Chapter 8: War

Blood.

Blood was something all ninja no matter the nation, no matter the clan, no matter anything if you were a ninja, you were accustomed to blood. One thing usually followed soon after blood, death, not all the time but in the shinobi world you are lucky if you get out with a couple of cuts and scathes most don't get that luxury. Death is all that followed.

Naruto stood there, muscles screaming and chest expanding and collapsing aggressively as the blood dripped from his hair and clothes. He was soaked, not only by the almost never-ending mist and rain that accompanied the Village of the Hidden Mist but because of the massive amounts of blood that came from who knows how many bodies. The onlookers stood in awe and pure horror as they witnessed the scene in front of them that just took place mere moments earlier, the allied forces of the Hidden Mist that stayed loyal with the Mizukage all waited weapons drawn for the attacker to hopefully make the first move this time… They all saw the gruesome and quick work Naruto made of their allies in mere moments.

This wasn't at all how it was supposed to go, they were all mere Chuunins and Genins, their commander sent them to take over this supply channel that nobody of the Rebel force should have even remotely cared about. The only reason they cared was according to their commander they were getting a shipment of supplies from one of the allied hidden villages. There must have been a mole in the ranks they all came to the same conclusion.

Naruto stared at who he assumed to be the leader of this group of around 40 Genin and Chunnin that was now cut down in half in mere moments. When they first arrived in the clearing, they saw Naruto standing there obviously waiting for them. As soon as they saw the Hidden mist headband around his head, they all moved in to subdue him. As fast as they charged him the closest ones were all torn apart by black chains protruding from the floor eviscerating around half of his enemies, the amount of blood and gore that sprayed around them was sickening as the sound of human flesh and meat hit the floor and the audible sounds of rain, only it was blood that rained down.

The leader stood in shock before he quickly grits his teeth. He looked around and without hesitation barks out orders.

"Get him! You are shinobi of the Bloody Mist! Take pride in it! Don't let him scare you! I felt his chakra drop drastically he must have used up everything with his flashy first attack! Now kill him!" Naruto guessed he had to be a Jonin as he ordered them all to charge as he began to unfurl a scroll with some sort of weapon to use against Naruto.

In mere moments every Shinobi strained their eyes toward Naruto all fear seemingly left their beings as they believed every word their leader told them.

Naruto bent his body back violently as he stared down a Fuma shuriken that was mere inches from his face. Naruto was met with a slice of a blade as soon as he leaned back forward that he quickly parried with a kunai before sending a kick behind him launching a shinobi back into a tree with a violent crack. Naruto quickly regained footing before kicking the sword-wielding shinobi's knee breaking it instantly, as he screamed in pain and loosened his grip on his sword Naruto summoned a chain from the floor that hit the sword in the hilt causing it to be tossed towards Naruto who caught it and stabbed another shinobi who was trying to get a lucky shot in while Naruto was busy. The blade plunged straight into his chest, as soon as it stabbed him Naruto already was moving again, he swung the blade decapitating the shinobi he stole the sword from who was still reeling in pain, as soon as he decapitated him he threw the katana like a kunai hitting a kunai away that was flying toward him with an explosive tag attached. The resounding explosion was ignored as Naruto felt Chakra surge underneath him as the earth underneath him opened up showing spiked of dirt and clay that would have impaled him if not for his heightened senses from years in Anbu.

Naruto felt something wrap around his ankle as he jumped to dodge the spikes, in another second he was sent flying toward a tree with insane strength. Naruto flipped in mid-air and extended his arms toward the ground before two chains erupted from his hands anchoring themselves to the floor stopping his flight. In another second he whipped his chains causing out from the ground the tips of his chain had pieces of rubble and dirt as he flung them as hard as he could toward another two unlucky shinobi whose heads were caved in killing them immediately. The Naruto didn't have any time to celebrate as an incoming wave of water bullets surrounded him, he quickly performed several hand signs and slammed his hands on the ground causing the earth to surround him shielding him.

Silence permeated the field as the small amount of remaining shinobi clenched their weapons in fear and anticipation.

"D-Did we get him?" Somebody asked as the dust began to settle revealing a barren crater.

"Argh!" Somebody screamed as they were dragged underground never to be seen again.

"Everyone retreat! I'll take care of him! Tell the Mizukage they have a secret weapon!" The leader barked as he stood there wielding what looked like a bo staff but much thicker than regular staff.

The remaining troops didn't even bat an eye before they ran in fear for their own life. In the next second the leader who had long and unruly black hair a scar over his right eye and bandages covering his whole lower face gripped his staff before disappearing from Naruto's sight.

Naruto spun around and parried the staff that was aimed at his skull with his kunai, Naruto's kunai quivered as his attacker had more strength than him and also a massive weapon compared to his kunai.

"Tsk, I was trying to limit myself." Naruto cursed to himself as he flung his kunai toward his attack to get some space.

Naruto brought his hands to the opposite elbows where a seal was placed and channeled chakra into the seals causing him to grab the hilts of two katanas. Two stark black katanas with dark blue accents on the hilts emerged. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he noticed something from the attack. This bo staff had something off about it, it was littered with tiny holes that an inexperienced shinobi wouldn't have even noticed. He didn't know what they were for but so he couldn't let his guard down for a second.

His attacker didn't give him a second to think as he lunged forward sending a flurry of jabs with staff before swinging wide forcing Naruto to jump into the air as he spun using his momentum to swing downward with one of his katanas. His attacker blocked it with ease, Naruto however wasn't finished as he continued to spin and swung with his second Katana forcing his attacker back slightly. His attacker redirected his attack toward the ground and jabbed his bo staff into the ground and used his staff to swing around and send a bone-crushing kick towards Naruto's skull.

Naruto caught the kick but not all of the momentum causing him to roll with the kick and land on his feet a couple of feet away from where he was met with the bow staff on his left side, he blocked the hit with his katana. Something was wrong, the attacker smirked, and Naruto saw his thumb begin clicking down on a hidden button on the staff. There was only one thing Naruto could think of that those holes could be used for, throwing needles. Naruto let go of his grip on his Katana and blocked his head and upper chest as hundreds of needles burst from the staff toward Naruto, he backpaddled as quickly as possible but the needles still hit him.

Naruto glared at his attacker as he felt paralysis poison start to numb his arms and hands. He needed to end this. Quickly.

Naruto outstretched his arm and a chain erupted from where his fallen katana was by his attacker flinging it into his hand. Naruto sprinted forward as time was of the essence now, he flung his katanas forward both projected to miss his opponents, this confused his enemy but he waved it off as the paralysis doing its job. Naruto flung a hail of kunai and shuriken causing the attacker to spin his bo staff deflecting all of the blades, it was just in time for him to see two chains flying toward him he deflected both of them as he saw Naruto now mere feet away knee flying towards his skull. The leader smiled knowing this was the end of the unknown Rebel. He forced his bo staff forward as there was nothing Naruto could do to dodge, all of a sudden he felt danger.

It was too late though, The chains Naruto sent earlier weren't even really aimed at the attacker intending on killing him, they were just sent towards the katanas, Naruto whipped the black chains causing them to strain before the two katana were sent spinning like a saw blade toward the back of the Mist Join. The mist Jonin could do nothing as he saw the Katanas pass… Through him? He saw blood covering the blade as Naruto caught them and quickly made work of his bo staff cutting it in half.

Naruto wasn't finished having his flying knee collided into the Shinobi's face caving in his nose and skull, but he wasn't dead yet. Naruto stood above him swinging his Katanas to the side cleaning off the blood.

'Where was that blood from?' he thought as he tried to clutch his face in pain before his imminent death as he was rendered useless.

He couldn't move his arms? That's when he saw his arms laying on the floor where the Katanas cut cleanly through him before Naruto caught his blades. He thought of everything and had it all planned he thought to himself.

"Wh-Who are you? I've been through the bingo books and haven't found one rebel with your specific skills and those black chains…" The leader coughed out as he stared at the crossed-out Mist headband on Naruto's head.

"…" Naruto didn't say a word as he stared down at his fallen enemy his arms slowly losing almost all feeling.

The shinobi widened his eyes as he remembered a certain Anbu from the hidden leaf with the same skills and chains as him. They were in peace with the Leaf. Weren't they?

"N-No! You can't be a Leaf Shi-!" He couldn't finish his sentence as Naruto stabbed his Katana through the man's mouth into his brain killing him.

Moments later a certain wolf appeared dropping a mouthful of shinobi headbands.

"Good job." Naruto smiled at his partner as he pets her head and began walking into the nearby forest.

"Let's go back to camp, this should be one of the last supply lines, we should be able to go back home soon," Naruto spoke solemnly as he continued to pet his wolf.

Naruto wouldn't say it, but this war was more than he expected. He knew it was going to be bad, but he also expected his years in Anbu to prepare him for this. War was another beast entirely. The depression in the camps and neighboring towns as they were stuck with almost nothing, some even were forced into cannibalism in worst cases. They tried to help as many as they could but there simply wasn't enough food. The soldiers needed it so they could hopefully free the land from their evil oppressors. Most people agreed and thought of it as a noble death to provide for the soldiers so their children could hopefully live better lives. That was just the start, Naruto had to kill so many, some the same age as him, some older, and on some occasions even children younger than them. This has been going on for two years since he left Konoha.

Naruto shook away his thoughts as he entered the camp, many stared at him in admiration and happiness, it was a nice change. That didn't stop his onlookers from worrying for him as they smelled death around him and saw him covered head to toe in blood. Naruto leaned down as he used his right arm that he treated on his way back to camp and now had enough feeling to move it around. He smiled as he stared at the inhabitants in the tent surrounding a table. Yugao and Sai were standing on the right side of a war table in the center of the tent, the current Rebel Leader Mei was sitting in the back of the tent in between the two sides, and on the left side several rebel Jonin. The inhabitants smiled and were happy to see Naruto safe and well.

Naruto returned.