Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ There's a Magic Spell in Smiles ❯ Through this Terrible Plight ( Chapter 5 )

The Magic Spell in Smiles

Chapter 05: Through this Terrible Plight

By Kyuubi-kun

 

Naruto was the last captain of the Anbu forces to arrive at Tsunade's office. Around him were the people he knew well.

 

Hyuuga Neji.

 

Inuzuka Kiba.

 

Aburame Shino.

 

Nara Shikamaru.

 

Rock Lee.

 

Haruno Sakura.

 

Yamanaka Ino.

 

The eight of them together made up the eight Anbu captains - the most powerful shinobi of Konohagakure next to the Hokage. Each of them had their underlings, their lieutenants and their reliable team members. Most Anbu were close to their captains and teams. Naruto's team was different from most. He was only known by Tsunade and Kakashi.

 

Ironic. When starting as a genin, Naruto was the one that understood the lesson of being part of a team the most. Now he refused to let anyone close to him. Not even those he had once called friends.

 

Shaking his head, Naruto stared at Tsunade through the holes in his mask.

 

“Uzumaki Naruto!” the Hokage snarled. “Take that damn mask off, now.”

 

Naruto glared at her, even though she couldn't see it. He refused to take off the shield of the fox in front of anyone other than Kakashi and Tsunade. He wasn't about to change that.

 

“No,” he told her bluntly and defiantly. The other Anbu were silently wondering how the Hokage would handle the blonde's blatant defiance and disrespect. After all, this was the first time that any of them had seen Naruto for at least a year. Many were wondering why they had never seen their old friend around for so many months.

 

Tsunade sighed, knowing that no matter how much she ordered Naruto to take off the mask, he wouldn't. Might as well save herself a headache and just allow him to wear the stupid thing.

 

“Fine,” she said aloud after a moment of tense silence. “We don't have much time for this and I am not going to waste it on you, so let's get down to business.”

 

The Anbu all listened closely to the words that were to follow. There was something in the atmosphere of the room that told them that this news would be important, whatever it was. Slowly, the Hokage took her seat, staring around at the eight people that she knew she could trust above all else.

 

“As some of you may very well know,” Tsunade began, “Sound has been active as of late. For five years, they have worked to make an army large enough to stand against Konoha. New reports tell us that that army is completed and ready for battle. You all, as Anbu captains, will be the last defense of Konoha. I want you and your teams to be ready for the attack, whenever it should come.” She sighed, looking around at the teenagers gathered before her.

 

They were a remarkable bunch. After the first Chuunin exam, the eight people before her had worked diligently so that they would be able to become what they were as of now. They were ninja - true ninja. Although they may have been unreliable and cocky in their youth, these men and women knew the joy of victory as well as the pain of defeat. They were loyal to Konoha and no other. She knew that they would give their lives to protect their home.

 

“Hokage-sama?” Sakura asked. Tsunade turned to the pink-haired kunoichi. Even since Sasuke's betrayal, Sakura had dedicated herself to the path of the ninja.

 

“Yes, Haruno-san?” Tsunade replied.

 

“When are Orochimaru's forces predicted to be here?” was the Anbu's inquiry.

 

“Within two months,” the Hokage explained.

 

There was a collective gasp that shot through the room when the Anbu's leader had uttered those words.

 

All of the sudden, the Kitsune-masked boy laughed. It made Sakura wince to hear the sound. That wasn't the Naruto she knew. The laugh was too cold and fearsome to be the blonde more she had known five years ago.

 

“Do you have something to say, brat?” Tsunade asked, clearly annoyed.

 

Naruto nodded, composing himself. “If Uchiha Sasuke is with that army, do not confront him,” Naruto ordered harshly to the other captains, all traces of the former chuckle gone. Everyone present felt a chill run through them at the merciless tone of the blonde's voice. “That bastard is mine. I will not hesitate to kill any who get in my way.” He glanced at his colleagues through his mask. “Warn your teams and the other shinobi. I will not show any mercy if you should get in my way.”

 

There was a tense silence after those words were spoken. No one knew what to say. They didn't know if they should challenge the blonde on that particular statement or not. Instead, the other captains waited to see what Tsunade's decision would be.

 

Clearing her throat, the Hokage drew attention of those in the room back to herself.

 

In a tired voice, Tsunade spoke. “Well, you all heard him. Good luck - and don't get yourselves killed. Konoha needs all of you to survive.” She paused, allowing a slight smirk to grace her features. “Dismissed.”

 

A second later, all the captains of her various Anbu squads had vanished.

 

 

Preview of Chapter Six: We'll Always Search for the Light

 

Naruto wondered if it was okay to tell someone his secret - the thing that he had kept from people for nearly fifteen months. Well, everything comes back to bite him in the ass, or so it seemed. Might as well live his ninja way - run down a straight path where he wasn't going to forget anything.

 

Maybe after the fight with Sasuke that was coming up, Naruto would be able to remember what the magic spell in smiles was. Maybe he would be able to cast such a spell like he used to.

 

Everything depended on the future.