Chapter Text
The captain grimaced as his blue orbs moved over the razed village. Debris and ash painted a desolate picture over the soil, and the framework of what had been wooden houses and huts served as a sooty skeleton to the now lifeless place. This hadn’t been a mere accident – it was an act of war against the Land of Fire.
As he stared at the depressing remains, he knew none had been spared – men, women, children…murdered. The silence was eerie, a definite promise of horror. The only sound that could be heard were the breathing of the standing soldiers.
Several shinobi were mounted on top of them, gazing outward – spectators of the devastation. “Uzumaki-sama,” one man spoke up, calling the attention of the ocean-eyed leader.
He was ignored until a raven-haired man said, “Dobe.” Naruto’s eyes snapped over to his second in command, Sasuke, who titled his head to the side. The blond glanced over at the one who spoke first, a nervous looking red head. The shinobi continued when he had his leader’s full attention. “This is the fifth village that’s been attacked along our borders. We have to respond with force, we need to act! Or else the whole countryside will look like this…” Naruto stayed quiet.
Instead, he turned back around to the grim view. The shinobi tried to speak, but Sasuke glared at him, making him shut up quickly. Naruto growled softly, rubbing his forehead. He closed his eyes, trying to collect his racing thoughts. He knew something or someone had to pay before more innocent blood was spilled. But god damn, how did it come to this? Naruto clenched his teeth and cursed under his breath filthily.
Loud whispers caused Naruto to reopen his eyes, setting his lips into a hard frown. “My report says there’s been activity near Ame.” Naruto told the men. “The Hokage will send out more scouts try to gather more information. But what about the rumors? Are we dealing with bandits or the country as a whole?” He sighed. “I need something, anything...Shikamaru?”
There was no answer for a moment as Shikamaru, his lazy advisor, deliberated his question. “Rumors have spread, Taicho. They says that the attacks lay at the hands of the Akatsuki.” Naruto accepted the answer, giving Shikamaru a nod. He didn’t know much the so called Akatsuki, as the primary dealings with them had been concluded before his birth.
He only knew that they were some criminal organization obsessed with ‘true’ peace from Amegakure that had fallen dormant.
A question left Sasuke’s lips, directed again at Shikamaru. “How did you come to get this information, Nara?”
“Mostly talk,” Shikamaru deadpanned. “Last time this happened, a tracking squad found cloth that was black and had a red cloud on it. As it stands, my sources are unverified, but we should consider it.”
“Hn.”
“If that’s true, then what does that mean for Konoha?” Naruto swiftly questioned. One by one he looked at each ninja, awaiting for one to answer. Naruto raised an expectant brow.
One of the shinobi coughed to dispel the uneasy tension. A moment later, Naruto jumped into the air, flipping, landing on his feet, in front of his squad. When his feet hit the ground, a tiny puff of ash filled the air. He gazed once more at the ruins. “We should see what’s left before deciding.” Though the young captain knew there was nothing left, he foolishly hoped someone was spared. Scouting the full area may provide clues on who had done this – perhaps why the hell they had done it.
“Sasuke, you’re with me. We’ll search in town. Shikamaru, take the rest for a full-scale search on the outskirts.” Naruto ordered.
Quickly, everyone dispersed. Naruto and Sasuke ran towards the heart of the little farming community.
The sights… And oh fuck, the smells. Charred bones littered the ground. Singed corpses lie motionless, permeating the air with the smell of burnt meat. The sights hardly improved as the duo moved further in.
Finally, they reached the center of the destruction. “Naruto…” Sasuke’s voice slightly trembled behind the blond.
He looked over his shoulder, to find Sasuke pointing his katana at something. He was confused at first as the Uchiha was seldom startled, but he followed the sword’s edge. The sight sent chills throughout his body and a deep-rooted fear into his bones.
A horde of painted bodies laid ever still in the merchant square, covered in feeding crows and wriggling maggots. These bodies weren’t burnt like all the others. On the top of the mound of corpses, there was a child, kunai sticking out of his chest. His head lolled to the side, facing the two men. His eyes stared directly at them, cold and unseeing.
Tears clouded Naruto’s eyes at the young boy’s final expression – a silent scream. “Why the hell would someone do this? To a kid?” His voice was strained. Sasuke stayed silent, as it was the only appropriate response. He too had no answer.
Naruto walked forward, making his way to the dead boy. With a swift pull of the kunai, the boy fell with a sick thud. A few crows flew off the pile, startled at the sudden movement. He threw at Sasuke, who caught it with ease. He noticed the blood was still wet against the metal. He hadn’t been dead for long. Naruto hoisted the boy into his arms and brought him over to Sasuke. He looked over the body for evidence with his Sharingan. “No signs of genjutsu.” Naruto gently set him down.
Then, he kneeled beside the child and stroke his dark curls back, as it would comfort him. Sasuke watched quietly, a few feet away, eyes burning red. Naruto sighed softly, before closing the boy’s lifeless eyes. “Rest in peace, kid.”
Afterward, the Captain stood. He with Sasuke, walked away from the massacre. Both knew war was coming.