The Fallen Façade

First mission Pt.3

Normally, Sakura trees would bloom in the spring time for at least a month's worth. Depending on the weather, the pedals can be white with a beautiful shade of blue at the ends or their natural pink and red. Sometimes, they could even turn a warm shade of yellow with orange stripes that would look like someone is walking through the sunset itself even during the day or night. They were signs of good luck and peace for years to come...

Or at least that's how the myth used to go...

There was an unknown reason for the normally pinkish red Sakura trees pedals to suddenly go black like the midnight sky. Was their fortune finally coming to an end? Have they done such an outlandish deed that the once alive Akinobi have taken back their blessing? Oh what could they do to ever repay for whatever the cause was.

And there was a way to resolve the mysterious conflict. Only consequence is that it involves drawing the sacred blood of the legendary Ten Tails Beast. A creature that has existed for so long that it only remains as a myth to be seen. But why the blood of the Ten Tails whose existence isn't even fully confirmed? Fully seen or heard of? Well...

Because the Beast is the only descendant of the long gone Akinobi after her fury and anger got out of confinement.

How sad it is...having to kill the blessed child.

"Nar..."
"Naruto..."
"Naruto-Sama, it's.....to get up."

Eyes opening in a steady motion, and senses slowly crawling back, the young blond shook himself out of his sleepy state. His head was pounding and didn't look like it was going to spare any mercy on Naruto.
Looking around, it was quite obvious that he was still in the Land of Mists judging by the unruly fog that continued to roll in. But exactly how far has he and Gōzu run off from the others?

"Where are we Gōzu?"
"Deep in the mist Naruto-Sama. The others have requested for you..."

The blond's eyebrows furrowed as his eyes narrowed. Other than the poison needle, this is why the Demon Brothers came.

But as if something just hit Naruto in the head, which is technically what happened, frantically, "What about the attacker? Where have they gone?"

As if Gōzu knew that the young master was going to ask that, his neutral calm expression changed to an uneasy, troubled look. His normally rested eyebrows furrowed as the Demon Brother looked down towards the ground with disappointment.

"They have gotten away, Naruto-Sama. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch them while carrying you."

Naruto clenched his teeth as he hastily stood up, quickly summoning his spear to help support himself as he got up on both feet. Sadly, the blond could tell that his chakra supply was nowhere close to being at its max fill, so the jet black spear wasn't the wisest idea of chakra usage but simply summoning it without fighting was his only choice.

"Let them go. Their hidden status won't last long enough before I find them. But it seems I have a meeting with the elders... I told them to give me some time."
"We are already at the entrance of their residence, should I wait outside?"

The young genin thought long and hard for some reason, but the answer was nowhere to be found. So Naruto simply nodded his head as he walked forward towards the hidden circle on the ground and dissolved the spear into misty streams that flowed up in the air.

Joining his hands together with closed eyes, the blond casted a series of hand signs and chanted, "Inoshishi, kaeru, hebi, inu, akai tori, akutibu-ka!" (Boar, Frog, Snake, Dog, Red Bird, activate!)

Once Naruto was finished saying the activation spell, he was quickly surrounded by rays of blue light that took 5 seconds before he himself, just like the spear, disappeared into thin air. But before leaving, a piece of paper shaped like a gingerbread man was now floating down and landed right where the blond just was. And it was starting to move on it's own...