Black Ops: Anbu Naruto

After leaving the Konoha-side camp at Heaven Lake Bridge, Naruto crossed the river a day later, planning to assist the Northwest Division in crossing as well. 

Maki stayed close behind him, determined not to let him vanish unnoticed on the journey. 

While having company wasn't bad, the relentless pace wore Maki down. They were racing toward the fortress guarding the bridge on Kusagakure's side, hoping to arrive before the stalemate became absolute. 

"Naruto-senpai," Maki finally spoke up as they passed through several kilometers of open terrain along the enemy's riverbank. "Can we rest for a bit?" 

Her voice came out ragged from exhaustion, but it was already afternoon. She hadn't stopped moving since appearing the previous night. 

Naruto found a safe spot within a dense bamboo forest and let Maki stop to catch her breath. 

"Sure, no problem," he said while inspecting his supplies. "We should reach there before sunset and keep watch until early tomorrow morning. If we arrive too late, we'll launch our attack at dusk." 

"Why attack during daylight?" Maki asked loudly, curious about his reasoning. Naruto wasn't the kind of reckless, suicidal type, and even if he was, there was no need to risk exposure by assaulting a fortress. "Wouldn't attacking at night give us more mobility?" 

"They probably already detected us," Naruto replied grimly, testing the edge of his family sword. 

"The sensor-type ninja from Kusagakure are among the strongest in the world. Otherwise, someone else would've completed this mission already. And I'm basically a human chakra beacon." 

"Then why did Lady Hokage send you to carry out this mission? You're Konoha's ultimate weapon." 

"That's exactly why Captain Yamato assigned me, and that's why they chose to send me," Naruto shrugged. "I can get to the fortress. If I can't escape without being noticed, I can wreak havoc while retreating and battle my way back across the bridge to Konoha's side. If I could have passed through that crack easily, I would've gone straight through instead of taking a detour that took two days." 

"If you don't want to come with me, you can go back now," Naruto told Maki, catching her off guard as he sheathed his sword. "Once the fortress is destroyed, enemies will pour in from all directions seeking vengeance. Things will get extremely dangerous." 

Maki stood up, pulling her short blade from behind her back, visibly angry at his suggestion. 

"Naruto-senpai, I'm not just an ordinary friend of yours. I'm a member of Root. Root shinobi never abandon their missions… even if it leads to death. That's what defines us." 

"But you're still my junior, Maki," Naruto responded firmly, folding his arms and facing her head-on. "You must never treat a mission like a suicide mission—that's reckless. Always believe you'll come back alive… I won't let anyone I care about die right in front of me."

"If you send me back and then go carry out the mission alone, what do you think I'd feel if something happened to you? If you really want me to return, remember that you're practically defenseless against genjutsu, while I've got a thousand ways to..."

The two continued facing off, but Naruto's desire to argue faded as Maki's words struck home. She was right—he knew exactly what it felt like to lose someone, and he wouldn't want anyone else to feel that kind of grief. He chose not to waste energy arguing further.

"You've got genuine determination. I'm glad Lord Danzō allowed you to keep that spark. Truth is, I've always admired your spirit."

******

In Sunagakure, every ninja still capable of movement was busy rebuilding the village—common ninja all the way up to surviving jonin who had lived through Pain's assault.

To compensate for the manpower lost during the 'Shinra Tensei,' Konoha had left behind a squad to take over perimeter security around Sunagakure, guarding against any opportunistic enemy attacks.

Scores of Konoha medical ninja had been working tirelessly—day and night—to treat injured villagers. By now, they were utterly exhausted. But they could finally allow themselves to rest, knowing they'd accomplished something truly remarkable.

Aside from those with severe injuries who still needed regular checkups, there were few patients left needing treatment.

This was a good thing, because from here on out, their focus could fully shift toward reconstruction.

Sunagakure had a long way to go before it could fully recover from being nearly leveled.

"Such hard work and camaraderie among comrades..." Might Guy said, tears welling up in his eyes, raising his clenched fist high with passion. "It only makes the fire of my youth burn even brighter!" His voice rang out so loudly that it startled a group of Suna genin hauling construction materials into the village.

"Lee! We must help our Suna allies rebuild their village!"

"You're absolutely right, Guy-sensei! That's precisely what we should do!" Lee also began crying joyfully. "You truly understand your friends' struggles!"

"Expressing emotions doesn't make you any less of a man, Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

The two embraced tightly under the golden glow of the setting sun, standing atop the cliffs overlooking Sunagakure.

Temari walked over, smacked both taijutsu specialists on the heads, and pulled them apart before they could scare more people.

## Northeastern Front, Land of Fire ##

"I wish Master Jiraiya could see this place for himself now," Yugao said as she walked beside Jiraiya through the bustling encampment.

Wherever they looked, there were Konoha ninja—some covered in dust, others drenched in blood, all bearing clear signs of battle. "Before the war, these hidden villages coexisted peacefully, maintaining diplomatic relations."

Jiraiya nodded solemnly. "I know. I've been tracking these tensions for years."

"This is certainly true, but it's never been a major issue for Konoha. The main problem these villages face lies in Kumogakure's military strength. Unlike other villages, they haven't disarmed, which has intensified tensions throughout the region."

Yuugao anxiously twirled a kunai in her mouth as she took a map from another ninja assigned to escort an important figure—Raito, the scar-faced man. She pointed at the narrow stretch of land between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.

"Enemies are spread across the entire area. The battle we're in right now... We're only fighting one faction."

Jiraiya frowned. This was a clear geographical advantage. Once advancing far enough in the northeast direction, the terrain narrows considerably when approaching Kumogakure from the attack route, making troop movement very difficult.

They used the terrain to prevent Konoha from advancing northward. By stationing only a small force for defense, the main army could focus on dealing with stronger threats closer to Kumogakure.

This was the best strategy available to the Allied Ninja Forces given their encircled position. Konoha wouldn't commit its full forces to this front either, as it did not represent the main threat.

The enemy hadn't invaded the Land of Fire; they had already pushed deep into their own territory. Therefore, they not only possessed strong defensive forces against Konoha, but the southern invaders were also operating in unfamiliar terrain.

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