God of War

Invasion

"Can anyone tell me the answer?" asked a youthful looking woman. Her long, silky black hair gently swayed to the side due to the slight breeze coming from the open window. Just underneath her neatly cut bangs was a Kusagakure forehead protector. This woman's name was Akane Miwa. She is a teacher at the academy. Her late father, Tazuna Miwa, was this class' previous instructor. Akane took up the role when she was just seventeen years old. 

Akane's pointer finger rested on her chin as her pearlescent green eyes studied the young soon-to-be shinobi idly sitting in rows before her. Not a single one of them offered to give the woman an answer, to Akane's dismay, of course. Now she had to pick one of them to move on. She looked towards the back of the room before a smile formed across her pink lips.

"Let's see... Gyatsō?" she said loud enough for the student in question to hear her. A boy with short, snow white hair and bangs almost reaching his eyes looked over to Akane. His crimson red eyes met hers but he didn't say anything. Gyatsō appeared to be a quiet child, but Akane knew he had the answer.

Maybe, she thought, he didn't hear me? I guess I'll just ask him again.

"Gyatsō, can you tell me the hand seals needed to perform the Clone Technique?" she repeated, holding her friendly smile. Gyatsō continued to look at her before returning the smile.

"Ram, snake, tiger," he answered. Akane nodded her head before asking another question. Out of anyone, she knew that Gyatsō was far more advanced than the other academy students.

"Would you like to come up here and show the others how to perform the technique?"

Gyatsō didn't give a response, but his smile sure was gone. He simply got out of his seat and walked to the front of the room, turning around to face the class. The class waited with anticipation.

"Ramu, hebi, tora," the white haired boy whispered as he performed the three hand seals. A clone of himself morphed from his body and stood at his side. Akane, as well as the class, clapped with awe. Gyatsō bowed before releasing the jutsu and returning to his seat.

Without warning, a bald male wearing a Hidden Stone headband barged into the room, destroying the wooden door in the process. The academy students as well as Gyatsō panicked and screamed before the intruding shinobi boomed.

"ALL OF YOU, SHUT THE HELL UP OR I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

Akane gritted her teeth and slowly took out a kunai from her ninja tools pouch. Her hands shook as her eyes met the man's. Akane never actually participated in a fight, other than sparring sessions with her own fellow academy students so many years ago. But this man looked as if he was a war veteran!

"I w-won't let you do that," she said timidly. The man twitched before walking towards her.

"Ms. Akane!!" Gyatsō screamed. Some of the children cried intensely, while others hid below the desks, trembling. 

This can't be... this... thought Gyatsō. This can't... this can't be happening!

Tears stung the boy's eyes as he stared at his teacher's now motionless body on the floor. A thin blade protruded out of her chest. Blood quickly rushed out of the wound and coated the wooden slacks below her body. The Stone shinobi's hand was tightly clenching the grip of the sword, but he released it and faced the academy students. He revealed his yellow, rotten teeth through a menacing smirk.

"Listen up, you Grass kids! We, the Hidden Stone, are gonna need this village for a bit. We're fighting against the Hidden Leaf right now! We're at war, ya see?" he explained. Gyatsō covered his hands with both of his hands and tightly closed his eyes. What he was hearing, what he was seeing, all of it was just some sort of genjutsu, right?

At war...? What? This is just an illusion... Ms. Akane's alive... This is just an illusion... just... an...

Gyatsō slowly opened his eyes to look at Akane's corpse once more. His hands quickly slapped over his mouth to prevent his vomit from escaping. The tears running out of his eyes continued to come out. He didn't even notice the Stone ninja was now standing above him.

"Whatcha coverin' your ears for, huh, kid? Did ya hear me?!" he demanded fiercely. He shoved his knee forward, catching Gyatsō square in the temple. Gyatsō was already at brink of unconsciousness. His body was thrown into the wall, but even the marble surface wasn't enough. His body crashed through the wall and landed outside like a rag doll.

The Stone ninja eyed the cowering academy students. If he wanted to, he could just kill them all, but he wanted the Stone to force them to fight in this war. Either that or the Grass' small military would do that for them anyway.

"Don't any of ya leave this academy. I might end up killin' you outside," he cackled as he left the building.

Gyatsō slowly crawled away from the academy as explosions boomed in the background. He couldn't see it, but he knew a majority of the village was aflame due to the intense heat he could feel. He ignored the screams of pain echoing in his ear as blood dripped out of his head.

I have to... get home... mother and father... and my elder brothers will protect me..

After about ten minutes, Gyatsō was sprawled out in front of a small house. The door slightly opened before being opened completely in a moment's notice.

"Gyatsō!!" cried out a feminine voice. The woman's face was also injured, but her facial features definitely matched Gyatsō's. This woman was his mother. He made it home.

"Mother..."

Gyatsō managed to smile a bit before his head smacked against the ground. He was unconscious. Gyatsō's mother quickly grabbed the boy before shutting and locking the door.