25 Horuki

Horuki had lived in the land of River his entire life. Unlike others, he did not attend the Tanigakure Shinobi Academy, and only started to be interested in the arts of chakra after his parents disappeared while travelling to the land of Earth. According to what the Tanigakure leader at the time said, they had been killed by Sunagakure shinobi, looted, and killed.

Just like that, his parents who were honest and hard working merchants, had been killed.

Whether it was true or not, no one knew. However, it created a deep rooted anger in Horuki, one that fueled his will to become stronger and become a Tanigakure shinobi. Not having started to train chakra at an early age, he was behind others. However, he trained for several years, following the teaching of a kenjutsu specialist, a genin with years of experience. 

Horuki quickly picked the training, and trained.

After two years, he completed his first mission.

A decade later, he had become a well-respected genin. His hatred also vanished over time, replaced by the wish to prevent any mishaps like the one that befell his parents to happen again. Thus, he decided to join the outpost located between the land of wind and the land of river.

Years passed, and he would sometimes intercept smugglers, and capture enemies.

However, one night, his peaceful routine was broken. The sensory jonin Gyara who could feel the ripple of chakra in the air spotted dozens of chakra signatures. It was an attack. The outpost was not meant to hold off an invasion, much less an invasion of this size, with several high-jonins leading the charge.

Knowing the outpost would fall, Horuki and the other genins were ordered to run away in all directions, and regroup in Tanigakure to prepare for an assault on their village. Little did they know, for the Sunagakure goal had been to disperse them to pick them off, one by one. The Tanigakure shinobi had fallen into Sunagakure's traps. 

The infamous Sungakure Genin Corps waited for them. Besides traps and ambushes, all of their ways out were sealed by strong genins who waited to kill them. Miss Arya, a chunin who had been injured in an attempt to break through a formation of 6 well-trained genins, fell unconscious from chakra exhaustion. She was an important prospect for the Tanigakure village, a talent who would undoubtedly become a jonin in the coming decade, if not years.

However...

He encountered 6 genins, spotted by a wild eagle flying in the air. Three genins were especially dangerous : the one controlling the eagle, the one at the centre, seemingly protected by a kenjutsu specialist and a ninjutsu specialist and the kenjutsu specialist himself.

*SWOOSH*

The very same puppeteer, who somehow possessed a somehow well-trained body and a sword hanging at his waist, summoned a strange puppet. He could feel that he was the leader, and he charged towards him. His teammate, a swordsman who was not even half his age, charged at him. Somehow, the boy could match his strength and skills. Kicking him away, he wanted to kill this decisive puppeteer.

*BOOM*

'What was that?', the old Horuki thought.

As he processed the explosion with the burnt body of Miss Arya, he understood what happened.

To be so cruel and decisive at this age, the puppeteer was a threat to the village. His skill in ninjutsu, too, were unbelievably strong. Using most of his chakra in one last attack, Horuki wanted to kill the puppeteer. Kicking the kenjutsu specialist away, Horuki threw his sword.

However, the woman a wind jutsu deflected it and hit another genin. The woman who had stayed passive until now tried to cast a genjutsu on him, but a sword pierced his thigh, the pain being so high making the genjutsu ineffective. He used the death of their comrades to use 'flicker'. As he touched the water, he used the secret technique he had developped over the years, connecting his legs with chakra to increase his swimming speed. Using the current to his advantage, he would be able to safely escape.

At the very least, he needed to survive. He needed to make a report about a rising puppeteer in the ranks of the infamous Sungakure Genin Corps.

However, he was chased, so he swam, and continued to do so until he reached a sufficient distance. From this point on, he erased all traces and found a small waterfall, where he hid. Days passed, and once he thought that all dangers passed, he escaped successfully. Disregarding sleep, he had only one goal: reach the Tanigakure village and explain what happened. He also possessed information about the genins who had killed Miss Arya. 

Their tactics, individual information about specific individuals like the masked puppeteer or the surprisingly strong kenjutsu specialist, Horuki noted it all down. After many trials that challenged his will, he eventually reached the Tanigakure village. He could see citizens from the land of rivers injured in the streets, children crying and many dead bodies. Their eyes, however, were the sight that made Horuki horrified. They were dead, as if Sunagakure's attack had taken their soul away. It was not just an outpost that was destroyed, it was a huge portion of the land of Rivers that had been burnt. 

Going straight to the Tanigakure Shinobi headquarters, Lord Hisen invited him in his office

"Lord Hisen, the outpost has fallen"

Sighing, Lord Hisen said: "Yes, I have heard several reports. However, they cannot afford to advance to the waterfall village. We might not be one of the five major villages, but unless Rasa leads the forces, they won't be able to destroy us completely"

"So, they can attack us because they are one of the big villages, and get away with it without consequences?"

"They will regret it", Lord Hisen said, "They have exposed many of their tactics and individual strengths. Our medical nins are already working on refining antidotes to nullify their poison arts"

Horuki clenched his fist. Despite what Lord Hisen said, the Western Outpost destruction was a complete blow to Tanigakure. Their presence in the east of the land of rivers and land of wind will greatly decrease, and nothing would change for years to come. As for retaliation, Horuki knew all too well that Lord Hisen would not make such a decision, his passiveness being known by all. 

Otherwise, would the Kazekage allow such an operation against them?

Considering the tensions with the Iwagakure village, they would have never dared to accomplish such a mission. But their bet paid off, and Lord Hisen would not make a move.