The Future: Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 71 THE GUARDIAN

"How did you know I was thinking about my parents".

More specifically, she was thinking of her father.

"I gather that they were unique shinobi in both their talents and attitudes" Sheer says, summarising what Mitsuki told her with an awkward shrug. "I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful for what you're doing for us. You're doing it in spite of what we did to you and you're sacrificing a lot for us".

"It's fine" Sarada says, "Whether it's for the Leaf, for this world – your homeworld or for any of the pocket worlds, it will all end with what we do inside that dome".

With many farewells said, the fighting force of the Hidden Leaf Village, combined with the military might of Clyde's forces, make their way towards the hidden 'back way' into the imperial palace. They begin their journey to execute Furst Jonas.

8 Hours Later

After many hours of walking they approach the location. This is Clyde's foretold rear entrance to the imperial palace, the gateway which turns them into the perfect invisible assassins.

They approach nervously, looking in every direction to make sure that they are not spotted, that there is nobody around. Long in advance, the Hyuuga clan and Inuzuka alert the Hokage to the presence of another person. This rear entrance isn't so unguarded as Clyde made out.

The shinobi, captains, colonels and generals all stop a good kilometre before the rear entrance. There it is, clear as day, the route they want to take, the route that nobody should have known about, the route that somebody has blocked.

The group, despite its large population of warriors remain mostly silent as they stand opposite the entrance to the large glassy dome. An army of a thousand stopped by the presence of a single person. Minato hasn't encountered many situations like this before, very few shinobi have ever had such an impact on a battlefield. It had not happened since a reincarnated Uchiha Madara arrived in the 4th great shinobi war.

"Is it Lara?" Minato asks, hopefully.

"No" Naruto answers.

The question had been directed toward Hinata, Himawari and Sarada, Minato hoping to learn from their visual prowess. Naruto shouldn't be able to see the individual clearly from this far away at such an angle, but Minato has a strange feeling that Naruto is right. The words of his son add a tinge of electricity to the air, putting him on edge. He was hoping that Naruto would remain the calmest person amongst the group, that he would settle them all down, but he has done the opposite of that. He has turned the tension right up.

"Stay here" Naruto says as he walks out to the front of the group, flanked only by Sarada and Clyde.

They walk forward until they are a mere thirty meters from the individual blocking their path and for the first time, Naruto and Clyde get a clear picture of what she looks like.

A woman just shorter than average, whose olive skin and dark brown hair contrast and highlight the distinctive rose and turquoise hair tie on the left side of her head. Her face marks her body as being in its late twenties or early thirties, but Naruto is aware that she is likely much older than that. She wears a purple cape on her back fastened with a red button on the front.

"Purple" Sarada whispers, facing the strange woman, "I thought you wore capes to denote your rank, what rank is purple supposed to be?".