.

"Y-yeah, over the ridge! Our commander wanted us to- to leave the area as quickly as possible, in a small line and- and then you found me."

4.

"Oh? So you mean to tell me that your comrades left you here on your own?" Ginkaku inquired, a hint of maliciousness dripping from his voice.

"N-No, my commander is fierce and never leaves comrades behind!"

Kinkaku snorted at my words. "Really? And who is the fool's name that will soon have a grave close to yours?"

2.

"H-His name is… Sen."

The silver-haired dumbass in front of me frowned. "Sen? What kind of name is tha-!"

He didn't have the time to finish that sentence that the seal finally activated. Silent but deadly, a couple dozens of senbons rushed out of the seal right in the angle I had set the seal in. The barrage was swift and unforgiving, a large amount of the thin projectiles stabbing onto the back of the Kumo nin's head. His hold faltered and I fell on the ground, still pressing my back onto the tree behind me as I had to activate the second seal I had hidden away within the trunk. This one had a smaller timer, so, the moment I had it activated, I proceeded to roll away and still keep up with the appearances as Kinkaku rushed down to check on his brother. Anger was swelling within him, but at the moment it was worry that prevailed through his actions. He crouched down to check on his now dead sibling, setting himself up for his demise.

The second seal activated, another volley of senbons rushing out of it and… slamming onto the exposed face of the distraught ninja. Instadeath, just like it had been for his sibling. The body tumbled onto the other corpse, confirming the two had indeed died because of that hefty trick. If I had to be honest, that was one of the scariest gambit I had to give out. Sure, I had a close-up with Shinigami-chan when I faced Kurama, but this one was more… down to earth. I wasn't playing by knowledge, I was playing by percentages. And the chances favored me by the looks of it.

The demise of the Gold and Silver Brothers meant that now I had something to recover from them. I checked on their pockets for anything that even remotely matched with what I was looking for, and I felt a grin forming on my face when I pulled out five green-colored scrolls. I just gave a quick look to the kanji of two of those, and I was ultimately relieved when I found the rare loot I was searching for.

The five Treasured Tools of the Sage of the Six Paths were now mine to give to Tobirama and for Konoha to value as their newest additions to its treasury. Objects that were as powerful as energy-expensive for the user. Nonetheless, these were things that just couldn't be left to Kumo to use (or rather misuse) whenever they felt the need to steal or kill people. I doubted they would care if those went missing considering the jerks that had been holding onto those until now.

I was glad that now I had those in my hold and… and now I had to face the others.

It took roughly two minutes of patiently waiting for the rest of the team to close up to my location. I looked at them, noticing a couple of them slightly ruffled from what looked to have been a serious fight.

"I suppose the rest of their team is now dead," I guessed and they all nodded. While killing the two jerks had been a little tough through the math behind that two-steps plan, the bigger and possibly more important bit of this mission was how the rest of the team fared against the twenty or so other members of the siblings duo's squadron.

Those were highly-skilled ninjas… that still were too cocky and too comfy with how strong their bosses were. No head above them, no capacity to properly react to multiple ambushes happening all at once. I nodded at the group but paused from giving the order to leave.

"Any wounded?"

There were a couple of awkward looks from the rest of the group and, as I had predicted, a couple of them had some minor injuries in the forms of small cuts. Nothing concerning and nothing that warranted any chiding out of me as I merely nodded and gave the order to get back to our base.

The first wave of our offensive had begun just three days earlier and this victory was meant to offer some relief to the attackers. Without the two brothers no longer harassing the full-scale assault and force for a slower pace, we now had all the means needed to finally breach into Kumo's main land and get through the same tirade we went with while fighting Iwa.

With Kiri offering ninjas to support us, the battles were actually going to be faster on our end and, hopefully, we will be able to end this war in a couple of months from now. The hopes were high and now with a greater leeway to reach the last major enemy in this conflict, we were all praying to make it to see a good enough treaty being signed quite soon.

This victory was going to be essential for the pace of this war, but for now, as I returned back to the headquarters, I found another element that was definitely going to help in quickening the process to see a closure to this blasted conflict.

The boy that we had recovered from the attack on the beach, the one that had gone through a coma after being put unconscious, had woken up and… this gave me the chance of doing something risky but overall important to secure a formidable ninja to rely on in any future conflict. Someone that I knew had the potential of being greater than he did in canon with proper dedication, a good drive, and a fierce loyalty to the village itself.

Now, let's see the kind of sweet words I will have to rely on to get him to completely accept a growth different than his canon self…

The smell of medical alcohol did little to sterilize the foul stench of blood, decaying flesh, and other unpleasant smells that came out of the medical tent that were all around the one I was visiting. I was alone for now, the doctors that had taken care of the boy currently busy dealing with worse cases and thus giving me the opportunity to face the still weak but now well-aware short soldier on my own.

The moment I stepped inside I was greeted by the youth standing up, posture straight and formal.

"Shimura-dono," The brunet greeted me with a strong voice… before faltering and tripping down on the small bed he had been sitting on until my arrival. He gave me a sheepish look but I gave him a shrug to show that I didn't mind.

"At ease, I'm not here to issue any order… yet," I muttered calmly, allowing him to remain sitting by the bed as I walked closer to him. "Do you know why I am here?"

"You-You were at the head of the team that recovered me, sir," He answered and I nodded.

"I was the one that specifically took you away and had you sent to the medic company to be helped," I commented in agreement. "But this isn't the reason itself. How are you feeling?"

He blinked, surprise swelling at my words. "W-Well… I think I'm fine? The doctors said that my body has yet to recover from the stress and- and that it would be best if I kept away from the field for two more days."

I nodded at that. "Yes, it would be for the best if you avoided some action after what happened to you."

…

"S-Sir, if it's not asking too much… Can I ask how is my team faring? I know I've woke up just recently but… shouldn't they be here right now?"

I blinked, surprised that he had forgotten about that really big moment of his existence. That his brain had reacted to the trauma by having him forget that essential bit before he entered the coma.

"Your team is… I wish to make it clear that your mind right now isn't truly stable. From the looks of it, you sealed away a few memories from that moment because those are painful. I want you to make me a promise here and now that you will not struggle to remember since there is a reason why you forgot," I explained seriously, warranting a shocked look from him.

"W-What?"

"The pain, you suffered mental damage during the invasion. You saw something unpleasant and, for that, you lost some of your memories in the process," I elaborated. "Right now, I want you to listen and to not try to correlate what I will tell you anything about hints or fragments of those memories. Do you understand?"

…

"I… I think so, yes."

I nodded. "There was a toll regarding the invasion. Many of our men and women died on the beaches because the attack started before me, my team and the rest of the larger group that was tasked to clear up the beach from the enemy defensive were able to conclude our mission. Hours earlier," I added. "Your squad was among those few groups that were hurt by facing the brunt of one of their bunkers for a few minutes. It was a little amount of time, but Kumo wasn't sparing anything with the quality of their ninjas. You… you are the sole survivor."

…

"S-Sir, surely- surely someone did survive and-"

"Look at me," I calmly ordered, interrupting him with that minor rant. I didn't want to do or say this, but I had to. "You know that I didn't mince my words, and that you understood the clear message of what I just said. Don't try to sugarcoat it to yourself. Not like this."

…

"S-Sir, I'm..." He paused, his right hand reaching for his eyes and cleaning it of some of the tears that had stained it. "A-Apologies. This news is… bad."

"It is. The loss of human lives is never a fun thing. Never," I admitted with a nod. "Which is why I wish to bring this war to an end. As quickly as possible. To prevent situations like yours and bring peace back."

…

"That sounds… nice," The brunet admitted and I nodded.

"Which is why I wish for you to be part of my team."

He blinked at the offer and he frowned. "S-Sir, I- I'm no useful soldier."

"None of that. I've checked your documents and you are far from the mediocre fighter you have painted yourself as. I had the chance of checking your Academy records, and I learned that you had some 'precise' grades at school."

He glanced away at the comment, but I pressed on. "I want you in my team. I want you to represent those that have been killed and slain by Kumo. I want you to be there when peace will come."

…

"I-I don't think I'm worthy of-"

"Bearing the torch of your former team?" I interrupted flatly. "That honor isn't one that you should let go of, especially when it's more of a duty and an undeniable wish from beyond the grave. To see what will be of the end of the war for those that can't because they are no longer with us."

"It's still… isn't it too much? I'm not a good fighter and-"

"I will tell you just this once. If I think that someone I want in my team is worthy of being part of my team, that means he is good if not better than the average," I interjected once again. "And seriously, do you expect someone like me to just pick people that I don't think will stand a chance? Do you know what kind of role I had while I was busy in the front against Iwa?"

…

"I-I was there, sir."

"Then please, remind me of the kind of operations I was leading part of."

…

"You- You sabotaged numerous sections of- of the enemy lines."

"Indeed. My team was responsible for some pushes to bring a conclusion to this war. We risked, and we all left with minimal damage at worst," I continued with a nod. "Which is why I think that, if I say that you are qualified to join my team, then my decision isn't one warranted by pity. I don't pity you, I know the pain myself and we all here have lost people we care about. But right now, if you mull over this matter and allow your reluctance to pull you away from your duties, then you hurt the legacy you are the main bearer of. The Will of Fire burns in all of us, but only those that have felt the loss know of its true fierceness. You remember them, don't you? Their faces, their smiles, their comments, their uneasiness, their everything. Don't you?"

…

"Y-yes. I… I do, sir."

"Do you wish for those to be forgotten?"

"N-No."

"Do you?" I pressed with some seriousness and he gave me a legitimately determined look.

"No."

"Good, then you will bear that burden and show the world that you are more than capable of remembering. To show them that you know and that you will always cherish those moments, no matter the horrible things in front of us all."

…

"I will."

I nodded. "I'm glad to hear this. Are you up to join me and my group in our effort to end this all?"

He smiled. "I accept your offer, Shimura-dono."

"Danzou is fine, Maruboshi Kosuke-kun," I replied with a smile, now relieved that I had a future heavy-hitter in my team.