Sword of God -- A Naruto Fanfiction

| 54 | Crossing Paths

Silently and taciturnly did a cloaked man stare down at the village below, a shadow in every aspect, as he was invisible in the raging storm.

Bolts of harsh lightning struck down at the village, illuminating the shadow in its ardour of wrath.

It was Naruto Uzumaki, and he looked both regal and majestic in the enigmatic darkness.

Three silhouettes dropped next to him atop the great tree that was the centrepiece of Takigakure, the heart and soul of the village.

"Have they been planted?" Naruto inquired, still facing the village.

"Of course, Naruto-Kun, " Hinata responded. "Where is Fu?"

"As we speak? About to run into the Raikage's party, fleeing from the village. She took quite a while longer than we anticipated to plan her escape," he mused, a finger pointing to the East. "Five klicks. Go, and let my presence be known."

Suigetsu and Karin dashed off.

"Aren't you coming with us, Naruto-Kun?" Hinata said.

"No. I have something to take care of first. Avoid confrontations, I want all of you unharmed by the end of the mission."

"HAI, Naruto-Kun."

She left with post-haste, leaving Naruto to stare at one very important building.

It was time for an assassination. A mass-killing of the highest echelons of the puny village.

Peace can be found from within chaos.

•••

Fu was in a rough spot. How could she have been so stupid?

Of COURSE, the Raikage would come from the east; the only land route to Taki was from THERE, of all places.

She had hoped to seek refuge within the Land of Iron, hoping that Kumo, with their fleet to rival Kiri's, would demonstrate it, but they just had to go the old-fashioned route.

And now she was stuck between a rock and a hard place, ironic because the rock could be the Land of Iron, but the hard place...

To fight the Raikage, the Hachibi's jinchuuriki and Darui of the Black Lightning or to submit to their demands? There seemed to be no choice.

She wanted to fight, but if she resisted she would be put down for certain and in the company of Kumo, enslaved, mistreated or worse...

But who was offering that she'd get better treatment in Kumo than Taki? For all she knew, it could be even worse than her current predicament.

And that was something she wasn't willing to risk.

"Well, well, well..." The Raikage leered. "A runaway jinchuuriki, all the better to capture and sell for even less than the original amount for the hassle of retrieving her..."

"Yo, the bug flees from its tree's safety, only to be stopped by the cool Killer B!" The Hachibi jinchuuriki rapped, earning a slap on the head for his troubles.

"You can come safely, or you can choose to resist," Ay licked his lips. "I'm sure we can... Work something out."

Fu shuddered. "No thanks, I'd rather not."

She shut her eyes. If there is anyone watching, please, help me...

Ay held up five fingers. "If at the end of this countdown you do not come with us, we will attack."

One dropped. Four.

A second one dropped. Three.

A third one dropped. Two.