Naruto didn't miss how everyone in the room had tensed as Mei Terumi finished her introduction. It was a natural reaction to a Jinchuriki's presence. But in those nervous gazes, he also saw quite a lot of scorn and even hatred for a woman who was supposed to be their comrade. Their eyes clearly showed they saw her as a weapon or a creature of evil.
Being born in a village with no tailed beasts made him unable to understand these feelings. However, he could understand what it meant to be different from others. To have a power that made people fear you, he could understand that very well.
No matter what the others say...for me you are a great shinobi.
A faint smile came upon his lips as he remembered the heart warming words of his little brother who had believed in him, loved him when everyone had given up on him. Maybe it was those connected feelings and shared bond that made him walk towards Mei who was now kneeling before him.
Mei blinked in surprise when the Commander himself knelt to her level much to everyone's surprise and offered her his hand.
"Call me Naruto. I hope we can work together" he said with a pleasant smile,
Mei connected her own hand with his and couldn't help but feel the positive emotions surrounding this man. Everyone around her was nervous, angry, disgusted and even afraid...but not this man. In this raging sea of emotions around her, he was like a small but peaceful island where she could find refuge. Even if she didn't know him, a part of him wanted to trust him and follow him.
"Pleased to meet you" she greeted him with a small smile, as he helped her stand back on her own feet.
She was disappointed when he broke their contact and returned back to his place at the center of the table. Mei couldn't help but see how soon he had composed himself. Gone was that friendly smile which was now replaced by a calm, composed and even cold look as he looked at the map of Osaka city placed before him.
"It would seem Nidaime thought a step ahead of us all. That's the Mizukage" praised Naruto honestly, as he gave Mei a small nod.
"How do proceed, Nanadaime?" asked Mei with an amused smile,
A small blush crept across Naruto's cheeks which was thankfully hidden by his facemask. He didn't know how to respond to that cryptic remark or the not so innocent way Mei was looking at him. Fortunately, Ino was not present in this meeting or it could have been quite embarrassing. Even few officers and most of the Swordsmen grinned as he was outsmarted.
A light cough escaped his lips as he focused his attention back on the map.
"Our ultimate goal is the sheer destruction of this city and the annihilation of the military forces stationed here. However that is a difficult task. Mei, how far are you able to control your Biju's powers?" asked Naruto seriously,
"I can control upto three tails. Anything beyond that and I lose control" she admitted honestly, some worry easily visible on her pretty face.
"We cannot have that so you shall stick close to me. I plan to use your aid wherever our forces are getting massacred and will stay close to keep you from going out of control" promised Naruto without any hesitation,
"Can you even do that? An out of control Jinchuuriki is a walking disaster which does not discriminate between friend and foe" warned Ameyuri, directing a suspicious look at the Terumi clan heir who glared back at her coldly.
"Channel your chakra, Mei"
Mei hesitated before deciding to obey that command. She started channeling her chakra and was surprised when Naruto gestured her to increase it. Complying, she nearly started summoning 1/4th of her power when she gasped and looked at her belly. A dull ache bellowed from within her body and her eyes widened in shock when dark marks started spreading across her body.
Fuinjutsu.
She alongwith everyone else looked at Naruto in surprise who had now joined his hands together into the Ram seal.
"That handshake..." whispered Mangetsu in realization,
Zabuza and Jinpachi narrowed their eyes towards their Commander, now being able to see him in a completely different light. Perhaps the Mizukage had seen something which none of them could.
"You marked her the moment you touched her. You're quick, Lord Seventh" praised Kisame sincerely,
Mei was trying her best to shake off the control that was brutally suppressing her chakra. She cursed herself for underestimating Naruto, her father had warned her to be careful around him warning her that he was an accomplished Anbu officer. Now she knew why...
Through the seal, she could feel his chakra invading her body and clearly crushing her own power. This was not the power of any ordinary ninja or someone from a civilian family. Even among shinobi families, only a handful of ninja clans had mastered the art of controlling Jinchuuriki and their tailed beasts.
In any case, she decided never to let her guard down around Naruto.
Thankfully, he stopped suppressing her power the moment she halted gathering her chakra. A small bead of sweat rolled down her forehead and she gritted her teeth in frustration on seeing Naruto looking unfazed as he focused back upon the map as if nothing had happened. Such was their difference in strength, even if she had the Six Tails power within her.
Naruto studied the terrain carefully as did the other officers around him.
Osaka was a coastal city that had a medium sized port where merchants ships and military transports regularly docked. On its eastern and western sides, it was surrounded by large mountains while its northern border had a vast open grassland where any movement could be seen from miles away.
"Four groups of 200 each" declared Naruto, gathering the attention of everyone present.
"The first group made up of purely Anbu Blackops and Hunter Ninjas. They shall be the Vanguard force that shall battle the bulk of enemy forces under the Command of the Seven Great Swordsmen"
"The Second group comprised of Elite Jounin, preferably fighters well versed in lightning and earth style. This force will divide itself into two halves with each climbing atop these mountains on the eastern and western flanks surrounding the city. When I give the signal, they are to launch aerial bombardment all over the city"
"The Third group made up of skilled Jounin. Their task shall be to loot as many valuables, be it money, resources, food stories, weapons and intel. Apart from these tasks, they are to also set up escape routes from where our forces can retreat if they get trapped. Ao, I want you to command this task force"
"The Fourth group will made up of Chunin led by newly appointed Jounin. They shall be the reserve force that shall guard our rear against any enemy counter-attack"
When he was finished explaining his plan, he looked up to see if there were any objections and was pleased when there were none. If they had, then they kept it well hidden.
It was not the common shinobi he was worried about, but his own group from where he was expecting much resistance.
"Do we have any strategy to engage the Kinkaku?" asked Zabuza seriously,
"Only the Seven of us shall engage them. Under no circumstances do I want our shinobi to make contact with them. Ao, as the lead officer of the 501st I want to make this very clear to you: If anyone apart from Mei or the Seven Swordsmen make contact with them, they are as good as dead" warned Naruto, much to the Anbu's shock.
"Surely, you are exaggerating a bit...Lord Seventh" whispered Ao hesitantly,
"I have faced them before and I barely survived that encounter" confessed Naruto, as he lowered a part of his Jounin vest where a nasty and deep edged scar spanned all across the upper portion of his chest.
"What are they?" asked Haku hesitantly,
"Masters of ninja arts but more dangerously, they are a force of warriors who are able to control Biju chakra just like the Gold and Silver Brothers. When Konoha sold the tailed beasts to various nations at the Start of the Hidden Villages Era, Kumogakure was not satisfied. They believed it too risky to grant such enormous power in the hands of just one individual who could be killed, captured, turn rogue or just be a disappointment. So they started a program where their most elite ninjas could also learn to control the tailed beast power to some extent. The Gold and Silver Brothers who have the Kyuubi chakra in them were tasked with training this force. Naturally, there were many casualties but Kumogakure never cared about the price but about the ultimate power it would grant their village. After a decade of experiments, they successfully bred an entire company of shinobi capable of using such power. That force is known as The Kinkaku" explained Naruto in detail,
He looked across the room hoping these people took his words to heart or risk paying the ultimate price. Thankfully, most of them including the Seven swordsmen were considering his words quite seriously.
"If what you say is true, then we cannot let our forces battle against them" agreed Mangetsu,
"Even so, battles are truly unpredictable. If some of them managed to slip past us and head directly towards our forces-" warned Haku,
"Then they'll all be-" warned Ameyuri, but was stopped when Naruto slammed his fist against the table.
Ao alongwith the other common officers directly came face to face with the determined blue eyes as they stared into their very souls.
"As your Commander, I will protect each and everyone of you with my life. I won't let my comrades die at their hands" promised Naruto fiercely, hoping that they would believe in him.
Not again.
"The Mizukage placed our lives in your hands, Lord Seventh. I may not know you personally, but your eyes reflect your desire to protect the men under your command. I can respect that and so we shall all believe in you" promised Ao with a small smile, much to Naruto's relief who gave a nod of acknowledgement.
They went on to discuss the details of their plans for another hour before retiring to their quarters to rest and prepare for their fateful battle.
Naruto stood before the 501st alongside the other swordsmen.
The skies had darkened as dark clouds had hidden the moon behind them, yet even in the darkness he could see the faces of the men and women in front of him.
Soon, they all would venture into their toughest battle. Many wouldn't come back alive, many would never be the same again. This battle would change them, for better or worse only time would tell.
As their leader, it was his responsibility to make them ready for the obstacle in front of them.
"We're ready, Lord Seventh" reported Ao confidently, as all 800 warriors stood at attention.
"I don't have much to say. I wish I knew each one of you personally and the opposite as well. Maybe after this battle we can all have some drinks together and have a blast of our victory" said Naruto with a small smile, earning brief chuckles from quite a few of the Kiri shinobi.
However, there were many others who while silent looked far from comfortable.
"Sir, please take some of us with you. We are expendable, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen aren't" argued one of the chunin, who looked to be barely 15 years old.
"No, you're not." answered Naruto frankly, a harsh tone creeping into his voice as he looked at the men around him.
"Never think like that. You're loyal soldiers of Kiri, the best hope of our people. I hope you have faith in me and my plan while I shall also have faith in each and everyone of you. Look after each other in battle, follow your training, give it your best, but most of all never lose faith in yourself or the cause you are fighting for no matter the odds. As your Commander, I shall clear the way for you. And know this, dead or alive...I will bring you home. That is my promise to each and everyone of you" said Naruto sincerely,
"So shall I" promised Mangetsu with a smile,
"Me too" said Haku earnestly,
"Guess, we'll just do all the heavy work so you pups don't get into too much trouble" grinned Ameyuri with a feral smile,
"Leave the heavylifting to us and these big boys" said Zabuza with a smirk, as he pointed at his huge blade. Kisame did the same while Jinpachi just gave a cunning smile.
Naruto's gaze connected with Ino for a moment as they both gave fleeting nods to each other. As he turned to join his fellow swordsmen, Naruto saw Mei and many of the Kiri shinobi staring at him with much less skepticism than before. Maybe he even saw respect in their eyes for him.
"Ao, wait for my signal" commanded Naruto, earning a nod from the older man.
Mangetsu had to pause when his partner stopped.
The hozuki clan heir and Naruto himself had teamed up together while the rest of them had also divided themselves.
Haku and Ameyuri were one Team 1.
Kisame, Zabuza and Jinpachi were Team 2.
While Naruto and Mangetsu were Team 3.
Team 1 and 2 had been tasked with dealing out the maximum damage across the city bearing the brunt of the enemy power, Team 3 were tasked with noting down the enemy's counterattack strategy and ultimately finding holes that would help their troops to break the enemy.
However, for that to open they first needed to enter the city.
"What is it?" asked Mangetsu to his partner, who bent down and placed his palm on the sea's surface.
"There is a barrier up ahead. A weak one but something that will alert the enemy of our presence even before we step foot into the city" said Naruto seriously,
"I cannot see or feel it. Can you deactivate it?" questioned Mangetsu, wondering if his new teammate's power in the sealing arts were as great as the Mizukage had said they were.
To his surprise, Mangetsu felt a slight shift in their surrounding as Naruto got up on his feet and looked at him.
"It is done. Signal the others to move in" directed Naruto, earning a nod from Mangetsu.
The younger swordsmen raised his fingers and soon enough a thick mist started to form around them which slowly started creeping towards Osaka city.
Naruto and his partner calmly walked through the mist even as they both felt the presence of their fellow swordsmen rushing forward at alarming speeds towards the city.
As they advanced further, Naruto felt the presence of Kiri shinobi taking up positions across the mountains surrounding Osaka, while their remaining comrades were following the trail left by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. They were advancing slowly, waiting to strike swiftly once the signal was given.
"How long before they know what is going on and counterattack?" asked Mangetsu hesitantly,
"3 minutes"
Mangetsu blinked in shock at his partner's reply. A part of his heart didn't want to believe the enemy to be so capable but another part of him knew Naruto had faced these warriors in the past and spoke from experience. It was best to have faith in him and follow his lead.
"I'll take care of that" reassured Naruto, as he raised two of his fingers.
Mangetsu was fascinated when heaps upon heaps of ash started to leak from Naruto's entire body and soon started to blend easily into the thick mist. Within minutes, Mangetsu could feel that power spreading quickly block by block until entire districts started to get flooded.
Both of the swordsmen advanced further until they swiftly crossed the docks in a blur and took up positions on top of a warehouse rooftop that gave a decent overview of the sprawling city ahead of them. Mangetsu saw that Team 1 and Team 2 had also taken up positions and were waiting for their signal.
Mangetsu winced when he saw the thick mist unleashed by him now covering half of the city and in it was carefully hidden the ash being released and controlled by Naruto. Having already seen a small glimpse of the former Anbu's power, Mangetsu was truly wary of the atrocity that was about to be unleashed.
"Innocents will die" warned Mangetsu, knowing he was just as responsible for the deaths today as his comrade beside him.
To his surprise, there was no hesitation in Naruto's now red eyes.
What is he?
"Only then Kumogakure shall know true pain" said Naruto icily, as he clasped his hands together.
Through it all, he felt them. Men, women and children most of whom were peacefully sleeping in their beds. None of them had any idea about the calamity that was surrounding them at the very moment. He could feel their love, their dreams, their fears...he could feel it all.
Just for a moment, it made him hesitate as his heart tried to search for another way.
Until he remembered what these people had did to him, his family, his friends, his comrades.
Their blind ambition to acquire more and more power, to support those who threatened to engulf this world into a never ending war, to turn a blind eye to the pain they inflicted upon other people who had never done anything to wrong them.
Mangetsu tensed as he felt even more and more ash leaking out of Naruto's body to the point that now half of the city was shrouded in his power.
So, you're set on doing this...Naruto.
Those red eyes lacked any mercy as Naruto extended both of his arms towards the city.
I will never forget my little brother's pain.
"Ash Release: Explosion!"
Mangetsu's vision went blank.
(Southern District)
A woke up in alarm as the very ground beneath his feet trembled. Already he could feel a great disturbance in the city as he rushed straight out of the wall of his house only to be greeted by a scene of devastation.
Almost half of the city had literally vanished.
In its place all that remained was scorched earth whose very soil had turned black with the ashes of all those who had perished in this tragedy. Not even debris of houses or buildings had survived.
The very air itself was burning and it was then that A felt a presence.
It was one at first which soon turned to two, then three until there were seven signatures he recognized most of whom were quickly moving through the devastated city.
Another dark skinned man dressed in Anbu gear appeared by his side instantly.
"Anbu platoons are moving across various sectors but so far we have no survivors. It's as if they all just vanished in that explosion. What is this, A?" asked the Anbu leader,
"Why didn't the Kinkaku sense anything disturbing? Where the hell are they?" yelled A in fury,
"Most of them are accompanying your Father, Lord Raikage in the battle against the Hyugas which started yesterday. The few that remain are currently guarding the prison. A, we cannot afford to lose those prisoners. It would seem this is Konoha's revenge for what we did to their Hokage. They launched a massive assault drawing our Raikage and the Kinkaku while a strike force reached here" suggested the Anbu leader,
"I will crush the bastards who did this" yelled A, as he channeled lightning all over his muscled body.
"You will do no such thing. Guard the prison and send as many Kinkaku to the frontlines. Until then, the Anbu Blackops will hold off the enemy. Those are the standing orders given to us by the Raikage before he left and I will not allow you to disobey them" announced the demon masked Anbu leader firmly,
A clenched his fist when a foul chakra started to leak from the Anbu leader's body. His rough silver hair grew longer until it reached his waist and the very man started to transform into the fox from whom he had derived his power.
"Ginkaku, make them pay" said A bitterly, as he vanished.
Zabuza grinned maniacally when he saw literally hundreds of Anbu leap from each and every corner of the burning city.
"Kisame! Jinpachi!"
His two comrades laughed as Kisame went through a couple of hand seals while Jinpachi unleashed his own blade as the enemy forces got closer.
"Water Style: Water Wave"
Kisame unleashed a massive wave of water from his mouth that nearly swept the ash ridden ground across all directions and made the Kumo Anbu halt their advance in favor of scrambling for cover.
"Hidden Mist Jutsu: Silent Death" whispered Zabuza,
Jinpachi wildly jumped in the air unleashing the full extent of his lethal sword as hundreds of explosive seals materialized across the blade. Before anybody could react, the world was deafened again in a series of explosions that tore dozens of Anbu to shreds and injuring several others fatally.
Even more painful screams and hurried shouts followed as the mist only grew thicker as one after another more and more Anbu went silent.
Zabuza grinned as he tore two female Anbu in half with his massive sword as he watched Kisame do the same to his enemies by shredding them to pieces. Both swordsmen vanished before the other Anbu around them could see or even sense them.
A few sensory types barely managed to raise their blades but were horrified when their weapons were instantly destroyed against the mighty swords named Samehada and Kubokiribocho.
Across another part of the city, lightning clashed against lightning as Ameyuri Ringo squared off against two entire platoons of Kumo Anbu.
She looked to her left to see a dome of ice walls surrounding a squad of Anbu warriors. They tried to defend themselves as Haku showered them with poisoned needles. To her surprise, most of them were blocked by the expert swordsmanship of the Kumo shinobi.
"Attack the mirrors!"
Haku grinned as her enemies fired lightning arcs against her Ice mirrors destroying quite a few of them through brute force. Seeing an opening, the Anbu tried to break free only to meet their end when Haku emerged from one of the nearby mirrors and her needle sword skewed her enemies vital spots mercilessly thereby ending their lives.
However, her triumph was shortlived as no matter how many she or Ameyuri took down...more and more shinobi were approaching towards their location.
Mangetsu had thought he had seen many horrors in his life. Growing up in Kiri should have made him strong enough to deal with the atrocities of their world, but nothing could have ever prepared him for what he was seeing right now.
So many souls had perished instantly, most of whom didn't even know what happened as their lives were snuffed out.
Half of the city had just turned to ash in the blink of an eye and the one who had caused it was standing in front of Mangetsu, panting harshly.
This was not an act of strategy or necessity, but one done out of deep seethed hatred.
"Why?" asked Mangetsu hesitantly, taking one step away from the this man.
It was as if he was staring at a different person who had come to life taking over Naruto's body. Mangestu could not believe that the man who had went so far to protect his own men would be willing to commit such a cruel act against civilians.
"This is my justice. If the many stay silent and allow the evil and corrupt to carry on unchecked then this world shall never know peace. The citizens of this country stood by and supported the First Raikage who started the First Great Ninja War that caused so much pain. They stood by and allowed the Second Raikage to be killed, a man who wanted peace not just for his own people but for the world. They allowed their soldiers to murder the Second Hokage and are now supporting the Third Raikage who is threatening to destroy our world with his ambition by causing more war. I will kill everyone in this city if that's what it takes for the people of this country to realize their mistakes which has caused so much pain all over the world" explained Naruto tiredly,
"That will make you no different than the ones you hate" replied Mangetsu calmly, earning a bittersweet smile from his partner.
"My hands are already stained with so much blood. A little more wouldn't make a difference. Mangetsu, I know what I am doing is not noble. But this is the path I have chosen" said Naruto firmly, as he saw a thousand Anbu now rushing towards the other swordsmen.
"The path of hatred that consumes your heart. Those eyes...I wonder if you are not somehow related to the Uchiha clan distantly?" wondered Mangetsu to himself,
"Mangetsu, it's time" ordered Naruto, as he unleashed several smoke bombs and threw them forcefully all over the city.
The Anbu army halted their advance momentarily fearing those bombs to be explosive in nature but were relieved when all they released was red smoke. That relief soon turned to horror as the air around them started to whistle.
Ginkaku couldn't see through the mist and smoke, but he could never forget that sound.
"TAKE COVER!"
His warning was too late as all his men and women started screaming. The kunai, shuriken and explosive tags showed no mercy to anyone as they cut everyone and everything down in their path.
A cold smirk appeared on Naruto's lips as he saw the bulk of Kumo's Anbu forces pinned down by precise fire of ninja weapons and explosives from the mountains surrounding them on the west and east where now Kiri ninjas had taken positions.
However, the Kumo Anbu had now consolidated themselves under a powerful barrier erected by a demon masked Anbu. Even so they had lost quite a few of their comrades in the surprise attack.
You are just where I want you to be, Ginkaku.
Naruto grabbed a fire rocket from his pouch and launched it in the air. As soon as the signal was given, the barrage of ninja weapons coming down from the mountains stopped.
Before the Kumogakure shinobi could relax, they were now being bombarded by something more terrible than ninja weapons.
"Earth Style: Carpet Bombing!" whispered Naruto,
The few dozen Kiri shinobi that were skilled with Earth style soon unleashed giant rocks from their mouths. The projectiles already heavy in weight and large in shape gained dangerous velocity as they rained down upon the trapped Anbu battalion from Kumogakure.
Ginkaku roared as his once purple barrier turned red increasing its strength and shaking off the onslaught of rock barrage. If not for his strength, the Anbu under his command would have suffered severe casualties.
Even if they were being protected by the Silver Brother, the bulk of Osaka city's defensive force was currently trapped and unable to move.
From the corner of his eye, Naruto saw the next part of his plan falling into place.
He gestured to the Mountain Corps to continue bombarding the trapped Kumo forces as he looked at Mangetsu who now was leading the Vanguard of their force.
"Surround them from all sides. Once that is done, I'll stop the bombardment. They'll be sloppy and out of shape for a few moments, that is your window to use the mist to inflict maximum casualties. Leave their Commander to me" instructed Naruto, earning a grim nod from Mangetsu.
"CHARGE!"
Naruto watched as the Mizukage's only son lead the bulk of their own Anbu and Hunter forces expertly. The other swordsmen joined him as they had massacred the initial defense force that had tried to stop him. Now with the bulk of their forces trapped, Kumogakure was in a bad position.
"Ao, go and carry out your mission. Take everything of value from this city and make sure to prepare the contingency for when the Kinkaku arrive" ordered Naruto,
"It will be done, Lord Seventh" agreed the Anbu, as he bowed before commanding his force to move out.
Naruto saw the Rearguard of his forces had taken up positions across the docks and the outer sea preventing any enemy force to surround them from behind. He looked to the frontlines where the Vanguard and the other Swordsmen had now begun to surround the trapped Kumo forces. Somewhere in that mess was his wife, a part of him had not wanted to put her in danger but knowing she would have hated him for stopping her from participating in that conflict had made him relent.
"It would seem your strategy is going exactly as planned. Even more better in my opinion, Lord Seventh" complimented a feminine voice,
"Do you approve of this?" asked Naruto curiously, earning a shrug from Mei Terumi.
"It is brutal but has practically crushed our enemy and saved our own losses to an extent. As our Commander, my respect for you has increased. But as a human, what you have done here is...unforgivable" whispered Mei, as she looked at half of the city which had now turned to ash.
She watched as Naruto gave a nod accepting her judgement which made her wonder what had this man gone through in life to make him capable of doing something like this and still be able to fight. She watched him give the command that halted the bombardment from their forces stationed on the mountains just as the conflict erupted fully between their Vanguard who descended upon the Kumogakure Anbu forces that tried to escape from the barrier.
However, their victory was shortlived when they saw hundreds upon hundreds of Anbu forces emerging from secret bunkers hidden underground. Mei's eyes widened in horror as nearly a thousand Kumogakure Anbu now emerged from the eastern and western ruins of the city and were now on their way to surround and demolish Kiri's Vanguard.
"That sly Ginkaku, crafty as ever. In that case..." she heard Naruto whisper with a smile,
Soon enough, she was staring at another Naruto as both the clone and the original unleashed Muramasa in their right hand and its smaller tanto like version in the left hand.
"Mei, my clone shall handle the forces approaching from the west. Let's go and stop those incoming from the east" commanded Naruto,
"Very well, Lord Seventh" she complied with nod, and saw him smirk.
"Try to keep up if you can" challenged Naruto,
Mei blinked when the man in front of her vanished in a dark flash.
A briskly walked through the almost deserted corridor of the city prison. Not an hour ago, it was fully manned and protected by a small Kinkaku force. But now most of them were gone, commanded by A himself to go and defend the city against the enemy invaders.
The dark skinned man didn't know how the enemy managed to not just reach them but launch such a surprise attack as well.
And only one man in A's opinion could have the answers to the questions he had.
He slammed the door to the prison cell wide open and was relieved to see the older man still tied to the cross. Nearly a hundred seals were imprinted all across the cell, many upon the man's own body to stop him from ever being a threat again.
He was wearing nothing but dark pants while the rest of his body was fully exposed.
His chest a picture of the horrors inflicted by the Kinkaku as they tried to extract maximum information from the man who was considered to be one of the most powerful shinobi in the world.
Yet even so, most of his wounds healed quickly with only scars remaining that showed what he had endured. However, it was his mind that fascinated A.
Having endured weeks of torture, starvation, nearly being drowned over and over again, assaulted by illusions of his loved ones being killed...this man had refused to break, never divulging a single secret of his village.
A could not help but respect and fear that strength.
"You...seem...to...be...in...trouble...A" whispered the older man with a light cough,
"You on the other hand seem almost happy. Tell me, what do you know about this attack?" demanded A,
The prisoner with stark white hair gave him one of the coldest smiles that A had ever seen in his life.
"What do you know...Senju Tobirama?"