Below The Beneath

Chapter 17: Good Bye Lord Sandaime

"I'm going to go talk to old man Hokage, wanna come with? Your old man is up there." asked Naruto, both brothers declined, but as Naruto moved to leave, a tendril of sand wrapped around his right wrist.

"I don't know if it's still on, but there is an invasion set for today. You're like a brother to me, and you have been more help to me then my father ever has. I'm telling you this now so that my brother and sister are safe, any sooner and all 3 of us would be detained." stated Gaara, a tiny hint of sadness and regret in his voice.

Naruto smiled at his friend "Don't worry, we got a tip a couple of days ago that this might happen. All I ask is that you 3 run as soon as it starts. Konoha ninja may be nice in times of peace, but there's no telling what will happen when it starts." Naruto took out a scroll and wrote something down, then handed it to Temari.

"These are the directions to a bunker owned by my family. It's out of the way and only locks from the inside. On your way there, protect as many civilians as you can." ordered Naruto, getting a blush and nod from Temari, no one has ever been this nice to her, let alone cared enough to do something like this.

"Ok, I'm going to go see the old man. Shino, can you relay a message to your father using your bugs?" asked Naruto.

"Yes" was his simple response. Naruto mentally chuckled at that, all Aburame were the same.

"Ok, tell him the commander says that the job of the clan heads and clans is to evacuate and protect the civilians, their second job is to capture as many sand shinobi as possible without killing them. Understood?" Shino just nodded and lowered his head, apparently talking to his bugs.

"Uzumaki, my father doesn't smell like snakes..."

-Kage box-

Naruto appeared next to Sarutobi, back in his fox ANBU outfit. Sarutobi shot him a look and immediately picked up on the switch tactic that Naruto had been running by himself to throw off any spy's. But where was there a spy?

"Ah, Fox. Puppy has informed me you ran into some trouble with the young ninja. Have you found the source of the disturbance?" asked Sarutobi, he had figured it was nothing, but you could never be too careful.

"Not yet sir, but it turns out you were correct, we just received word that they are on their way, should arrive sometime today." stated Naruto in coded speak, allowing the passage of information safely.

"Good, maybe they will get back to see the final match." he then whispers "Who gave you the information?"

"Gaara, he would have told us sooner, but choose not to, because he wanted to protect his siblings, also, he told me his father never smells of snakes, right now, the Kazekage smells just like Orochimaru." stated Naruto in a whisper, though you could still hear the absolute hatred in his voice as he spoke his name.

Sarutobi's eyes widened."Send news to all shinobi, war is on the cusp of breaking out. Naruto, you are the troop leader for this, everything will run through you. You are the best tactical leader the ANBU has ever seen and I put my full trust in you. Go now, start the preparations." stated Sarutobi, pride evident in his voice. This would be the test to see if he was truly ready.

"Understood sir"

-With Kakashi and other senseis-

The senseis, plus Anko who had dropped in to watch Naruto's match, had sent all the students to get food for the next round, lucky, because Naruto had to tell them all his orders.