Chapter 28: Restless Ninja
Early January, Konoha Year 46. The new year had arrived, and most jonin were still buried in missions.
Conflicts kept breaking out along the borders of the Land of Fire. The only ones who seemed to be benefiting were the neutral Iron Country merchants, whose ninja tool trade was growing steadily. The Third Hokage continued to present no strong stance outward, and the village held its position at the border without pressuring the smaller neighboring countries to pick a side.
Amegakure and Kusagakure, caught between the great nations, already sensed something bad coming. If a real war broke out, their land would almost certainly become the battlefield again.
* * *
Evening. A secret border outpost. A squad of Kusagakure ninja had just dropped from the trees when they found they couldn't move.
"Run!"
Three chunin shouted the warning. The round-faced jonin at the rear dodged fast, pulling free of the shadow chasing him.
He jumped back to the branches and glanced behind him. His subordinates were already covered in a dark mass of insects. No sound left from any of them.
He pushed chakra through his feet and tried to accelerate. The moment he reached the branch, instinct pulled his kunai up.
Clang!
Short blade and kunai rang against each other in quick succession, sparks flying. Kakashi, body activated, moved with exceptional speed, and when he couldn't force through on strength he broke away.
He wasn't letting hatred cloud his head. The round-faced jonin used the gap to accelerate again. A shadow came silently from below.
'Damn it...'
He dodged onto a tree trunk. When the dark swarm of insects closed in around him, he had no choice but to drop back to the ground.
"Earth Style: Fissure Palm!"
Furukawa Osamu had been waiting behind a tree. He picked his moment and struck.
The shattered earth forced the round-faced jonin to dodge. He cleared the debris and his eyes went cold. The instant his feet touched down, he formed seals without hesitation.
"Earth Style: Stone Spikes!"
Stone spikes burst upward, dust filling the air across the wide attack range. The round-faced jonin dropped the pretense entirely. His right fist was coated in dense rock now, and he came in hard and wild.
His speed jumped again. In what felt like an instant he was in front of Furukawa Osamu, twisting his body and swinging the rock-covered fist straight at his face.
Left arm up to block. Furukawa Osamu ignored the surprise in the jonin's eyes, absorbed the giant fist, and exploded forward with an elbow strike at close range. Thud. The Kusagakure jonin's face twisted in pain, and then turned to mud.
"Give it up."
Aburame Shimi, usually silent, spoke up and directed her destruction bugs to surround the last of the enemy's resistance.
The dark swarm came in like waves, relentless. The round-faced jonin stopped dodging Kakashi and took a heavy hit to the chest, blood spraying from his mouth, in exchange for landing one solid blow.
A muffled grunt. Kakashi was sent flying, and when he hit the ground he pressed his hand to his left shoulder, face tight with pain.
The swarm seized the opening and wrapped around the jonin. Nara Shikaku stepped out from the shadows at the same moment, and the shadow on the ground surged forward.
"Shadow Imitation complete."
"It's a clone."
Aburame Shimi called out the warning. The real target was already fleeing at full speed in the distance.
A shredding bird cry split the air close to the jonin's ear. He twisted his body on instinct.
A thin blade of blue-white lightning pierced through his back and out through his right chest. His body locked up and he dropped to one knee. Then the blade scattered outward from the wound in all directions.
"Ngh... ah!"
One ragged cry, and the exhausted round-faced jonin stopped fighting. The Furukawa Osamu beside Nara Shikaku dissolved into white smoke. The real body released the technique from the other side.
"Nice work, Osamu."
"A jonin is always this much trouble. That was the last squad for today."
Nara Shikaku sat down on the ground and exhaled. Furukawa Osamu checked the target lying there and found him still breathing, then said simply:
"Capture confirmed. Rest here, then we find Captain Inoichi's team."
Aburame Shimi had absorbed the chakra of three chunin and was in good shape. She nodded in agreement, then looked over at Kakashi.
"Kakashi, how's the shoulder?"
"Minor."
Kakashi said it quietly, voice low. He didn't sit down until he confirmed the destruction bugs had covered the jonin.
"Most likely an Iwagakure ninja in disguise. Kusagakure seems to be playing both sides."
Furukawa Osamu kept his voice low as he gave his assessment. As the medical ninja he had stayed behind the others during the fight, and his face showed no signs of fatigue.
"If war breaks out, the village needs to control the main supply lines immediately."
"Iwagakure is clearly already prepared. If that alliance breaks down, that might be exactly why the pro-war faction wants to strike first."
"The village can't wait until the other side unites before responding."
Nara Shikaku gave his opinion plainly, which was rare for him. Furukawa Osamu didn't pick up the thread, because anything he said could be read as Tsunade's position.
"The ANBU's movements have been timely. The intelligence division has also found these outposts."
"Give the Hokage some time. Don't discuss this back in the village."
Aburame Shimi waited for Furukawa Osamu's small nod confirming no enemies in range before she said it, her face mask hiding her expression. Nara Shikaku watched her for a moment, then agreed.
"You're right. There are going to be more A-rank missions ahead."
"Don't worry. When I get back to the village I'll stay put at home. Clan meetings are the worst."
War would mean mobilizing the ninja clans. They were the core of Konoha's strength, and right now there were divisions within the major clans too.
* * *
Night fell. As the remaining squads reached the rally point one by one, the mission was complete, and everyone let out a breath.
After Furukawa Osamu finished treating the injured, he received a round of thanks and made his way to Kakashi. He found him holding his short blade with a distant, thinking expression, and spoke before Kakashi could sink further into it.
"Chidori Sharp Spear, shape transformation. Less power than the high-frequency Chidori Blade."
"Keep growing and the chakra problem will sort itself out. Eight years old and eighteen years old are completely different. Getting overpowered is normal."
A worn-out jonin who had still managed to counter and land a hit on him despite being surrounded. Kakashi's mood was clearly down.
"You don't need to cheer me up. I know my own ability. The chakra I can pull in one draw is less than Guy's. The control is decent at least."
"Growing up won't fully fix this either. I can't afford to waste chakra in fights going forward. I need to be sharper with my technique selection."
Furukawa Osamu didn't push further. He had gotten used to how hard Kakashi was on himself. When he noticed Yamanaka Inoichi heading their way, he turned and asked first.
"Did you get anything useful, Captain?"
"Very smooth. Osamu, all of you performed exceptionally well today. When we're back I'll recommend to the Hokage that you're given more responsibility."
Yamanaka Inoichi's usually composed face showed a rare satisfied smile. Ordinary chunin really couldn't compare to these two. The gap in talent was simply too wide.
He caught Kakashi's expression. A moment of thought, then he added:
"Iwagakure and Kusagakure do have an arrangement. But we follow the Hokage's lead."
"Kakashi, stay out of pointless discussions. You're both still at the age for building foundations. When you're leading your squad, put more attention on the people under you."
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