38 Mission after mission after mission.
"So instead of hiring a digging crew or an earth-style Shinobi, you just want me to go there and blow up a clone."
"Indeed."
"... How do I blow up a clone?"
"Do you- never mind, just infuse it with lightning chakra when you're forming it then run away."
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"The escort missions take way too long gramps! That headache when I dispelled my clone actually lasted for a couple of minutes, y'know!"
"I'll keep that in mind, what about this one?"
"Oh, yeah. I can drop off a package then pop, no problem."
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"Another Genin Squad? Sure, what's the mission this time? Oh, scroll protection? No problem!"
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"So my job is to be a clone spawning meatshield as they take out an animal infestation? Gramps, have you heard about clone rights?" The clone of Naruko so doth asked, ignoring the fact that she ignored clone rights herself.
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"Gramps, this is just me sorting a civilian library."
"There's a few Shinobi texts, we need to make sure it's alright for them to remain in there."
"You mean make sure the propaganda is up-to-date?"
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"The Daimyo reque-"
"No. If I see that fat tub of lard again we won't have a Fire Capital. Kindly tell him and all his supporters that if they try to request me for a mission again they'll cease to exist." He put down the scroll.
"You can't jus-"
"I just did. What is he going to do about it? Send his Guardians, half of which are there to kill him if he steps out of line? Next mission. The only reason he's alive is because I'm not strong enough to erase the dozens, if not hundreds of Jonin and hundreds if not thousands of Chunin who foolishly believe they should be loyal to a pedophile." Hiruzen picked up a different scroll.
The Daimyo died of a heart attack three days later, and neither of them commented on it.
---
"The Yondaime Kazekage is sending a representative to our border, I need you to see what they want." Hiruzen had a serious look on his face.
Naruko straightened up slightly. "Oh? What team am I going with?"
He shook his head, "Only you and an ANBU Squad. You yourself will be going there instead of a clone. Pakura herself will be arriving."
Her eyes narrowed. "Pakura as in one of Sunagakure's few Kage-class Jonin?" He wearily nodded.
"The people we have that could survive an encounter with her aren't available right now and as such I have to send you."
Naruko thought about it before finally nodding. "Yeah, sure. How strong is she anyways Gramps?"
He frowned a little. "It's hard to describe the powers of a Kage-class Shinobi, but among the Sand, if it wasn't for the unique capabilities of her Kekkei Genkai she would rank the lowest. But with the uniqueness of her Kekkei Genkai it's hard to say."
'So the border between Elite-Jonin and Low Kage shinobi with her mummification stuff granting her some hax. Gotcha.' Nodding along Naruko would say, "Yeah I got you Gramps, hey, who knows, maybe I'll figure out a system that'll let us identify people more accurately." He looked at her as she strangely chuckled.
"I'm sure you will Naruko, now any other questions?"
She nodded slightly, "Yeah outside of her super-hot mummification stuff, anything else?"
He hummed before finally shaking his head. "Her wind style is above the level of ninjutsu specialist Jonin nearly Kage-level, her fire style according to last battle reports was at the level of a ninjutsu specialist. Her Taijutsu is above a Taijutsu-Specialist Jonin nearly Kage-level, and her genjutsu breaking is at the level of a Kage. What's important here is her chakra size, chakra control, physical speed, and of course her Kekkei Genkai."
Naruko blinked. "So expect an Elite Jonin that's fast and has good chakra control when not using Kekkei Genkai, and I guess when using her Kekkei Genkai she improves in all areas because her chakra gets stronger when using it - like most bloodlines?"
"Exactly."
She sighed. "This is why people hate and want Kekkei Genkai. An Elite Jonin is now a Kage-level Shinobi because of one."
His lips quirked up slightly, "This is a very unique situation where a talented young woman will one day reach that level without any help, and her Kekkei Genkai just let her do it earlier. At least in the public. If her life gets threatened I suspect like most Shinobi all of a sudden she'll get a boost in power 'out of nowhere'." He accented that with a snort.
"Mhm, so there are suspicions she's an actual Kage-class Shinobi?"
"There's always suspicions. Anytime you face a Shinobi that 'could' be something, assume they are, and will hold back to their perceived level unless you're about to kill them."
She took the lesson in stride. "Alright, Gramps! You're lucky my birthday was a couple of months ago, or else I'd make jokes about this being a sucky gift. See ya after the mission!"
Naruko proceeded to jump out the window. 'Wooh. Big mission this time, Gramps must really want to push up my record before promoting me. Hey, let's hope I survive! Next semester is starting soon, and I wouldn't want Team Gai's last semester in the academy to be met with my death!'
A few moments later she was waving to her neighbors who totally weren't Jonin held back on purpose at the Chunin-rank. Opening up her apartment window, hopping on in, and closing it with one smooth motion Naruko would begin to rummage around her apartment. "Paper Bombs? Nah, won't work against her. Water scroll? Yup. Totally-not-Kirin prep scroll?" She stared at it for a moment before shrugging. "Sure, why not." Putting it into one of her numerous pockets, because pockets were cool for boom-boom shooty things, she'd continue to flick through things. "Kunai scroll. Tri-pronged Kunai scroll. Giga-Fuinjutsu Sword of Uzumaki-Senju relations... Check, check, and check. Food? Check. Water? Check. Wide assortment of clothes because it's cringe to only have one outfit? Check."
Standing up straight she'd do a little twirl before facing the window. "Alright, ANBU come out." A moment later the ANBU Squad on her today would appear in front of her.
"Cool, we have Elephant who's good with a sword, earth style, and fire style. No offense, but only your earth style will be useful on this mission. We've got Eagle whose claim to fame is water style. We've got Tiger who I'm sure knows some Ninjutsu, but I've only ever seen him use Genjutsu and his sword. Finally we have Captain Leopard who is a Ninjutsu-Specialist focusing on Lightning. Did I miss anything?"
"No." Aah Captain Leopard, ever so stoic. She did see Elephant giggling slightly at Tiger's depressed slump however. Progress!
She nodded. "Cool, all of you are to keep long-range, don't even try Genjutsu, and if it comes to a battle you STAY long-range, or only engaged with the people Pakura has with her. All of you would get folded in melee within seconds, even you Leopard - her Kekkei Genkai is just that brutal on the human body."
Tiger who was the newest twitched slightly. "Is it that strong?"
Naruko snorted. "She could mummify you in less than half a second if you got within five feet of her. I don't want to deal with that bullshit, so the second she tries that I'm instantly going three-tails and proceeding to make the biggest fuck all Lightning Jutsu you've ever seen that will combine with the biggest fuck-all Water Jutsu you've ever seen. So let's hope it doesn't come to that because then the War is starting, and that means I'll probably have to deal with her bullshit more." Tiger hurriedly nodded in response to her tirade.
"Alright team, roll out!" As she jumped out of her apartment she popped all of her clones at the training ground. 'With that, I'll be full on Chakra by the time we get there. Let's hope it doesn't devolve into a fight... If I start the Fourth Great Shinobi War off by murdering Pakura of all things that would be lame as fuck.'
-A day later closer to the meeting site-
Rain slowly began to pitter-patter as they approached the meeting, and she couldn't help but chuckle. "I won't even need to use one of my scrolls if it comes to the battle." She of course meant her 'Totally-Not Kirin Prep' scroll. She'd still need the water scroll. She was going to need a lot of water.
Taking a moment to close her eyes and reach out with Mind's Eye of Kagura she shook her head. "Alright, you all fall back. I sense 25 Jonin, Pakura, and what is probably a clone of Rasa himself."
"What abo-?" Leopard put a hand on Tiger's shoulder before shaking his head.
"We'll rendezvous thirty miles back at that village."
Naruko nodded at Leopard's comment while continuing to walk forward, rolling up her sleeves and shaking out the kinks in her neck and shoulder.
She slowly began to hum while her face ever-so-slowly turned blank. 'O' Death. What a truly fitting song for the life of a Shinobi. It appears Pakura... Your Kazekage has made a poor decision in this world too. I'll give you all one chance, and if you don't take it...' A peaceful smile crossed her face as her eyes closed, the rain pattering on her face. 'Then you'll just have to meet Death.'
