Naruto:A New Path

Team Naruto! Get Sasuke Back!

Naruto and Ino entered the Hokage's office, the Chunin wearing a look of confusion when seeing Tsunade sitting behind the desk with the Third standing next to her. The elder had his hands behind his back and a pipe on his mouth, seemingly relaxed. For a moment he thought that whatever they were going to tell him wasn't too serious but, throwing a quick glance at his girlfriend's urgent look, he knew that it wasn't the case.
Seeing the confusion on the young ninja's face, Tsunade cleared her throat. "I'm glad you came Naruto," she began, her gaze firm, "I don't have time for formalities but I need you for an urgent mission."
"What's going on?" he couldn't help but ask with a bit of worry.
"A few hours ago, Sasuke Uchiha left the Leaf Village," the medic announced. A look of pure shock passed through the Chunin's face, "Your mission is to get him back as soon as possible. I will let you form your own team of available ninja, however, since a large number of Jonin are out on missions we can't afford to send one at this time. Know that one will be on the way as soon as possible."
Ino watched as her boyfriend's face turned cold and calculating, the kind of face he would make when on a mission. It amazed her just how fast he could adapt to such situations but assumed that it came with the training he had gone through. Considering her own training, spending time with a sannin changed a person.
"We'll be leaving now," Naruto declared, turning to Ino and giving her a firm nod.
"Before you go…" the Third spoke up for the first time. The young couple gave the man their attention, "Know that I trust you'll accomplish your mission Naruto. Be very careful, Sasuke is not alone."
Naruto nodded as he and Ino left the room, running through the hallways of the building as fast as possible.
Tsunade turned to her old teacher with a frown on her face, "Do you think it was a good idea to send him?"
The Third let out a sigh as he turned his gaze to the window overlooking the village. "We can't spare any Jonin at this time but I believe that Naruto is capable of accomplishing this mission," he admitted, turning to his student one more time, "He'll be alright."
Naruto ran over options as he and Ino made their way through the village. This was a retrieval mission, which meant that they couldn't waste much time. Sasuke was getting further and further away with each minute that passed. He kept a scowl on his face as he thought of candidates for the job.
Ino was a given, even if he didn't want her to go he knew that she would end up going regardless. Not that it was a bad thing since she was a lot stronger than before. She had not only received training from Kurenai, a genjutsu master, but the legendary Tsunade. On top of that she already knew his strengths and weaknesses, which would make the mission a lot easier.
He next thought of Choji. The ninja was currently in the village and was, in his own opinion, the strongest when it came to raw strength. He was also one of the ninja he was familiar with and one of the few whom he trusted Ino with, just in case he got hurt and couldn't protect her.
Neji would also be a good choice. The two had worked and fought together before and he knew for a fact that his taijutsu was the best out of all of them. His byakuugan would also prove useful when pursuing the Uchiha.
Naruto also thought of getting Shino to come along. He was great at long-range fighting and was one of the most intelligent ninja from their year. Having him with them would make thinking of plans a lot easier and his ability to absorb chakra would help in restraining Sasuke.
Lastly, he knew that Lee was a must on this mission. Not only did he carry a lot of strength, but he was also very quick and agile. Having Lee and Choji on the same team would help just in case anyone intervened on their pursuit.
Naruto nodded to himself as he turned to Ino, the two now standing on the roof of an old building. "Ino," he began, his tone serious, "I want you to find Choji and Lee. Once you've done that go to the gate, I'll be waiting there with the rest of the team."
"Got it," Ino replied, watching as Naruto kicked off the roof and ran off in another direction. Not wasting any more time, the kunoichi made her way to Choji's home as fast as possible, knowing full well that time was not on their side.
It was daybreak as Naruto and his team stood on the village's gate. Finding all of the Genin had been a little harder than he thought, the Hyuuga compound was like a maze, how was he supposed to know where their training grounds were?
The blond shook off those thoughts, he needed to be serious now. He glanced at his team, Ino, Choji, Neji, Shino and Lee standing before him with determined expressions. They had had a quick briefing of what was going on. Neji and Shino didn't seem to care about the Uchiha being gone while Choji and Lee showed a bit of worry.
"Alright guys," Naruto began with an air of seriousness, "This is how it'll go. We'll be forming in a simple line. Neji, you'll be in front. Choji and Lee will be on the back while Ino and I take the center. This way, Neji will be able to tell if there's danger ahead while Lee and Choji take care of any upcoming enemies. I'll have a few clones trail behind us to cover our backside, any questions?"
The group of young shinobi shook their heads. Lee's eyes burning with determination as he threw a fist in the air, "Let's get Sasuke back at once!"
Naruto smirked, "Then let's get goin-"
"Naruto!" a sudden yell interrupted. The group turned to see a distressed Sakura running towards them.
"Sakura?" Ino let out in disbelief, "What are you going here?"
The pink-haired kunoichi stopped in front of Naruto, her frame trembling. "Naruto…" she began, tears threatening to fall, "P-please, get Sasuke back."
Ino watched Sakura with a frown on her face, just what was she thinking? Of course he would get him back, it was his job.
"Please Naruto," she continued, tears sliding down her cheeks, "Promise that you'll get him back."
Naruto let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I can't promise anything Sakura," he deadpanned, Sakura's eyes widening in disbelief. "Me and Sasuke aren't on the best terms right now," he turned on his heel, his gaze on the road ahead, "But know that my mission is to bring Sasuke back and I intend to do so." He turned to his teammate and threw her a smile, "Don't worry about it. The bastard will be back here in no time."
With that the group of ninja ran out of the village, leaving behind a sobbing Sakura. Like always, she needed to trust in others, she was tired of it. Kakashi had yet to find anyone to train her, she felt useless. For now she could only hope that Naruto could bring Sasuke back.
The Sound Four, plus Kimimaro, leapt through trees, Jirobo carrying a kind of barrel with many seals. Sunlight peeked through the trees as they made their way back to Orochimaru. One of the members suddenly stopped, his head perking up slightly.
"Someone triggered our seal," Kidomaru suddenly informed, a smirk on his face. The mission had gone without a hitch so far, they hadn't run into many enemies but he had been looking forward to a good fight. The ninja they had killed on their way out of the village didn't count since he had been aided by his team, meaning that he didn't get to enjoy their deaths. This time though, he would make sure to enjoy the fight.
Kimimaro kept a calm look on his face as he turned to Jirobo. "Give me Lord Orochimaru's new body," he instructed his underling. Jirobo did as instructed, not wanting to get on his bad side. "You'll stay behind to stall for time. If any of them get past you, I will kill you," Kimimaro turned to the rest, "Let's go." With that he left the area, the rest of the team following after him.
Neji frowned as he picked a chakra signature straight ahead. He stopped on his tracks, the team behind him doing the same.
"What's the matter?" Naruto asked with a frown.
"There's someone up ahead," the Hyuuga stated, narrowing his gaze on the chakra signature, "It's just standing there, unmoving. It's as if their expecting us."
Naruto nodded absently, already formulating a plan on his head. It was obvious that they would stall for time, something that they couldn't let happen. They would need to leave someone behind to fight, as much as he hated it, he knew it was the only way.
"Alright," the blond muttered, looking at Ino, Choji, Lee and Shino, "One of us needs to stay behind to fight. I'm team leader and Neji's still needed so it's going to be one of you guys."
"I'll do it," Choji spoke up, a tone of finality on his voice. He smiled and embarrassed smile as he looked at his team leader, "I'm not that good in tracking so it's the least I could do."
"Thanks Choji," Naruto smiled as he turned back to Neji, "Let's get going."
The five Leaf ninja jumped into the clearing ahead, coming face to face with a smirking Jirobo. Naruto instantly remembered the ninja from the invasion, the Sound ninja had been nearly impossible to hurt back then.
"None of you trash is getting past here," Jirobo spat as he bent his knees slightly, ready to attack at any moment.
Choji stepped up with a serious expression on his face. "Get going guys," he muttered to his team, "I'll take care of him."
"Be careful Choji," Ino said in worry. Her teammate nodded with a determined look on his face, apparently ready for anything.
"Let's get going guys. We don't have any time to lose," Naruto spoke as he moved past Jirobo, his team instantly following behind him.
Jirobo snarled as he jumped in front of Naruto. "You're not going anywhere!" he roared before feeling something wrap around his leg. Before he could see what it was, he was slammed on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Choji retracted his giant hand from the Sound ninja, his team now safely away from him. He watched as the ninja stood up, giving him a heated glare. The Genin braced himself for what was to come, he wouldn't let his team down.
It had been a few minutes since they left Choji behind. Neji led the team through the dense forest, only this time they were moving much faster. The Hyuuga frowned as he slowed his pace until he was running next to Naruto.
"There's another one up ahead," Neji informed as they continued to move through the trees.
Naruto scowled, they couldn't waste any more time with them. "Shino," he called, getting the attention of the bug user, "This time you'll stay behind. Make sure to cover our backs since we're not stopping."
"I understand," Shino calmly replied. It was time to test the results of the training he had undergone.
Ino kept quiet as they grew closer to the clearing, throwing a quick glance at her boyfriend. His fists were clenched, as was his jaw. He was obviously upset with leaving his teammates behind to fend for themselves. Watching his troubled face she arrived at one conclusion, Sasuke would really regret trying to leave the village.
"Be careful Shino," Naruto let out as the team jumped into the clearing ahead.
This time a Sound ninja with six arms stood before them, an amused smirk on his face. Bugs instantly shot out of Shino's sleeves, heading straight for the six-armed ninja. Kidomaru quickly jumped away and shot a web at Shino who easily sidestepped the attack.
The Sound ninja snarled, taking note that the rest of the Leaf team was gone. They had used the bug-user to distract him while they ran away. "Very cowardly of your teammates to leave you behind," he growled.
Shino kept to himself, gathering bugs around his sleeves.
"You're not a talker I see…" Kidomaru muttered with a smirk. "Not to worry though," he declared as he set his eyes on his, soon-to-be, victim, "I'll still enjoy killing you."
Kimimaro and Tayuya kept a steady pace as they made their way through the dense forest. The Sound Four leader, Kimimaro, was now carrying the barrel in which they had put Sasuke. The Uchiha was undergoing a procedure they had all gone through in order to gain the Curse Seal level two. Chances of living were slim but he was sure that the Uchiha would pull though, Orochimaru had chosen him as his new vessel after all.
The Sound Four leader turned to Tayuya, earning an odd look from the Sound kunoichi. "Stay behind like the others," he ordered in a calm voice. Since they were being followed by Leaf shinobi, it was best to stall for time since the Leaf ninja hand't slowed their pace. Going through the procedure had taken its time and carrying the Uchiha slowed their usual pace which meant that the Leaf team would catch up in just a few moments.
Tayuya scowled but obliged regardless. Kimimaro had a tendency of killing those that didn't follow orders and, as much as she hated to admit it, he could kill her easily.
"There's another one up ahead," Neji informed the group of ninja behind him.
"Alright then!" Lee exclaimed with a smile. The green-clad ninja moved past his comrades, "I'll take care of this next one. If I can't then I'll do a thousand push-ups and sit-ups!"
Naruto nodded at the Genin, "We're counting on you Lee."
"Kick their asses," Ino smirked.
The group of ninja soon found themselves facing another Sound ninja. This one had short spiky orange hair, he wore an outfit similar to the others but the thing that set him apart from the others was the expression on his face. His face showed hesitation, as if he didn't want to fight.
"I shall be your opponent," Lee announced as he got into his taijutsu stance.
Naruto nodded at his group, turning to Lee once more, "Be careful."
Lee watched his team take off. He had expected the Sound ninja to intercept them but, much to his shock, he didn't move. The green-clad ninja smiled in excitement, "How very youthful of you to let them go. This is a battle between you and me! Let's see which one of us is stronger!"
With that, Lee ran at the Sound ninja with his right fist held back, the Sound ninja narrowing his eyes in concentration.
Naruto kept a frown on his face as he followed after Neji, Ino by his side and a few clones watching their backs. The blond didn't feel right, just leaving his friends to fend for themselves, but he couldn't do anything about it. Not only were they determined to stay behind, but the mission depended on each second that passed.
' I'll just have to kick Sasuke's ass back to the village faster than I thought,' he concluded, suddenly skidding to a stop when Neji stopped moving. His fists clenched, already knowing what was happening.
"There's someone up ahead," Neji let out through gritted teeth as he focused on the area ahead.
The Chunin gritted his teeth, Neji was still needed but leaving Ino behind was the last thing he wanted. She might be a capable kunoichi but he still worried about her, "Who's going to stay behind?"
Ino turned to her two comrades, Naruto having an inner war with himself while Neji was focused on the area ahead.
"Wait," Neji spoke up, a little louder than usual, "I think I see Sasuke." The blond couple looked at Neji in astonishment, had he really found him?
"It's definitely him," the Hyuuga nodded to himself, turning to Naruto with a serious expression on his face, "I'll stay behind to fight the person ahead."
Ino frowned, a scowl on her face, "You can't. You're still needed to chase after Sasuke."
Neji shook his head, "By the looks of things, someone is carrying Sasuke. Their speed is not too great. If you two just head straight, I'm sure you'll catch up to them quickly."
"Alright then," Naruto nodded, turning to Ino, "Let's get going."
The three continued on their way, running into the final Sound Four member. Tayuya stood on a large branch from a tall tree. She glared at the three ninja that had just arrived, it was thanks to them that she had been forced to stay behind.
"You're not getting past here," she declared as she took out a flute.
"Naruto…" Neji whispered, dropping into his taijutsu stance. The blond turned his attention to the Hyuuga, wondering what it was that he wanted. "I need you to knock her off that branch with one of your wind jutsu," he kept his gaze on the Sound ninja, "That way she won't be able to stop you two from chasing after Sasuke."
"No problem," Naruto muttered with a smirk, running through hand signs. "Wind Style: Devastation!" a powerful gust of wind shot out of his mouth, heading straight for the Sound ninja.
Tayuya growled as she jumped away from the attack, eyes widening when seeing the Hyuuga standing directly in front of her. He threw an open palm at her shoulder. She leaned her body to the left, effectively dodging the blow. The Sound ninja followed with a knee to the Hyuuga's stomach. Neji raised his own knee, blocking the attack without much trouble.
Neji jumped away from the Sound ninja, landing safely on a tree branch. He watched as Tayuya landed in front of him, shooting him a heated glare.
"Thanks to you the shitheads left," Tayuya spat, "Don't think that I'll let you out of this alive."
Neji took his usual taijutsu style, byakuugan activating, "Don't underestimate me."
Naruto and Ino sped through the woods. The two could see a fair amount of light growing closer and closer, meaning that they would be out of the woods in just a few moments. The kunoichi wondered just how far they had gone but didn't think much of it. They had been running at their full speed for around an hour, it was obvious that they would catch up to the Sound ninja easily.
The two ninja jumped out of the woods, arriving on a grassy plain where a white-haired ninja stood. Both Leaf ninja looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to be waiting for them with such a calmed look on his face, a look that showed the ninja's trust in his abilities.
"Where's Sasuke?" Naruto growled, his eyes inspecting the barrel the Sound ninja kept at his side.
Kimimaro kept a stoic expression, not really threatened by the ninja. "He's going through preparation," he calmly stated, pointing at the barrel next to him, "This is where he'll evolve into a body fit for Lord Orochimaru."
Naruto gritted his teeth, not liking the expression on the Sound ninja's face. It somewhat reminded him of Orochimaru's usual smirk. It wasn't a smug look or anything of that kind. The calm expression on the Sound ninja's face told him all he needed to know about him. He was not on the same level as his allies.
Ino watched her boyfriend analyzing the enemy, wondering why he seemed so shaken. She looked at the Sound ninja oddly. He was different than the others, that much was obvious, but was it really a reason to be so wary around him?
"Listen up," Naruto muttered with his eyes closed, fists clenching. He snapped his eyes open, showing his blue eyes burning in determination, "I'm taking Sasuke back to Konoha. I don't care if I have to literally go through you. I will take him back."
Kimimaro narrowed his eyes. "It doesn't matter how determined you are," he deadpanned as a bone struck out of his hand. He gripped the sharp bone tightly, "If you attempt anything against Lord Orochimaru's plans, then I'll kill you."
Ino and Naruto slipped into their taijutsu stances, the latter throwing a look at his girlfriend. "Be careful with this one," he warned in a harsh whisper, "He's on a whole other level."
Ino's eyes widened, looking at Naruto with a look of disbelief. Was he really
that strong, he sure didn't look it. But, looking at her boyfriend, she knew that he was completely serious. The scowl that refused to leave his face was proof enough of that. She turned to the enemy ninja, if he really was on another level then it meant that she couldn't take her eyes off of him for a single second. Still, one question remained.
' Is he stronger than Naruto?' It would be a two on one fight, they had the clear advantage. But the shaken expression on her boyfriend's face told her otherwise. The way she saw it, there were two answers. One, the Sound ninja was way out of their league. Or maybe Naruto was just looking out for her, like usual.
She shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts. If he was really worried about her then she would show him that he didn't need to. She hadn't been training with Tsunade for nothing.
The air was tense as Naruto and Ino stared down Kimimaro. The Sound ninja kept his eyes on the two Leaf ninja, deciding to let them attack first. That way he would get a quick look into what was in store.
Naruto suddenly flashed through hand signs, the speed taking Ino by surprise. "Wind Style!" he began, taking a deep breath, "Devastation!"
Wind shot out of the Chunin's mouth, taking grass and dirt with it. Kimimaro remained motionless as the attack neared him, watching the powerful gust of wind with a calculating expression. If this was what they had to offer, then he was not impressed.